Why do People Answer Homework Questions?

I'm with you. I only started poking around here a few weeks back and thought it was OK.. .now all I see is an unending stream of "please answer xyz and give full working". I think about, as you say, pushing them in the right direction and then 3 people come in and do it all for them from a to z. It's pretty depressing (in the sense that it completely defeats the purpose of doing the homework) and reduces the incentive to browse around and help people.

An afterthought... Am I the only one who is just amazed at the appalling level of the spelling? Everyone makes a mistake from time to time.. but some of it is just amazingly bad.

When I see a list of questions, I will not answer them but will point the person in the direction to find the answers. The purpose of homework is to learn something not to have it done for you. Same with math questions I will offer an example and explain that, but just giving an answer no. I am always suspicious of those that ask by stating easy or simple homework question. If it is easy or simply why is it posted here? That always seems to me to say, I was just too lazy to do it myself.

ive posted some questions about my homework here on yahoo answers...its not that im being lazy, its just that sometimes i dont get the question at all so i just ask people if they could help me...im not asking them to do my homework, im asking them if they can explain the question to me so i could answer it my own...but sometimes they just give away the answer...however some people are just too lazy...like one time i saw this question saying ''what is 37 divided by 5?'' i mean like ''hello! use a calculator!'' and people were still giving out the answer...that is called being lazy...i do my own work but sometimes i just need a little help...

Kids today have become lazy. Having had almost everything handed to them or given to them, they have no concept of work. My children were told from first grade on that their job is being a student and that is why it is called homework and schoolwork. They are all straight A students. Yet my niece on her 2nd day of university complained about the amount of reading required. I laughed at her and told her that it exponentially increases with every year. She asked "what's exponentially?" I told her to look it up and got all pissy.

Ya, I've noticed a lot of people just handing out answers. I even got accused of being a student trying to cheat when I asked a question about my dogs weight in Kilagrams.

I agree with your commentary. I would assume that some people like or need to feel important. It is purely from an egotistical standpoint where they are obviously trying to show off what they do indeed know, without stopping to consider the reasons why they are even being asked such questions.

It's possible that the person asking doesn't understand the question. If the person answering can help them see the question in a different light, I'm for it. However, I am against blatant cheating.

A agree - the students dont even attempt to reword the question. (e.g. multiple choice questions show up!).

It would be easier for them to look up the answer in their textbooks rather than type in the question. They are really lazy and are not on track to become physicicts!

They are trying to cheat by asking someone else to do their homework. I am punishing them, by doing so.

I study for fun - math, earth & space sciences. So if I know the answer, I might just respond & now they know the answer, without understanding it - punishment enough.

right! sometimes people don't think much n just wan other to do it for them,it might be called laziness!