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Some kid stole my CS Project and turned it in. ***UPDATE: I'm cleared; More kids found by CS with my project!***

S

Stealth1024

Platinum Member
UPDATE: CS Department has virtually cleared me in this matter, but they have been really alerted-- because of my efforts more and more programs that are either almost exact copies of mine or very similar are turning up, Possible three kids so far. They are being investigated. I don't know how my project got onto DC++, but it seams the whole world decided to have a look at it...



About a month ago a big Computer Science project was due, I completed it well ahead of time, turned it in, got an A. Well just today I was questioned with regard to my code. A student whom I don't know in another class turned in almost the exact same code! He changed his name, altered a few things here and there, but even my wording "wierdness" is present (electronic copy?).

Now I am at a loss here. I did not copy anyone else's code and I certainly did not give my code to anyone. However, I can imagine what this looks like from the instructors stand point. I believe I have proven I wrote the code due to my multiple early submissions and knowledge of the program structure, but its hard to prove a negative that I did not give it to anyone. I could fail the course for this! Not to mention all sorts of other problems...

I have an A in this CS3 class and want to fight this befor the witch hunt continues. Any ideas? I connect with my notebook PC here to a computer in the CS building using SSH and XWIN but I do have a local copy of the code here. I also have a firewall and I am at a loss to figure out how this code got out of my hands in electronic form. I did print it on occassion and it *might* be possible someone got their hands on it, but because of the sameness they think (as do I) its an electronic copy.

This is a horrible morning..
 
Originally posted by: Stealth1024
About a month ago a big Computer Science project was due, I completed it well ahead of time, turned it in, got an A. Well just today I was questioned with regard to my code. A student whom I don't know in another class turned in almost the exact same code! He changed his name, altered a few things here and there, but even my wording "wierdness" is present (electronic copy?).

Now I am at a loss here. I did not copy anyone else's code and I certainly did not give my code to anyone. However, I can imagine what this looks like from the instructors stand point. I believe I have proven I wrote the code due to my multiple early submissions and knowledge of the program structure, but its hard to prove a negative that I did not give it to anyone. I could fail the course for this! Not to mention all sorts of other problems...

I have an A in this CS3 class and want to fight this befor the witch hunt continues. Any ideas? I connect with my notebook PC here to a computer in the CS building using SSH and XWIN but I do have a local copy of the code here. I also have a firewall and I am at a loss to figure out how this code got out of my hands in electronic form. I did print it on occassion and it *might* be possible someone got their hands on it, but because of the sameness they think (as do I) its an electronic copy.

This is a horrible morning..
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The fact that you turned it in way ahead of time should go a long way. I'm not sure what you could do about their accusation that you gave the code out, other than the fact that you have an A in the class, have not done anything like that in the past (I assume), and have no reason to pass your code out.

Why would you run the chance of failing the class just so somebody else could have an easier time? That would be my question to your accusers.

 
This is why I would make my students turn in eletronic copies of all code and files used in a project. Time and date stamp baby. Unless you've modified the code since turning it in, have the prof follow you down to the lab, or take your laptop with you or whatever and show him/her the time and date the project was last modified. Have him/her compare it to the other student and find out who copied from whom.

Now, this doesn't absolve you of the charge that you let the other student copy your stuff. In that case, it is your word against theirs, and hopefully the prof will give you the benefit of the doubt.

Good luck.

Ryan
 
Wow, I can't offer you any advice, but it just goes to show how important encryption and securing your data is, no matter how unpopular you think your data is.

Do you have to sign an honor code before you turn in your project? We had to do that when I took an engineering class here at UM.

Good luck - I think the above poster is correct - your multiple early submissions will go a loooooong way.
 
Basically if its your code you will know it inside and out and why you structured it that way...point out to your professor that you can go throguh the code and explain the reasonign behind the structure and such..ask him to quiz both of you on the codes nuances..if he just turned it it..then he will have no clue
 
You should run through exactly what you've done to get your project printed and turned in.

Working on my CS projects in the computer lab, I can almost always find someone that inadvertently shared their project with the entire class just because they set the wrong permissions. I liked it because it always allowed me to have something to look off of when I got confused.. However, I know better than to directly copy someone else's work. Also, you might want to try checking the tmp directories and stuff. Oftentimes, administrators forgot about a hole they left on the computer.

That is awfully weird that someone spelled weirdness the same way you did.

Don't ever allow yourself to get punished for cheating when you did not. Vehemently deny doing anything wrong.
 
I sent the following email outlining my points:

<FONT size=2>1. I started the project early, no one else I knew had even started contemplating it at this point, and I was home in PA the week it was due watching the school musical, without a computer.

2. My multiple try submissions, some failed for min-submission because my code was in error, for both parts of the project. Looking at previous submissions may unveil the "evolution" of my code.

3. I sent you an email asking a question or two concerning how various parts of the program was to function.

4. At the conclusion of this hard work, I would certainly not give others my code - let alone a complete stranger.

5. Please examine my academic record and other projects/labs, I am in no way needing of this sort of "cheating" on a project.

6. Other CS students on my floor can witness to the fact that I started early, and actually wrote the code - as I was wrapped up in it for a weekend or so and we carried on arguments about the best way to detect a cyclic graph, etc.

7. Please examine remote logins to my account. My notebook IP is 129.21.108.160, or 129.21.108.213 for the wireless card. I only worked on the project from this computer, and on the labs from either my assigned lab room, or this computer.

8. I concur this looks like an electronic copy, however the only copies are on my computer here, copied into JCreator for purposes of printing to my local printer, or on the CS server. I do not have a floppy drive installed on my notebook.

9. Quiz the perpetrator about MY code. In particular, ask about some of the strange things I did. For example, polymorphism on the two isValid() methods and the fact they just throw exceptions. In addition, the edge class supports the ability to store data there, but in the rest of my program I do not use it as such, I make simple use of maps for data object retrieval.

10. Look in my RCS directory. There should be at least a few versions of the code there.</FONT>
 
The advice given so far is pretty sound. Good luck and make sure you report back on what happens! If things don't work out keep complaning to someone higher up.
 
Stealth1024 - looks good from what you've posted. Get him on point 9 for sure. The thief won't know squat about the code, and you having written it will obviously show.

- M4H
 
Originally posted by: Stealth1024
I sent the following email outlining my points:

<FONT size=2>1. I started the project early, no one else I knew had even started contemplating it at this point, and I was home in PA the week it was due watching the school musical, without a computer.

2. My multiple try submissions, some failed for min-submission because my code was in error, for both parts of the project. Looking at previous submissions may unveil the "evolution" of my code.

3. I sent you an email asking a question or two concerning how various parts of the program was to function.

4. At the conclusion of this hard work, I would certainly not give others my code - let alone a complete stranger.

5. Please examine my academic record and other projects/labs, I am in no way needing of this sort of "cheating" on a project.

6. Other CS students on my floor can witness to the fact that I started early, and actually wrote the code - as I was wrapped up in it for a weekend or so and we carried on arguments about the best way to detect a cyclic graph, etc.

7. Please examine remote logins to my account. My notebook IP is 129.21.108.160, or 129.21.108.213 for the wireless card. I only worked on the project from this computer, and on the labs from either my assigned lab room, or this computer.

8. I concur this looks like an electronic copy, however the only copies are on my computer here, copied into JCreator for purposes of printing to my local printer, or on the CS server. I do not have a floppy drive installed on my notebook.

9. Quiz the perpetrator about MY code. In particular, ask about some of the strange things I did. For example, polymorphism on the two isValid() methods and the fact they just throw exceptions. In addition, the edge class supports the ability to store data there, but in the rest of my program I do not use it as such, I make simple use of maps for data object retrieval.

10. Look in my RCS directory. There should be at least a few versions of the code there.</FONT>
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LOL, that guy is gonna get 0wned.
 
I don't know about your school, but in mine we had Lab Tech's working the printers and such. They also controlled the queue's for those printers. It's sound possible that a lab-tech maybe pulled your "printout" from the printer queue, and copied it that way. Just a thought. Can you find out who copied your code? Maybe you could find out if he/she works in the labs.
 
1. Obviously I was called in only after they grilled him. This leads me to believe he was their primary suspect and probably has a poor academic record. Nevertheless, my parting didn't bring words of "well we'll get this cleared up don't worry".

2. Even if I am cleared, someone still got ahold of my code despite my safetey procedures (different password for everything, all with letters and numbers, upper case and lower case, firewall, etc.). If they got ahold of my code what else can they get/plant/control ?

3. I have made a list of all instrusion attempts on back door trojan ports with their respective IP's and DNS lookups. I'm going to search out their names.

4. I will ask them to correlate my print logs with this other student's login durations and times.

5. If I get his name I'll get a few buddies to do an undercover sting 🙂 "psstt we heard you could get free code for the projects"... oh the evilness
 
Originally posted by: Stealth1024
aux: I had copies of my work on my RIT CS account (their server) and on my notebook PC.
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Then you should be able to show the progress of your work (assuming that the server gets backed-up frequently and you've copied your work on the server regularly).
 
I think the easy part is proving that you did the work but the hard part is proving that you didn't share your work with him ... it's going to be your words against his. Hope you get this resolved ...
 
You tunneled X-Windows over SSH?

It sounds like you locked down your PC quite well, so perhaps the vulnerability was exploited on the server.
 
Originally posted by: BruinEd03
Originally posted by: gopunk
don't worry, sounds like you have everything under control
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never underestimate the stupidity of school administrators. 🙂

-Ed
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this is true... okay if you have a lot of cash, maybe get a lawyer on this just to be safe
 
it sounds like you will be ok. based on your record and attatuide. i wouldenmt worry. I had 2 friends that were accused of cheating on our take home math final last sem. they both had a hearing. and sat with teh prof and went through the test. there were only SO many ways to do some of these probs so some are gonna look VERY similar. they were cleared of it.

i think you will be OK
 
If you always code in a certain way and name variable a certain way and do quiry things that no one else would do, you could ask them to compare this program to others you might have written and turned in to look for the similarities. I know I always name thigns in a certain way and code things in a certain order which might not be the most common but then you can tell it's mine.
 
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