My professor gave me a 5% on a global warming paper...my take was, no global warming

[Elwar]

I am getting my Master's degree in IT management. The class I am in had a question on IT companies "going green". It insulted my intelligence just having to answer that question but I took on the paper approaching it from an economical approach that the lower cost of electricity may be beneficial to a company but not to worry so much about the "global warming" aspect of it as it is more of a political thing than proven science (including sources).

I got a 5%.

It was my fault really. I continually suggest to students in college on here that they should play along with their liberal professors and quote socialists and global warming hawks so that they can get a good grade and go on to leave all that behind and get a good career.

But I took the chance that a Master's level professor of an IT course would not be a die in the wool liberal. I was wrong, I paid the price.

From now on, it is all about Obama and socialism in every paper I write. Viva Che!

[Pericles]

It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong. - Voltaire

[specsaregood]

I am getting my Master's degree in IT management. The class I am in had a question on IT companies "going green". It insulted my intelligence just having to answer that question but I took on the paper approaching it from an economical approach that the lower cost of electricity may be beneficial to a company but not to worry so much about the "global warming" aspect of it as it is more of a political thing than proven science (including sources).

I got a 5%.

It was my fault really. I continually suggest to students in college on here that they should play along with their liberal professors and quote socialists and global warming hawks so that they can get a good grade and go on to leave all that behind and get a good career.

But I took the chance that a Master's level professor of an IT course would not be a die in the wool liberal. I was wrong, I paid the price.

From now on, it is all about Obama and socialism in every paper I write. Viva Che!

dunno, I'd be complaining, loudly. unless your paper actually deserved a 5%.

[Travlyr]

dunno, I'd be complaining, loudly. unless your paper actually deserved a 5%.

Yeah, I would take that to the department head.

[Elwar]

dunno, I'd be complaining, loudly. unless your paper actually deserved a 5%.

Admittedly I was running late and would have liked to source more of my arguments with more sources, but the paper needed to be 5-7 pages long and I ended up with about 8.

I would have graded it with 80%. Had I added two more paragraphs with sources to a few IEEE documents then it would be 90-100%. At worst it deserved a 70%.

[specsaregood]

Admittedly I was running late and would have liked to source more of my arguments with more sources, but the paper needed to be 5-7 pages long and I ended up with about 8.

I would have graded it with 80%. Had I added two more paragraphs with sources to a few IEEE documents then it would be 90-100%. At worst it deserved a 70%.

Then don't just take it up the rectum. But then again, sometimes I like to fight when I've been wronged.

[CaptUSA]

Any chance you could post the paper?

I'd hate to jump to conclusions that it was just about the content. And I'd really love to read your professor's remarks.


I was always able to get high scores with the most brainwashed progressive professors in the world. Of course, I'm a little older and in class discussions, the professors could see I was better informed than they were. They knew if they gave me a bad score, it would reflect poorly on them.

[jmdrake]

Yeah, I would take that to the department head.

^This. And if that doesn't work I'd go to the media. Be a pain in that professor's behind.

[moostraks]

Papers should be graded on execution not are the basis of philosophical disagreement. I homeschool and that's the rule here. I would argue to the department head if possible, and don't sell your soul (just yet anyhow:p) Be honest on your failings and that you know it shouldn't be 100% but a 5% is unconscionable imo unless you discussed something completely off topic and lacked structure.

[Elwar]

Running head: Green Mobile Networks 1
Green Mobile Networks
Florida Institute of Technology
MGT 5115
Case Study 1: Green Mobile Networks 2
Abstract
This case study deals with incentives which are driving network operators to
develop greener networks. Though “going green” can have many connotations, the
focus of this case study will define greener networks as bold initiatives to improve the
energy efficiency of wireless networks and reducing the carbon footprint and
greenhouse (GHG) emissions associated with network operations.
The study will focus on four different incentives; reducing costs, overcoming
limited availability of reliable electricity, being more socially responsible and gaining a
competitive advantage. The study will prioritize these incentives and explain such a
prioritization.
This paper will also review the predictions of global warming and related issues
while considering the impact on the environment if the expanding surge in the use of 4G
networks does not go green.
Finally, I will look into all of these aspects in order to determine if the bottom line
of profitability is improved by implementing a green network.
Case Study 1: Green Mobile Networks 3
Introduction
Recently, the need to “go green” has come up for debate among many
businesses for whatever reason that may come up throughout their business decisions.
For the sake of this paper, it assumed that network operators (carriers) are considering
setting up green networks and that there is a question of whether or not it is beneficial
not only for the company itself but for the environment as well.
Considering this whole case study is centered around an unproven theory which
has become more of a political stance than an actual science, this paper will focus more
on the facts of the implications of green networks on a business. Also considering this is
a case study for a course on information technology as opposed to a meteorogical or
natural sciences course, this paper will not try to prove or disprove global warming or
greenhouse gasses and its effect on the environment considering even those in that
science have not been able to come to a conclusion.
Background
According to the case study in Volonino, Turban mobile network operators
worldwide have embarked on bold initiatives to improve the energy efficiency of their
wireless networks and have been “going green” in order to reduce the carbon footprint
and greenhouse emissions associated with network operations. The study also says
that Clearwire, the largest 4G service provider in the United States, began trials of highefficiency
“green” base station cabinets. These base station cabinets are capable of
achieving up to 90% reduction in electrical operating expenses. They also do not
require the use of HVAC equipment. Depending upon the results of the trials the new
Case Study 1: Green Mobile Networks 4
base station designers expect to introduce the base station cabinets throughout the
Clearwire network.
Case Study Question 1
Rank the four incentives according to how you believe they motivate a company to
invest in greener IT.
1. To reduce costs: Energy consumption is one of the biggest operation costs for
both fixed and mobile networks.
2. To gain competitive advantage: Network infrastructure vendors are striving to
gain competitive advantage by reducing the power requirements of their
equipment.
3. To overcome limited availability of reliable electricity: Many developing countries
are high growth markets for telecommunications, but they have limited access to
electricity.
4. To be more socially responsible: Many organizations have adopted corporate
social responsibility initiatives with the goal of reducing their networks’ carbon
footprint.
Case Study Question 2
Explain the reasons for your ranking.
The reason for the ranking in Case Study Question 1 is because first and foremost a
business is created to make money, and barring any extraneous situations involving
social uprisings or third world expansion, reduction of costs and gaining competitive
advantage are keys to making that happen.
Reducing costs, if possible through the use of green technology, is crucial to
moving forward as a company. Though changing the terms to “green networks” just
Case Study 1: Green Mobile Networks 5
because you are using less electricity is just a marketing scheme as opposed to a true
business strategy.
Reducing electricity costs is certainly a valid way to help a company move
forward as long as the reduced cost for the electricity is worth the added price of the
product over the lifetime of the product. For example, say that each new base station
cabinets will cost an extra $20,000 due to the 90% drop in electricity, if the life time for
the use of the cabinet is 10 years the cabinet would need to save $2,000 per year or
just over $166 per month. If the typical cost of electricity for the candidate is over $185
per month then it could certainly save $166 with a 90% savings on electricity. The case
study indicates that the cabinet would not require an HVAC system so such savings in
electricity for HVAC would also save money toward the $166 per month. As there is no
indication of exactly what base station cabinet is being purchased and what the extra
price would be for the extra cost for going green and there is no indication of what the
power usage for its previous base cabinet, there is no way to know if the cost of the
green cabinet is worth it.
A formula which could help to make an informed decision would be:
(Extra cost / (lifetime in years))/12 months = amount of savings needed per month
Current cost per month x percent of savings – HVAC system monthly cost = potential savings
If the potential savings is greater than the amount of savings needed then the
green technology is worth the extra cost. Otherwise it should be reconsidered before
going forward.
Case Study 1: Green Mobile Networks 6
What is also not included in this case study of the base cabinet is the difference in cost
based on the hardware’s reliability, warranty, cost to repair and any further costs to
changing over the hardware.
The second ranking of competitive advantage is somewhat closely tied to the first
ranking involving cost. If you are able to provide the exact same product as your
competitor at a lower cost, then you have a distinct advantage. You can use the extra
savings to either lower the price of the final product and thus gain market share of
customers, or you can use that extra savings toward investing in your company’s
infrastructure in order to further gain an even larger competitive advantage.
The third ranking of dealing with limited availability of reliable electricity in
developing countries is certainly a consideration. If you are unable to break into a
market because of limited availability to electricity then most likely, your competitor is
not able to do so either unless they can lower their power consumption. So it comes
down to a race between companies to come up with the lowest power consumption in
order to break into new markets which have no competition providing a virtual monopoly
on services which is a rarity in most business environments. However, such singular
offering of service does not last long as competitors usually find ways to catch up in a
successful market, but being there first does tend to have its own advantages.
Finally, the idea of being socially responsible can be beneficial to a business
though it should not be a huge consideration unless it can be spun in a very positive
way. Social responsibility may increase revenue if there is enough of a marketing
campaign to back it up which could take advantage of those who may feel that there is
Case Study 1: Green Mobile Networks 7
some benefit to going green. But this type of marketing campaign could be done with
any sort of social issue so a company should do some marketing research to find out
how beneficial going green could be to business perception. However there are any
number of social issues which can be taken advantage of if a marketing campaign is
desired for the desired effect.
There are some political connotations to going green which should be considered
depending upon the agenda of those in power. If a company is able to stay ahead of a
competitor when it comes to going green and a government institutes restrictions on
those who do not go green, it will give a distinct competitive advantage to your
company. Lobbyists could be used to drum up support for your style of going green and
give you an advantage over your competitor. Though this is a bit of a gamble and could
be money spent with no payoff.
Case Study Question 3
Review predictions of global warming and related issues. Consider the expected
surge in the use of 4G networks, which will increase electricity consumption to
power the networks and cool the equipment. Based on your research, estimate
the impact on the environment if mobile network operators did not invest in
greener networks.
Considering the whole industry of global warming is made up of either scientists
who are paid to report that global warming exists and get paid to further research such a
Case Study 1: Green Mobile Networks 8
trend, while on the other side there are the scientists paid by industries who would be
hurt by global warming legislation, there is much division in information on global
warming including actual falsifying of information to further an agenda.
For example, scientists who are paid to research global warming were found to
be tampering with data in order to get the data they desired such as Phil Jones’ hacked
e-mail where he reveals “I’ve just completed Mike’s Nature trick of adding in the real
temps to each series for the last 20 years (ie from 1981 onwards) amd from 1961 for
Keith’s to hide the decline.” (Delingpole, 2009) Or the fact that “The lack of warming for
more than a decade—indeed, the smaller-than-predicted warming over the 22 years
since the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) began issuing
projections—suggests that computer models have greatly exaggerated how much
warming additional CO2 can cause.” (Allegre, 2012)
Also, there is the economic statement that “There is no compelling scientific
argument for drastic action to "decarbonize" the world's economy. Even if one accepts
the inflated climate forecasts of the IPCC, aggressive greenhouse-gas control policies
are not justified economically.” (Allegre, 2012)
From these observations, it can be said that there will be no impact on the
environment whether or not greener networks are invested in or not. The best thing that
can be done is to make the networks more efficient and use the power consumed in the
most useful way possible in order to advance the wireless network industry so that we
Case Study 1: Green Mobile Networks 9
may further benefit from the ability to connect to information and data through wireless
technology.
Case Study Question 4
Bottom line: Is it profitable for operators to go green?
As indicated in Case Study Question 2, there are many reasons why going green
may be profitable for a business whether it is from a reduce in operating cost or from
gaining a competitive advantage in uncharted territories due to electricity availability. Or
there is also the potential for taking advantage of a public perception that going green is
a good thing and that such a perception could become beneficial with the right
marketing campaign.
.
Case Study 1: Green Mobile Networks 10
References
Delingpole, James (2009). Climategate: the final nail in the coffin of 'Anthropogenic
Global Warming'?
Allegre, Claude; Armstrong, Scott; Breslow, Jan; Cohen, Roger; David, Edward;
Happer, William; Kelly, Michael; Kinimonth, William; Lindzen, Richard; McGrath,
James; Nichols, Rodney; Rutan, Burt; Schmitt, Harrison H.; Shaviv, Nir;
Tennekes, Henk; Zichini, Antonio (2012) No Need to Panic About Global
Warming via
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405297020430140457717153183842136
6.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEADTop
.

[thoughtomator]

I would first talk to the professor and confront him directly as to whether he truly meant to give you that mark, or if it were an error. If it was deliberate, ask for a full, detailed explanation IN WRITING.

If the professor doesn't yield, then escalate, and don't forget to sprinkle in the terms "academic freedom", "breach of contract", and "potential liability".

[Elwar]

His response:
"This was not formatted properly, provided no properly cited references, offered unsupported arguments, and was clearly not a graduate level paper."

My e-mail to him:
"Could you please elaborate on how it was not formatted properly? I have followed the same format for my papers for the past 9 classes, even taking the exact same template I have used in every single class.

"provided no properly cited references"
Perhaps you missed where I cited my sources and listed my references on the last page with the big word at the top that said "References".

"offered unsupported arguments"
I included math equations for the cost part and sited sources for the global warming pieces.

"and was clearly not a graduate level paper"
A global warming question in an IT course is clearly has no place in an IT related curriculum. The question might as well have been "How does IT deal with unicorns?".

[VIDEODROME]

I suppose "Green Power" can be a vague idea to start with. I guess that would either be more energy efficient or more environmentally friendly.

How this falls under IT management specifically seems odd. It seems like that kind of direction would come from the company executives as either a PR move or to convey an image of innovation.

[moostraks]

So what was the 5% that was good? A 5% should mean you didn't even tackle the subject imo.

[RonRules]

Actually, here's the argument I use, with totally applies here:

Every dollar spent is energy. Non-renewable resources, including all the mineral to make the equipment are produced by spending money. Labor is money and therefore energy. Even profit is energy, because it is use to spend more energy.

By minimizing dollars, you are actually helping the environment.

It's that simple and I personally came up with that.

[KingNothing]

Have you read the anyone else's paper? That might help to give you an idea of your work relative to what the teacher expected.

[Elwar]

I suppose "Green Power" can be a vague idea to start with. I guess that would either be more energy efficient or more environmentally friendly.

I mentioned that in the paper and spelled out what interpretation I would go with "reduced energy usage and smaller carbon footprint". That is how the case study defined it.

[Elwar]

Have you read the anyone else's paper? That might help to give you an idea of your work relative to what the teacher expected.

Did not read anyone else's paper but I e-mailed the other people in the class warning them about future papers. Someone responded and said that they got a poor grade because he said it was plagiarized (likely the turnitin software screwed up).

[jdcole]

His response:
"This was not formatted properly, provided no properly cited references, offered unsupported arguments, and was clearly not a graduate level paper."

My e-mail to him:
"Could you please elaborate on how it was not formatted properly? I have followed the same format for my papers for the past 9 classes, even taking the exact same template I have used in every single class.

"provided no properly cited references"
Perhaps you missed where I cited my sources and listed my references on the last page with the big word at the top that said "References".

"offered unsupported arguments"
I included math equations for the cost part and sited sources for the global warming pieces.

"and was clearly not a graduate level paper"
A global warming question in an IT course is clearly has no place in an IT related curriculum. The question might as well have been "How does IT deal with unicorns?".

How did the professor want the paper formatted? What, in the professor's mind, is a properly cited source?

I've worked in datacenters, helped build one as well, and I can tell you "going green" refers to more than just your carbon footprint or how much electricity you use. Servers and network infrastructure that consume less power while minimizing the impact to performance, proper thermal layout (alternating hot/cold rows, etc), power consumption, proper backup power/alternative sources of power for non-critical equipment (running lights/etc. off of solar, using a hybrid solar/wind/generator for failover power thus consuming less gas).

Lots of things. I don't know, I agree that you should bring it up with the department head.

[Philhelm]

A 5%? Five fucking percent?! That's obscene!!! My degree is in history and I've written many papers and have reviewed classmates' papers, and have seen some pretty shitty papers, but none of them ever received a 5%. Hell, just meeting the page requirement would generally warrant at least a 50%.

[RonRules]

The case studies questions are very short sighted.

4G networks, smart phones and wireless in general SAVE a tremendous amount of energy. People can now do video chat, causing much less fossil fuel burned for transportation.

Location Based Services with immediate feedback as to where the nearest stores (with the lowest prices) also save a tremendous amount of energy.

Good communications in general make society much more efficient, save money and therefor save energy.

It is extremely short sighted to consider for example the HVAC savings @$166/mo, when better equipment which requires cooling saves millions a month for society.

[tasteless]

lol, reminds of an English paper I wrote on gun control where, instead of critiquing my writing ability, most of the red ink on the paper was spent arguing with me. When I made mention of laws banning automatic weapons and grenade launchers, my professor even sarcastically wrote "FASCISTS!" I did better than a 5% though :| If I had gotten a 5% I would have raised hell about it, definitely go talk to a dean or department head.

[Elwar]

I did write a paper for another class once where it was going over the Sarbanes Oxley Act and I highlighted how much it hurt business and quoted a Ron Paul speech against it.

The teacher gave me a poor grade and said that it was either not sourced or plagiarized, one of those. I responded to him pointing out the quotes around the full speech with the source directly following the quotes and a reference to a Congressman of the United States. He changed my grade.

[Nirvikalpa]

My ecology course that I took over the summer, when not actually swimming and gathering specimens in the river that flows behind my college and performing experiments/dissections on said specimens, was spent writing papers. We had to write 4, including a debate paper... which we had to present to the class in a "debate-like manner." The topic was global warming, and I was the only one out of 14 students to argue against it.

Ended up getting a 95, and my teacher (a strict environmentalist) even said I wrote it/articulated it wonderfully and that "he had no idea about the facts I presented."

Teacher's aren't really any different than the average person. They are in a rough spot too and basically chained to the dept. education. Unless this guy was an absolute asshole, which may be, I don't see why he would give you a 5%. I've had complete socialist teachers in college (mostly English profs) who would constantly call me out for my opinions, but had a respect for me because I was able to be both respectful and be able to diligently argue my point. I don't think I received a grade below an A- from any of my socialist professors, and even after I was done with their course they would always email me and check up on me.

That being said, my Medical Ethics professor was a complete libertarian, Ayn Rand fan up the wazoo. Would constantly ask me about Marxism. He was completely thrilled to have me. Barely had to breathe in that class to get an A. The more liberal students in my class? Barely got B's, mostly C's and C-'s.

I would say to post your paper. Did you and this professor have any prior disagreements? Has this professor had a reputation for grading harshly? Did he even offer you an explanation as to your low grade?

I would email him, and state that if no answers are given, you will 1) first go to the department head, and then 2) to the dean of the college. I would pull up your college's grading policy (for papers) and the teacher's individual grading policy and diligently read through it, noting where you could have lost points, and make a total.

[Working Poor]

I am getting my Master's degree in IT management. The class I am in had a question on IT companies "going green". It insulted my intelligence just having to answer that question but I took on the paper approaching it from an economical approach that the lower cost of electricity may be beneficial to a company but not to worry so much about the "global warming" aspect of it as it is more of a political thing than proven science (including sources).

I got a 5%.

It was my fault really. I continually suggest to students in college on here that they should play along with their liberal professors and quote socialists and global warming hawks so that they can get a good grade and go on to leave all that behind and get a good career.

But I took the chance that a Master's level professor of an IT course would not be a die in the wool liberal. I was wrong, I paid the price.

From now on, it is all about Obama and socialism in every paper I write. Viva Che!

The reason I did not become a doctor is because I could not conform to the confabulated bs

[Simple]

I've been marked down for a presentation where I argued both sides of the global warming argument. Because I argued both sides I was told that I was engaging in political attacks. I could go on, but I'll just list a couple sources.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/climatechange/8786565/War-of-words-over-global-warming-as-Nobel-laureate-resigns-in-protest.html
http://public.web.cern.ch/public/en/research/CLOUD-en.html
http://berkeleyearth.org/faq/

[Anti Federalist]

"and was clearly not a graduate level paper"

A global warming question in an IT course is clearly has no place in an IT related curriculum. The question might as well have been "How does IT deal with unicorns?".

That made me crack up, good for you. +rep

[Boss]

This could very well have little to do with your opinion, and much more to do with the professor's "style." I've had professors who purposefully will give the entire class a poor grade on their first paper simply to shake things up and/or to assert authority (keep in mind that professor's criteria is nearly purely subjective and they have a pretty wide range of options to mark down any paper submitted).

I write at a high level, and never received less than a high A on my college essays. In a certain class, my first essay I submitted (was 17 pages when the requirement was 3-5) received a 75%. When I got the paper back in class I had to fight back the urge to rage. But I followed the protocol the teacher had outlined: we can improve our grade if we make amendments per what the prof recommended. I made every change that was required and even went beyond and had a consultation with a professor in the college's lit department, who was astounded as to why the paper received such a low score.

After resubmitting the paper, I received a 93% - even though the professor had said that students who resubmit never receive above a 90%.

Sometimes, we completely misunderstand the reason why someone takes the action against us that they do. I find that when professors do absurd things like yours has done, it has to do with asserting power/authority, not a disagreement over opinions (however, if you are going to submit a contrary opinion, you surely realize that your margin for error is virtually non-existent, which you didn't seem to account for) In this case, you should be careful to ensure that your theory about the professor not liking your opinions is the reason why you were marked down, and that the issue isn't something more obvious and practical.

[PatriotOne]

I am getting my Master's degree in IT management. The class I am in had a question on IT companies "going green". It insulted my intelligence just having to answer that question but I took on the paper approaching it from an economical approach that the lower cost of electricity may be beneficial to a company but not to worry so much about the "global warming" aspect of it as it is more of a political thing than proven science (including sources).

I got a 5%.

It was my fault really. I continually suggest to students in college on here that they should play along with their liberal professors and quote socialists and global warming hawks so that they can get a good grade and go on to leave all that behind and get a good career.

But I took the chance that a Master's level professor of an IT course would not be a die in the wool liberal. I was wrong, I paid the price.

From now on, it is all about Obama and socialism in every paper I write. Viva Che!

My sister complains of having to play the same game while getting her BA. Every once in awhile she goes off script and gets whacked.

[Vessol]

Meh, same thing happened last year when I wrote a 6-page paper about private schools where I trashed public schools. Every statistic was well cited and such, which was a fucking pain, you try writing a paper about how shitty the public school system is..only to mainly only sources that are provided by public schools.

[AgentOrange]

I have to say, for a Master's level professional paper, your paper was poorly done (and I say that based just on the formating & sentence structure, the tone of the paper-it sounds more opinion piece that reasearched based) But 5%? I suppose its possible depending on the actual requirements of the paper, but considering that you had written other papers in his class, I find it hard to believe you were off that much from the requirements. As others have said, generally 50% would be a baseline for putting together a non-plagarized paper of the proper length. My opinion is both a poor paper AND the teacher's prejuidice against your opinion contributed to the grade.

At this point, I would talk to your professor, ask if you can redo the paper to get extra credit, have a few people who know more about writing than the average Yahoo report read your paper and give feedback. You aren't going to change your professor's opinion, at this point I would just concentrate on saving your final grade.

[heavenlyboy34]

FWIW, footnotes would have made this a stronger paper. I also agree with AO that it's not a Master's level paper. I had to write more in-depth papers as an undergrad.

If the prof didn't give you a grade sheet detailing the criteria of the paper and how well you executed each one, you might have a case you can take to the department head (or whoever).

[risk_reward]

"From these observations, it can be said that there will be no impact on the environment whether or not greener networks are invested in or not. "

Are you serious? Energy use has no impact to the environment? Your conclusion is ridiculous and matches your grade.

[thoughtomator]

Keep in mind that "Master's" level work today is not "Master's" level work of 20 or 40 years ago. Education standards have dropped so low over the past 20 years that today's undergrad degree represents about the same level of overall knowledge as a high school diploma did back then (and I'm being generous). Basic literacy and numeracy are optional today.

[Dark_Horse_Rider]

the sham of an educational system that we have is in its last days

[Uncle Emanuel Watkins]

Admittedly I was running late and would have liked to source more of my arguments with more sources, but the paper needed to be 5-7 pages long and I ended up with about 8.

I would have graded it with 80%. Had I added two more paragraphs with sources to a few IEEE documents then it would be 90-100%. At worst it deserved a 70%.

Post the paper in here. Then submit the reactions to it. Actually, the issue isn't a discussion of science as much as of the philosophy of science. For example, on the local level, I find the weather meteorologists to be wrong quite a bit but very helpful to me in regards to my getting around on a scooter. On the Federal level, the weather meteorologist wizards are never wrong. You see, that is the difference between a real scientist and a wizard. The scientists are submissive to a controlling philosophy. A wizard has no philosophy as they like to be above that which will dispel their power as real magic.
See, this is a philosophical question of classification, reduction, and unification.
I see that you did post the paper. Sorry.

[Elwar]

Keep in mind that "Master's" level work today is not "Master's" level work of 20 or 40 years ago. Education standards have dropped so low over the past 20 years that today's undergrad degree represents about the same level of overall knowledge as a high school diploma did back then (and I'm being generous). Basic literacy and numeracy are optional today.

I agree. My Master's degree has been like a cake walk compared to my Bachelor's.

[heavenlyboy34]

Keep in mind that "Master's" level work today is not "Master's" level work of 20 or 40 years ago. Education standards have dropped so low over the past 20 years that today's undergrad degree represents about the same level of overall knowledge as a high school diploma did back then (and I'm being generous). Basic literacy and numeracy are optional today.
I proofread some of my peer's papers when I was an undergrad. I think your assessment is right on. College kids today do incredibly shitty work-stuff I would expect from high-schoolers.

I hardly put any work into my undergrad term papers and still got high marks on all of them (A's and B's). But, I knew time management and apparently academic standards were significantly higher in the 80's-90's when I was a youngin'. John Gatto was exactly right about the system.

[Uncle Emanuel Watkins]

I have to say, for a Master's level professional paper, your paper was poorly done (and I say that based just on the formating & sentence structure, the tone of the paper-it sounds more opinion piece that reasearched based) But 5%? I suppose its possible depending on the actual requirements of the paper, but considering that you had written other papers in his class, I find it hard to believe you were off that much from the requirements. As others have said, generally 50% would be a baseline for putting together a non-plagarized paper of the proper length. My opinion is both a poor paper AND the teacher's prejuidice against your opinion contributed to the grade.

At this point, I would talk to your professor, ask if you can redo the paper to get extra credit, have a few people who know more about writing than the average Yahoo report read your paper and give feedback. You aren't going to change your professor's opinion, at this point I would just concentrate on saving your final grade.

Why don't you make this an "F" class that you are going to take on principle. Discuss this with your professor and perhaps he or she will help you in your quest to best blow the course in such a way that you learn as much as possible. It isn't always a good idea to make perfect grades. Then again, try drawing happy faces and other icons on your papers. That alone will probably bump you up to 10%.

[asurfaholic]

His response:
"This was not formatted properly, provided no properly cited references, offered unsupported arguments, and was clearly not a graduate level paper."

My e-mail to him:
"Could you please elaborate on how it was not formatted properly? I have followed the same format for my papers for the past 9 classes, even taking the exact same template I have used in every single class.

"provided no properly cited references"
Perhaps you missed where I cited my sources and listed my references on the last page with the big word at the top that said "References".

"offered unsupported arguments"
I included math equations for the cost part and sited sources for the global warming pieces.

"and was clearly not a graduate level paper"
A global warming question in an IT course is clearly has no place in an IT related curriculum. The question might as well have been "How does IT deal with unicorns?".

If your gonna try to be a pain in your teachers rear... then its "cited," not "sited."

Just saying..

[MelissaWV]

If your gonna try to be a pain in your teachers rear... then its "cited," not "sited."

Just saying..

Teacher's ;) ... you're ... it's ...

This really does not read like a college-level research paper to me, but 5% is harsh. Most will, as others noted, give you a starting grade of 50% just for doing the assignment and meeting the page requirement (though you say you exceeded it... and you must have had a HUGE font because what you posted was not eight pages of work). Given what I was able to understand about it, it reads like a 55% or so.

The real question is why you have to write a research paper for your "Master's degree in IT management." The answer is likely to ensure that someone who's aiming for a high level position within an IT company of some sort is able to communicate effectively, and at least frame an argument properly. You come across in the paper and the responses just as you do on here: hostile to the subject. You did not handle that hostility well.

[Kluge]

I've seen students who get 5% just for writing their name on the paper.

[Uncle Emanuel Watkins]

I have to say, for a Master's level professional paper, your paper was poorly done (and I say that based just on the formating & sentence structure, the tone of the paper-it sounds more opinion piece that reasearched based) But 5%? I suppose its possible depending on the actual requirements of the paper, but considering that you had written other papers in his class, I find it hard to believe you were off that much from the requirements. As others have said, generally 50% would be a baseline for putting together a non-plagarized paper of the proper length. My opinion is both a poor paper AND the teacher's prejuidice against your opinion contributed to the grade.

At this point, I would talk to your professor, ask if you can redo the paper to get extra credit, have a few people who know more about writing than the average Yahoo report read your paper and give feedback. You aren't going to change your professor's opinion, at this point I would just concentrate on saving your final grade.

I didn't see any introduction, thesis, or conclusion. That is how I wrote my papers in my philosophy classes. Aren't we trying to make the paper as easy as possible for the reader to understand? In the end, I must admit to only getting about 5% out of the paper. Wait. I didn't even get that. But, then again, like the gentleman who wrote the paper, I'm philosophically challenged when it comes to global warming regardless of cost. I mean, companies have always been costworthy in their conscience and, contrary to popular opinion, have been manned by the most liberal of thinkers. So, why mutually include the green environment crap with the virtues the companies have always displayed? This is deep deep doo doo philosophically speaking which is going to be a distraction for many, I will agree. Still, the fellow needs to shift gears. He needs to realize he is competing in school with many who barely have the aptitude approaching the ape.

[Drex]

I think you have to cite your references in MLA format.. My HS teachers harp that all the time

[tttppp]

I am getting my Master's degree in IT management. The class I am in had a question on IT companies "going green". It insulted my intelligence just having to answer that question but I took on the paper approaching it from an economical approach that the lower cost of electricity may be beneficial to a company but not to worry so much about the "global warming" aspect of it as it is more of a political thing than proven science (including sources).

I got a 5%.

It was my fault really. I continually suggest to students in college on here that they should play along with their liberal professors and quote socialists and global warming hawks so that they can get a good grade and go on to leave all that behind and get a good career.

But I took the chance that a Master's level professor of an IT course would not be a die in the wool liberal. I was wrong, I paid the price.

From now on, it is all about Obama and socialism in every paper I write. Viva Che!

Thats ridiculous to give someone a 5% simply for disagreeing with them. I once only got a B+ for writing this awesome paper on how the Sarbanes-Oxely would not have prevented any of the frauds and would only waste money and prevent companies from going public. I gave proof and I also detailed a system that would have prevented the frauds. However I only got a B+ because the assignment was to explain how Sarbanes WOULD prevent these frauds.

[pcgame]

..

[tttppp]

Ok your paper is poorly written. If I were a grader I'd give it anywhere between 50 to 60 percent.

Even if the professor was a harsh grader, don't you think it is at least worth 25 to 50 percent?

5 percent is way too little.

I would definitely file a complaint with whoever is in charge and contest that grade.

[DamianTV]

I'll give you an A+ for your 5%!

[smithtg]

pretty bad paper, I mean how much of your grade was it worth? Did you even spend an hour on it? How long did you have from the time the paper was assigned to finish it?

If it wasnt worth much, then yes it could be this short. If you had all semester to do it, then it was way too short.

I felt like I was reading a high school kids paper just my opinion. I think I may have given about a 50% since there was an attempt to complete all the parts. Thats still failing though dude

[tttppp]

pretty bad paper, I mean how much of your grade was it worth? Did you even spend an hour on it? How long did you have from the time the paper was assigned to finish it?

If it wasnt worth much, then yes it could be this short. If you had all semester to do it, then it was way too short.

I felt like I was reading a high school kids paper just my opinion. I think I may have given about a 50% since there was an attempt to complete all the parts. Thats still failing though dude

I don't think I've ever seen anyone get a grade as low as 5% on anything before at any level. And I've seen worse papers than that get 40% or above. This is not an A paper but its way better than 5%. Just a heads up, if you are going to disagree with your professor, you need to do a really good job explaining your point and writing a really good paper.

[GeorgiaAvenger]

Not worth a 5% but definitely a failing grade based on my reading of it.

[Eisenhower]

Personally, I don't believe the paper was particularly good, but a 5% was clearly your professor making a point of some kind.

[Brian Coulter]

"and was clearly not a graduate level paper"
A global warming question in an IT course is clearly has no place in an IT related curriculum. The question might as well have been "How does IT deal with unicorns?".

ouch

[MelissaWV]

ouch

Was that an "ouch" at his swipe at the teacher, or at the portion of the sentence that says "...is clearly has no place..."?

[Simple]

http://www.dougydoug.com/public2.jpg

[heavenlyboy34]

I think you have to cite your references in MLA format.. My HS teachers harp that all the time
Yep. Don't care for MLA style, though. None of the scholarly papers in major journals like The Objective Standard use it.

[Brian4Liberty]

Case Study Question 3
Review predictions of global warming and related issues. Consider the expected
surge in the use of 4G networks, which will increase electricity consumption to
power the networks and cool the equipment. Based on your research, estimate
the impact on the environment if mobile network operators did not invest in
greener networks.

Here is where the teacher has pushed to make this a paper about global warming. She/He is requesting a debate on global warming itself.

[Brian4Liberty]

Teacher's ;) ... you're ... it's ...

This really does not read like a college-level research paper to me, but 5% is harsh. Most will, as others noted, give you a starting grade of 50% just for doing the assignment and meeting the page requirement (though you say you exceeded it... and you must have had a HUGE font because what you posted was not eight pages of work). Given what I was able to understand about it, it reads like a 55% or so.

The real question is why you have to write a research paper for your "Master's degree in IT management." The answer is likely to ensure that someone who's aiming for a high level position within an IT company of some sort is able to communicate effectively, and at least frame an argument properly. You come across in the paper and the responses just as you do on here: hostile to the subject. You did not handle that hostility well.


Ok your paper is poorly written. If I were a grader I'd give it anywhere between 50 to 60 percent.

Even if the professor was a harsh grader, don't you think it is at least worth 25 to 50 percent?

5 percent is way too little.

Believe me, technical people in the IT industry are notoriously bad at written, and often verbal communications. A Master's Degree in IT Management should probably stress communications, which would explain an essay assignment. The full extent of writing in a technical Bachelor's Degree is generally only semi-comprehensible comments in your code. ;)

[Ronulus]

I am getting my Master's degree in IT management. The class I am in had a question on IT companies "going green". It insulted my intelligence just having to answer that question but I took on the paper approaching it from an economical approach that the lower cost of electricity may be beneficial to a company but not to worry so much about the "global warming" aspect of it as it is more of a political thing than proven science (including sources).

I got a 5%.

It was my fault really. I continually suggest to students in college on here that they should play along with their liberal professors and quote socialists and global warming hawks so that they can get a good grade and go on to leave all that behind and get a good career.

But I took the chance that a Master's level professor of an IT course would not be a die in the wool liberal. I was wrong, I paid the price.

From now on, it is all about Obama and socialism in every paper I write. Viva Che!

Probably because your approached the paper from the wrong perspective. Global Warming isn't the point of Sustainable Business. I am in an IT degree also and had to take Sustainable Work Systems. Relies mostly on cutting waste (electricity, but also resources). It's pretty easy and it does mention global warming some, but it's not the focus. I can write a paper and not mention global warming at all, and the class was a breeze.

[Elwar]

pretty bad paper, I mean how much of your grade was it worth? Did you even spend an hour on it? How long did you have from the time the paper was assigned to finish it?

If it wasnt worth much, then yes it could be this short. If you had all semester to do it, then it was way too short.

I felt like I was reading a high school kids paper just my opinion. I think I may have given about a 50% since there was an attempt to complete all the parts. Thats still failing though dude

It is only worth 5% of my grade, one case study per week over the 8 week course. So, 20% of my grade as well as a 10% final paper.

I admit I could hardly even think straight, deleting several paragraphs after writing what I really thought of this assignment...it could have been a lot worse. I spent an evening on it, going back and forth from the paper to RPF to talking to my wife Sunday evening until about 11PM when I only had an hour left and had to hurry in the last 3 pages.

The first paper is usually hard to put together because I do not know what the teacher is looking for. One teacher wanted a lot of things cited so I would put paragraph after paragraph of quotes together with hardly any of my own input just to glue it together. My last teacher went mainly by word count, all of the students caught on really quick and posted tons and tons of BS with high word counts. I guess this professor is all about philosophical agreement.

I would have dropped the course being only 2 weeks into it but it is the second to last course I have to graduate and it will not be offered again until fall. And my final class would need to be pushed back to spring. I plan on changing jobs in the fall after I graduate and a Master's in IT management looks good on my resume. And my grades have been mainly 4.0 with a few 3.0 so I would rather keep my GPA up.

[Elwar]

And my professor's response to my e-mail: We are clearly not talking about the same paper. Please submit the one you are referring to an I will look at it.

[Elwar]

lol...I guess he was serious when he said we were not talking about the same paper. I told him which paper it was and attached it in the e-mail.

His response: Grade has been changed.

88%

Now I am left to wonder if he truly got the wrong paper (if so, what paper was he looking at???). Or if he just calmed down enough from his philosophical disagreement and gave me a more unbiased grade.

Either way. I will be eliminating a few of my options for the final paper that I had been considering "come up with a business and explain how you would use some of the IT strategies presented in the course to give it an advantage." I had considered something that uses Bitcoin but...not so much anymore.

[Uncle Emanuel Watkins]

lol...I guess he was serious when he said we were not talking about the same paper. I told him which paper it was and attached it in the e-mail.

His response: Grade has been changed.

88%

Now I am left to wonder if he truly got the wrong paper (if so, what paper was he looking at???). Or if he just calmed down enough from his philosophical disagreement and gave me a more unbiased grade.

Either way. I will be eliminating a few of my options for the final paper that I had been considering "come up with a business and explain how you would use some of the IT strategies presented in the course to give it an advantage." I had considered something that uses Bitcoin but...not so much anymore.

That isn't fair. You must be nice looking as if it'd have been my paper, I'd have received a 4%.

[Elwar]

That isn't fair. You must be nice looking as if it'd have been my paper, I'd have received a 4%.

Yes, it could be the fact that I am very handsome.

Though I am not sure how that factors in on an online course...

[heavenlyboy34]

That isn't fair. You must be nice looking as if it'd have been my paper, I'd have received a 4%.
+1 This was my first reaction as well.

[Schifference]

Hopefully you put forth a better effort on future assignments. I read your essay and 88 was a gracious grade.

[AgentOrange]

lol...I guess he was serious when he said we were not talking about the same paper. I told him which paper it was and attached it in the e-mail.
Now I am left to wonder if he truly got the wrong paper (if so, what paper was he looking at???). Or if he just calmed down enough from his philosophical disagreement and gave me a more unbiased grade.

I'm thinking he got the wrong paper the 2nd time. No way was that paper worth 88% at a master's level. He must really like you, or maybe college standards have fallen so far that a beginning high school level work can get an 88% at the master's level.

I'm glad you got a better grade, and the paper certainly wasn't a 5% bad.....but trust me & the others on this thread who have said your 5% grade was not based on philosophical disagreement. I would STRONGLY suggest reading "Writers, Inc." It's a book written for Jr. High/High school students learning to write papers....but it is *very* thorough. Even if your professors are willing to give you passing grades with your current level of work, you would be doing yourself a HUGE favor (and your future co-workers/employers/managers who have to read your work) to learn to write at a minimal standard.

[LawnWake]

edit

[Working Poor]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NK0Y9j_CGgM&feature=related

[Uncle Emanuel Watkins]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NK0Y9j_CGgM&feature=related

It isn't that we are uneducated, but that we are diseducated. To put it bluntly, there are many in this nation who are proud of how they were an instrumental part in fucking it all up. It would be better that we live today in a society of uneducated hateful racist southernors, than to continue living in this present society of pretentious dumbasses.
Look, once and for all, just because you aren't racist doesn't mean you aren't dumber than the dumbest southern dumbass. Please, try to grasp this concept. Before we can deal with this problem of being a dumbass nation, we first need to admit that we are dumbasses.

[MelissaWV]

That teacher is on crack.

Perhaps what you sent was what you posted here, which looked like a really awful draft rather than a completed research paper?

[KingNothing]

Hopefully you put forth a better effort on future assignments. I read your essay and 88 was a gracious grade.


Saying it was "gracious" is being gracious.

[pcgame]

..

[Karsten]

I learned very quickly in my philosophy and politics classes that the way to get a good grade is to take the same position as the professor. I learned that from getting a D- on a paper that I expected to get an A on.

That said, one time I argued against gun control (citing even some lew rockwell.com sources), for a very liberal professor who told me he had the opposite position, and got an A+.

[VoluntaryAmerican]

I learned very quickly in my philosophy and politics classes that the way to get a good grade is to take the same position as the professor. I learned that from getting a D- on a paper that I expected to get an A on.

That said, one time I argued against gun control (citing even some lew rockwell.com sources), for a very liberal professor who told me he had the opposite position, and got an A+.

Yup... depends on the teacher.

I've been screwed over by an Ethics teacher (ironically) because I held my ground the entire class with the non-agression principle.

I got a C, but it was worth it, converted one person full on to Libertarianism and I'm sure had an effect on some others.

Flip side, I got in to heated debates with a History teacher and got an A in her class.

It's really all about the teacher and making sure not to push too far...

[dannno]

That teacher is on crack.

Perhaps what you sent was what you posted here, which looked like a really awful draft rather than a completed research paper?

It wasn't a completed research paper so much as a weekly case study assignment it sounds like. I mean, as far as how in depth and polished our expectations are.

And the major is IT Management, not English Lit.

[MelissaWV]

It wasn't a completed research paper so much as a weekly case study assignment it sounds like. I mean, as far as how in depth and polished our expectations are.

And the major is IT Management, not English Lit.

He said it needed to be 5-7 pages long, and it didn't even really address the case study. It is also a Masters-level course, so I would think the emphasis would be on communication. An 88% seems beyond generous if what he pasted here was actually his paper. If it was just an outline, or a bunch of notes, then it's another situation entirely.

[heavenlyboy34]

I learned very quickly in my philosophy and politics classes that the way to get a good grade is to take the same position as the professor. I learned that from getting a D- on a paper that I expected to get an A on.

That said, one time I argued against gun control (citing even some lew rockwell.com sources), for a very liberal professor who told me he had the opposite position, and got an A+.
If I'd known this when I was a freshman, I would've done a lot better in public speaking class, I bet.

[ProIndividual]

I saw this online:

http://ilovecarbondioxide.com/2009/04/termites-emit-ten-times-more-co2-than.html


Termites emit ten times more CO2 than humans. Should we cap-and-tax them?

exerpt:

Not only is carbon dioxide's total greenhouse effect puny, mankind's contribution to it is minuscule. The overwhelming majority (97%) of carbon dioxide in the earth's atmosphere comes from nature, not from man. Volcanoes, swamps, rice paddies, fallen leaves, and even insects and bacteria produce carbon dioxide, as well as methane. According to the journal Science (Nov. 5, 1982), termites alone emit ten times more carbon dioxide than all the factories and automobiles in the world. Natural wetlands emit more greenhouse gases than all human activities combined.