ChatGPT on the Difference Between Degree Mills and Diploma Mills

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by Rich Douglas, Feb 26, 2023.

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  1. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    From the website:

    Both "degree mills" and "diploma mills" refer to fraudulent organizations that offer fake academic degrees and diplomas to individuals in exchange for money without requiring any legitimate academic work or study. However, there is a slight difference between the two:

    1. Degree mills: A degree mill typically offers fake academic degrees, such as Bachelor's, Master's or Doctoral degrees, usually based on little or no coursework or academic achievement. The degrees are often issued by fake universities or institutions that do not exist or are not accredited.
    2. Diploma mills: A diploma mill typically offers fake diplomas, certificates, or transcripts for high school, secondary school, or vocational training programs. These diplomas are often issued by fake schools or institutions that do not exist or are not accredited.
    In both cases, the purpose of degree mills and diploma mills is to deceive individuals into believing that they have obtained legitimate academic qualifications, which they can then use to gain employment or advance their careers. However, these fraudulent credentials can ultimately harm the reputation of the individual and the organization they work for, and in some cases, can even be illegal.

    It is important to verify the accreditation of any institution or program before enrolling or paying any fees, to ensure that the education and credentials obtained are legitimate and recognized by employers and other academic institutions.

    According to ChatGPT, the difference between the two is the level of fakery--degrees or diplomas. Seems reasonable.
     
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  2. sanantone

    sanantone Well-Known Member

    ChatGPT just made this up. LOL. Diploma mill is the more common term and is most often used for degree-granting institutions. Degree mill is just a less popular term for the same concept. The sister forum has a recent ChatGPT thread with examples of some of the nonsense it spews out i.e. comparing the size of cow eggs to chicken eggs.
     
    SteveFoerster likes this.
  3. Bill Huffman

    Bill Huffman Well-Known Member

    Perfect, I'm pretty sure that your ChatGPT report could be turned into a degree mill for a fake PhD! Along with a big check, of course. :D
     
  4. sanantone

    sanantone Well-Known Member

    This is ChatGPT logic. It probably couldn't find a source to explain the difference between a degree mill and a diploma mill, so it looked up the difference between a diploma and a degree and combined those definitions with the definition for a mill.
     
  5. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    I don't necessarily disagree with this assertion, but I cannot agree with it, either. I doubt seriously this has been measured in any meaningful way.

    I like ChatGPT's distinction better than the one touted for years by a certain raconteur in these here parts. For that person, a degree mill was a substandard school and a diploma mill was a fake school that sold credentials on paper. I found that distinction to be useless and have never seen it applied elsewhere.

    I'm also comfortable with them being considered two ways to describe the same thing, eliminating ChatGPT's distinction completely. To-may-toe, to-mah-to.
     
  6. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    Seems plausible.
     
  7. Bill Huffman

    Bill Huffman Well-Known Member

    I agree. I like the ChatGPT distinction better as well. Although I'd argue that the ChatGPT is even more worthless. My assumption is that Levicoff made his distinction simply so that he could call the substandard schools degree mills with less chance of being sued.
     
    Rich Douglas likes this.
  8. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    A school suing Levicoff? That'd be like suing Chuck Norris! They wouldn't dare! I think the last school (only school?) that sued Levicoff, served him and made it to trial -- well, I was gonna say they lived to regret their bravery -- but the school DIDN'T survive that long, as I remember. We should have a "Levicoff Day" - every Sept. 31st! (Old DI insiders joke, based on that famous court appearance.)
     
    Last edited: Feb 26, 2023
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  9. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    ChatGPT "info" is often worthless, as I see it. What would you expect? It uses the same Internet sources we do! Its chief uses seem to be cheating in school, making pastiches of near word-salad, for people who won't pay a decent wage to a professional writer - and for fooling / entertaining people.

    We were entertained / fooled by ChatGPT in a recent thread. here: https://www.degreeinfo.com/index.php?threads/dancing-with-the-devil.61862/#post-581045

    I liked William Burroughs' "word collages" better - snipped from periodicals and hand-pasted. His were infinitely more intellectually intensive - and stimulating. :)

    https://www.writing.upenn.edu/~afilreis/88v/burroughs-cutup.html
     
    Last edited: Feb 26, 2023
  10. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    And I think he did it so he could slander any school he didn't like.
     
  11. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    He'd say what he wanted, regardless. He WAS Chuck Norris! :)
     
  12. Bill Huffman

    Bill Huffman Well-Known Member

    This is definitely what is getting all the news. A few weeks ago I read an article about ChatGPT. It said that it is proving very useful for legitimate purposes. The article spent a lot of time interviewing a relator. The relator thought that ChatGPT would soon be indispensable in his line of work.
     
  13. sanantone

    sanantone Well-Known Member

    I think ChatGPT has a lot of potential, but people are too trusting of it. I watched a YouTube live in which the host and audience were asking ChatGPT the same question in real time, and they were getting several different answers.


    Here's an article on ChatGPT making stuff up and not being able to provide sources.

    https://futurism.com/chatgpt-bios-littered-with-fabrications
     
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  14. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    I've met Chuck Norris. Norris was humble and strong. When I met him he wasn't yet world famous.

    Having strong opinions and being incredibly rude and often unfair is hardly the same thing. I know it was great sport to watch Levicoff, but you'd feel differently if he trolled you cruelly for a couple of decades.
     
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  15. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    Hmm...might be a more typical college student than we thought.
     
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  16. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Indeed I would. Point taken, Rich.
     
    Rich Douglas likes this.
  17. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    It does that a lot, apparently.

    Best quote about ChatGPT I've seen so far: "Yes, it can write your term paper for you, but you'll get an F."
     
  18. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Right. The quote is from here (supplied to us by LevelUp.):
    https://timesofsandiego.com/opinion/2023/02/07/chatgpt-can-write-your-term-paper-but-expect-an-f/

    I see it as a great benefit to those who would earn an "F" anyway, from their own efforts. Saves them time and trouble. Can even be used to shift the blame.... somewhat. ChatGPT leaves them free to focus ...on partying, maybe.
     
    Last edited: Feb 28, 2023
  19. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    I asked it the difference between coaching and mentoring. The response I got was pretty darn good.

    But it cannot think. And it does not provide citations. And you don't know if it is right or complete without checking. And and and....

    I think it is useful to get a start on something, or for something short and unimportant. And I don't have any idea where this will all go.

    "My father worked for the same firm for twelve years. They fired him. They replaced him with a tiny gadget - this big - that does everything my father does, only it does it much better. The depressing thing is, my mother ran out and bought one." -- Woody Allen
     
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  20. nosborne48

    nosborne48 Well-Known Member

    It can't think? Really? How do you know that? Is it attending DeSantis rallies?
     
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