Help - College student with assignment.

Right, I am currently studying computers at Stamford College in the UK and really need a little information thrown this way... here is a specification for a companies required computer network that we are required to research and produce:

A central network server linked to a workstation in each main Department. It is expected that the server will have about 1200 terminals connected and require about 420Gb of disk space. Each workstation will require about 25Gb of disk space.

If you can send any relevant information it would be much appreciated...

Thanks again

sorry, i'm not sure exactly what u wann kno, maybe i misunderstood ur question???

It's considered in very poor taste by most to both post and to answer homework questions- that's work YOU have to do on your own. What have you learned if someone answers your question for you?

In fact, in many forums, they expressly forbid homework questions.
Please don't do it in the future. Thanks!

Dont you think thats a bit wrong??? Hes asking for a nudge in the right direction maybe a link to a useful site. Hes not asking you to answer his assignment question for him. I thought thats what this web site was all about helping other people. Fair enuff if he qouted his assignment and said "Can someone answer this for me?" but his asking for information or a little guidance not a complete solution.

What sort of answer is that? Are you his Dad or something? If he wouldn't have posted the assignment part, you would have helped if you could, so what's the big deal? If someone on a forum helps him, how is this different from him asking someone at college?

I have no answer to his question because I don't know enough, but to not help because it is in against forum rules seems a bit petty.

Note that both the people who are critical of my reluctance to answer someone's homework are those who don't have an answer themselves.

I'm not pulling this out of my butt here, this is common forum etiquette. Sorry if I offended you with my pointing it out.

Asking for direction is different than asking someone to answer your question, and in this case they appear to be asking for an answer more than direction.

In open source development, the impetus is on the individual to do thier own work, read the manuals, and then ask questions when they need verfication or clarification or are completely fuddled.

A better way to ask a question would be to show that you've done some work and then post your results, with whatever questions or insight that comes along with it. Then you're more likely to get an answer from those that have already done their homework.

If you want your answers given to you, take a crash course and become an MCSE (not that all MCSEs are clueless, of course). If you want to truly learn what you're doing, stick with open source.

Just my $0.02. Take it or leave it.

amen to that.

scarter, so your question is 'how do I manage to assemble such a network' or 'how do I configure them'? All you said was that it is your team's task to 'research and produce', you did not mention any specific problems, which are required in order to answer your question properly.

I don't wanna offend anyone here or p*ss anyone off, but I just feel that if someone posts a message in the hope of receiving some help, they should get some help if people know something they don't. At the end of the day, the motive behind seeking help seems to me to be irrelevant. Who knows why people post questions on forums? I do it because the company I work for pointed out forums as a legitimate learning tool. I'm sure most people on here either stand to benefit academically or vocationally from the views shared by others. I must be missing the point, but I have received answers ranging from 'Do it yourself' to being overtly patronised. If someone doesn't like my question, or doesn't wanna help, fine. Don't post an answer. If someone asks me directions to the nearest train station because he is going to visit the zoo, I don't point out to him the cruelty of keeping animals in cages and tell him not to ask again.

The fact that I don't know the answer to the original question only illustrates my point further. The reason I come here is because I don't know much about coding, and I know there are people here who do. Maybe my altruism is misplaced, but if I can help someone, I will. After all, it may well save them from spending vast sums of money on programming literature.

You guys probably know far more about this stuff than I do, but I thought I'd put in my 2 cents worth also. Like I say, I'm not denigrating anyone here, but just calling it as I see it...

Yes, you are. The 'question' in this case is far to general to ask in a forum. scarter has shown that he hasn't even begun to evaluate the task before him.

And the fact that those complaining about him being taken to task for it cannot offer a solution shows they don't even begin to appreciate the complexity of the problem and therefore cannot make any judgements about the suitability of the question being asked in a free forum.

Not only that, but most people get taken to 'task' on this forum (any forum for that matter) because they show that they are not willing to help themselves. I don't mind helping people, and I learn a lot from this forum, but it boils down to the simple fact that if you don't show initiative to solve your own problem, why should anyone here help you. The people who come here to help people do so for several reasons, including the challenge of trying to solve the problem and because they like to help, but it is considered a waste of time and redundant to solve the same problem over and over and try and decifer what someone's problem is because they are so vague in what thier problem actually is.

Onslaught,

Agree with your point entirely, but Scarter was not 'taken to task' over the fact that he posted a vague question. He was told in a fairly blunt manor not to post again on the forum because his question was a 'homework' question rather than any other sort.
I merely questioned why this should have any bearing on whether his question is answered or not.
MKjnr's answer was a perfectly legitimate, and in my view, correct one...
'sorry, i'm not sure exactly what u wann kno...'

And as for Rod K's comment'
'And the fact that those complaining about him being taken to task for it cannot offer a solution shows they don't even begin to appreciate the complexity of the problem and therefore cannot make any judgements about the suitability of the question being asked in a free forum'

I can, and will make any jugement or comment I like, and am perfectly capable of doing so. If you actually read my post, I make no comment on the suitability of the question, but just the suitability of the answer given. I am not criticising HeroZZyzzx for his view, just expressing my opposing one. It appears you are missing the point in posting a response unrelated to the question at hand. And let's not be casting aspersions about individual's intellectual capabilities, shall we...

What do others think about this? I agree that people who post really vague questions aren't entitled to receive answers, but should it rerally matter for what purpose you seek an answer. Just curious to know the views of the masses on this one.

First, I don't believe I am anymore off topic on this thread with my reply than you are, so don't go throwing stones at me about it. I got the point completely, and I believe Rod K stated it best in the fact that The 'question' in this case is far to general to ask in a forum. scarter has shown that he hasn't even begun to evaluate the task before him. If he/she would narrow the question down a little and show some effort then he/she would more than likely get some help.

I do believe it is wrong to try and get your homework done for you through a forum, I don't believe it is wrong to ask for help to try and solve a problem you are stuck on (homework or real life). There is a difference.

I don't personally think that scarter was trying to get his homework answered, but pointed in the right direction, but his fault purely lied in vague description. Nor has he/she been back to correct this.

Second, no one ever said giving your opinion was a bad thing. If you give your opinion then you must be prepared to have a response to it that will not be the same as your. If you get your feathers ruffled because someone says something you don't like and then throw up that this is just an opposing opinion, then you need to calm down and heed your own words.

I read your post and understood exactly what you were saying, I was just commenting and adding a little more to what Rod K had posted.

Im not making judgement about whats being asked because I agree fully that his question was too vague to be answered. What I am saying is that Hero went about it wrongly. MkJnr hit the nail on the head asking for more details where as Hero just blunted remarked that his question was not wanted here as it is a homework question. Although due to its complex nature does not warrant a direct answer maybe some guidance or a start point would have been more helpful than....

Onslaught, the quote you highlighted from the last message I posted was not directed to you. If you look, only the first paragraph is addressed to you, and I actually AGREE with what you were saying...

I just took exception to Rod K's post:

firstly because it suggets that I am not in some way 'qualified' to express an opinion on the subject, and secondly because this does not address my original point. Rod is entitled to his opinion, but I am also. I agree with both of you when you say that the question is too general to ask in a forum.

I'll say my point again in order to clear upon any confusion: someone who posts on a forum, providing they structure the question appropriately, is entitled to ask for help on forums regardless of their motives for posting. All opposing views on THIS subject welcomed.