Writing job dilemma... help

[FlourishBlott]

What do people think about essay writing services? I've been trying to get paid for my writing for ages now and although I've had some small successes, I'm having to work a couple of part time jobs in order to get by. Last week I was offered work writing for an essay writing service [Link deleted - MODERATOR] , but I can't decide whether to accept it. It would solve a lot of problems and might be a good stepping stone, but I know a lot of people have strong opinions about this kind of thing... I'd love to hear people's opinions please!

[JSWolf]

Don't take the essay writing job. It sounds highly suspect. Students are supposed to write their own essays.

[gmw]

I'm assuming this is a service where students pay others to write their essays - yes? (I only know they exist because I just did a search ... I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised at the number of results - but I was.)

It's quite an interesting ethical dilemma.

What are students going to learn if they get others to do their work? Well, in theory at least, a dedicated (and rich) student could use such essays to expand their education. They could review what they've purchased, pick it apart and decide what's good and bad about it ... before proceeding to write their own essay based on this wider understanding of the topic. Critique work can be very educational.

But it seems to me that the odds are the students will shortcut all that. The smarter ones might make some minor changes and rewordings to make it seem more like their own work, but ultimately they probably won't learn what they were supposed to.

On the other hand, you - the writer - are not cheating, you're just offering a service in exchange for money. Who are you to say what the student will do with the result? And if you don't do it then presumably someone else will.

You could talk it around in circles all night.

Me? I wouldn't touch it. The students most interested in the service are those most likely to be damaged by it. I used to do some tutoring work, those looking for help really need something more interactive than a simple "here's the answer, now help yourself".

[exscentric]

Since you already know it is a "dilemma" then you also know it is wrong and since you are posting here to get someone to make your moral decision for you what does that say about your character? :-) not condemning, just pointing out the obvious.

Make your decision and show your character. :-)

Happy decision making!

[jandrew]

Originally Posted by FlourishBlott

...
but I can't decide whether to accept it. It would solve a lot of problems and might be a good stepping stone, but I know a lot of people have strong opinions about this kind of thing... I'd love to hear people's opinions please!

Ethically? No one's opinion matters but your own ... and perhaps future employers ... which leads to:

Stepping stone? In what way? Where is it you want to work that will look favorably on a portfolio of high school and/or university essays written for and sold to cheaters?

[crich70]

As far as stepping stones how can it be if you are writing essays for others who will claim them as their own work? If you point to essay x as an example of your work then someone is going to be guilty of plagiarism as they will have claimed that the essay they bought from you was their own work. In the end they will cheat themselves as they won't know the material as well as if they had to do the work themselves, risk getting in trouble with the school authorities, and possibly drag your name into it if it becomes a legal matter. Which I'm thinking wouldn't be a good means of advertisement for your writing skills. Some might even think, if he could help someone else do x how do we know he didn't steal book/story y from someone else? A good reputation is easily destroyed and difficult to reclaim.

[cromag]

As a practical matter, if you're going to be looking for work in the education field, this wouldn't be an asset on your resume.

[Nabeel]

Don't do it. This has got to be the literary equivalent of prostitution. There can be no better way of losing your sense of self-respect.

[pendragginp]

Originally Posted by Nabeel

Don't do it. This has got to be the literary equivalent of prostitution.

This.

[meeera]

Originally Posted by Nabeel

Don't do it. This has got to be the literary equivalent of prostitution. There can be no better way of losing your sense of self-respect.

I disagree - sex work can be nothing more than a transaction between consenting adults which is perfectly honest from beginning to end. Student cheater essay-writing - not so much.

[crich70]

Originally Posted by meeera

I disagree - sex work can be nothing more than a transaction between consenting adults which is perfectly honest from beginning to end. Student cheater essay-writing - not so much.

Yeah, but in a lot of places including most of the U.S. Prostitution is also illegal as well. Besides if you buy an essay from someone else not only are you neglecting to develop your own writing skills but you are also cheating yourself of actually learning the material that you would have had to research before writing the essay. And even if you don't use all the info. that you learn about in the present essay you gain the insight that you may find of use in writing the next essay. You cheat yourself of that if you pay someone to write one for you. Plus do you really think the professors at colleges are stupid? Each person has their own unique writing style and if you can buy a paper from someone what's to stop a fellow student in your class from doing it? Then there are two papers from two different students with the same exact writing style. Busted!

[Nabeel]

There's also the scenario where you're asked to produce an essay that won't get the dumb student a suspiciously high grade. You have to ensure that the essay will just pass: a 42% in normal British academic standards.

Who really wants to write stuff like that?

[crich70]

Originally Posted by Nabeel

There's also the scenario where you're asked to produce an essay that won't get the dumb student a suspiciously high grade. You have to ensure that the essay will just pass: a 42% in normal British academic standards.

Who really wants to write stuff like that?

Good point. I'm sure most professors by time they assign an essay know what to expect from a given student like you said and it might send up some red flags if someone does way better. Or if they wrote one essay already and they are suddenly doing so much better this time.

[Dngrsone]

Originally Posted by jandrew

Ethically? No one's opinion matters but your own ... and perhaps future employers ... which leads to:

Stepping stone? In what way? Where is it you want to work that will look favorably on a portfolio of high school and/or university essays written for and sold to cheaters?

Ghost-writing?

[gmw]

Originally Posted by meeera

I disagree - sex work can be nothing more than a transaction between consenting adults which is perfectly honest from beginning to end. Student cheater essay-writing - not so much.

Yep. I had pretty much the same thing in mind when I wrote "you're just offering a service in exchange for money", above.

Without knowing the details of the essays being written, we don't know whether the arrangement is likely to be taking place between consenting adults or not. And if it is between adults that makes it a more interesting question. In some circumstances it might even be considered a practical.