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renata101
Community Member

Brainstorming Session: Can UW Do a Better Job of Discouraging Academic Fraud?

Hi folks, 

It's silly season again, and I'm feeling discouraged. I keep looking at posts for freelancers to write academic assignments. When I check the client page on too many of these posts, I often find that there's a history of at least two or three other academic takeout orders (takeaway, if your in the UK). 

I've always wondered why UW doesn't just close down the client accounts of violators. The approach they taketo this (basically, a light hand slap and some instructions about how to compose the post in order to hide what they're doing) seems to encourage people to do the same thing over again, but in a slightly more clandestine way and with slightly vaguer terms. I believe that UW's approach to this has made the platform a haven for essay mills and that goes along with them. 

Is academic fraud a significant moneymaker for the platform? Is there a reason UW is encouraging this as a growth industry? Because they are not doing much to shut it down. 


https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/ghostwriting-essays-american-college-students-lucrative...

8 REPLIES 8
m_sharman
Community Member

There are so many things UW can do better, it's baffling...I also do a tremendous amount of writing (primarily business and technical editing), but occassionally come across jobs where clients are seeking someone to ghost write their emails. 

 

I realize this doesn't consititute academic fraud, however it still frustrates me as a freelancer who actually prefers working for the man (are you listening universe)?  I digress.

 

Whether it's unethical clients or scammy freelancers, it feels like UW can only put it's finger on the dam...the only solution I see (which is not scalable or cheap) is to pay for someone to vet more of the content that is posted (vs. relying on alogrithims and junior CS reps).

 

 

Miriam - "pay for someone" - and then our costs will go up even more.


Joan S wrote:

Miriam - "pay for someone" - and then our costs will go up even more.


Yes, that's why I said "not scalable or cheap" - there is no solution. 

 

Although it might be worth more review on the freelancer side and that shouldn't impact our costs as Upwork keeps saying there are too many freelancers, so SLOW down the process..


Miriam H wrote:

Joan S wrote:

Miriam - "pay for someone" - and then our costs will go up even more.


Yes, that's why I said "not scalable or cheap" - there is no solution. 

 

Although it might be worth more review on the freelancer side and that shouldn't impact our costs as Upwork keeps saying there are too many freelancers, so SLOW down the process..


It might also help to get rid of all the freelancers that accept these jobs.

Maybe, Jennifer, instead of talking about getting rid of freelancers, you should flag jobs you don't think are appropriate for Upwork.


Joan S wrote:

Maybe, Jennifer, instead of talking about getting rid of freelancers, you should flag jobs you don't think are appropriate for Upwork.


Joan, did you read Renata's original post? The problem is repeat violators. That can't be addressed effectively through Jennifer, Renata, me, and a slew of others continuing to do what we've been doing for years -- flag the inappropriate posts one by one. It's a ToS violation on both sides, so it's reasonable to ask why UW doesn't get rid of FLs and clients who engage in it.


Joan S wrote:

Maybe, Jennifer, instead of talking about getting rid of freelancers, you should flag jobs you don't think are appropriate for Upwork.


Jennifer flags constantly, as do many of us.

Getting rid of freelancers who do jobs that are not allowed is as good a way to reduce the number of superfluous useless unethical freelancers as any, given that there are way, way more freelancers on the platform than needed or wanted.

 

IMHO, the only people who defend, excuse, and/or overlook academic fraud in any form are either:

 

1. Committing it

2. Profiting from it

 

Those who commit it should be permanently banned.  

 

Those who profit from it - as a platform pushing it; as a distributor of it; as a seller of it, and/or as a purchaser of it should be unable to post jobs.  However, we all know the bottom line rules and Upwork will continue to turn a 99% blind eye to infractions.  U's a business and income, in whatever form, is a plus.

 

Reality bites.

 

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