Sadly, the phenomenon described by Ross in this paper is quite common in today’s outsourcing environment. This work-for-contract phenomenon is found not just in the computing field, but in the natural sciences and humanities as well. In today’s Internet society, we can bid on anything and, for the right price, obtain it, often in an amazingly short turnaround time.

As an academic dean, I have had my fair share of run-ins with academic dishonesty. A few years ago, I had a case just like the one Ross mentions here. In my case, the contactor himself came forth, as he was only interested in doing nonacademic work. But with the many private contractors that flourish online (including many overseas), in addition to sites like http://www.rentacoder.com, it is often not easy to detect cheaters. Today’s cheaters are also savvy enough to purchase papers matched to their own knowledge and skill levels. For example, some students may order flawless papers, while others may opt for papers that come with errors common to students of their level.

While the Internet does perhaps make cheating easier by making information more accessible, it is not the villain. Currently, there are many academic policies and countermeasure Web sites designed to discover and punish perpetrators. But what is lacking, amidst corruption in both government and corporate sectors (Abramoff and Enron come to mind), is education about the importance of honor and academic honesty. Rather than focusing on punitive measures, academe must educate people about how cheating on a programming assignment, for example, can jeopardize lives, as technology controls everything from medicine to transportation.