Ethical caution

[bmills072200]

If they're not saying "this question is on the test" then I don't have a problem. (Whether Excelsior or any other school would have a problem is still an open question, though.) I started the thread because I saw some examples of people coming very very close to doing exactly that. When I say "very very close" I don't mean "they came close, but didn't cross the line." I mean something more like "I don't want to think about whether any specific example crossed the line, because I might incur my own ethical obligations by arriving at a judgment." Yeah, that means I'm skating a thin line myself.
-Gary-

Gary - I think the problem here is how you define "divulging information about a test". That can be defined in multiple ways and the CLEP, DSST and ECE people do not make an effort to specify what that means. In the purest sense of the definition of "devulging information about a test", this entire forum would be in violation. Of course I do not belive that was the intent of the statement about giving away test information to others. We have to use some common sense and make a judgement, kind of like the Supreme Court makes judgements all the time about what a specific law or amendment really means on a very specific level.

I interpret, and I think most of those that are writing on this thread in opposition to your thesis that we are coming close if not already crossing the "line", that divulging information about specific exams as stated by CLEP means giving out specific questions AND specific answers to those questions in a flagrant attempt to cheat. I do not see any of that going on in this forum.

I hope that makes sense. It is all about your interpretation, it sounds like you are using a very strict interpretation and others are using a more general, relative interpretation. People are naturally going to get a little bit defensive when we call ethics into question. Don't get me wrong, I think this discussion has been great and somewhat eye-opening, but it is starting to border on self-righteous. That is just my opinion.

Another point, if I was lacking in ethics, I would likely have never choosen to go those route to get my degree. I would have choosen to go the diploma mill route and pulled the wool over an employer's eyes and gotten the job I wanted. I think that is part of the reason that this thread is hitting close to home for a lot of people.

I appreciate all of you. There are multiple people on this forum that have contributed to me getting where I am now and I can't thank everyone enough.