Contribution Hints

My Suggestions

1. First and foremost, do not procrastinate. You need to establish a regular schedule -- I would estimate between 1 and 3 hours per week -- to sit down and engage in deliberations on the website. If you don't get something done each and every week, you'll find that you've got nothing done by the end of the semester. This is not a difficult assignment. You can, after all, post as often and as much as you like (and the discussion warrants!) Nevertheless, the surest route to failure is to procrastinate.

2. Put time into each contribution. It is better from a karma standpoint to put time and thought into each and every contribution. That is, fewer but more substantial, well-written, and well-argued contributions will earn karma faster than many so-so contributions.

3. Be sure that you read the article the 'story' links to. From a community perspective, nothing is more irritating than obviously uninformed contributions.

4. Engage in discussions with other students. That is, don't always hit "reply" under the story. Reply to other students contributions. Be critical. Give counter-arguments and counter-examples. Try to encourage deliberation and thought in others. Be helpful to the community! The deeper the nesting of contributions, the happier the moderators will be. Accordingly, be sure to read discussions in "nested" and "oldest first" modes. Set these as default modes by checking the "Save:" and then hit change. (These options are available from drop-down boxes at the top of every discussion.)

5. Do not fall into the opinion trap. Contrary to popular opinion, ethics is not a matter of opinion. Your contributions to the community are not reactions, expressions of feeling, or expressions of opinion. They are carefully reasoned, well-expressed arguments and criticisms. Accordingly, you should avoid using phrases like "I think", "I believe", or, especially, "I feel".

6. Read what the other contributors to the discussion have submitted before posting your contribution. You may find that someone else has already submitted a very similar idea, possibly rendering your comment "redundant", or you may find a contribution to which you want to reply.

In short, contribute early, consistently, and intelligently, and you will find that earning karma is not as hard as it may seem at first.

Suggestions From Former Students

Please note that the students below had 100 point karma assignment. Students in the current class may have more or less karma required depending on other course requirements.

Nyla writes

Time management is key to reaching Nirvana. One should not attempt to read through endless discussions and then try to post a comment in an hour or two. Chances are, you're views have already been stated somewhere in between and thus, have been argued over and over again. You might end up with a "0-thanks for the comment" or "0-repeats what others have said" which only adds to your frustration.

This brings me to my next point: Post EARLY! I know this is hard for many to do because of other classes (believe me, I know: I am a full time nursing student with two part-time jobs) BUT this is true. As I stated before, if you attempt to post a comment on a topic that has like 30 or 40 comments already, you are just a little spec of sand on the beach...UNLESS you absolutely have something new to add. If you feel you must post something, at least make an effort; not one or two small paragraphs of what you "think" or "feel" or "believe". No one cares about your OPINION! Rather, state some facts to back up your argument. Explain why and what you are saying. Use some theory you learned from class: moderators really appreciate that and see it as a worthy attempt, and you will get at least a 1, if not 2 or better.

Posts do not have to be 3 pages long. Anything longer than 4 or 5 well-sized paragraphs is just fluff. Get to the point and don't be redundant. Also, leave the wise-cracks out. If you feel that you must throw in a joke, at least state that it is a joke. I've learned that not everyone has a sense of humor and might take things literally. This is important because it could lead to ad hominem attacks, which are worthless. Heated arguments and verbal attacks on the person, rather than the issue at hand is absolutely a waste of time. If someone is attacking you rather than your argument, either ignore them or re-focus them back towards your argument and point out what they are doing. Act maturely and responsibly. Remember, everyone can read this! And moderators appreciate this too. For your own benefit, try to refrain from attacking others.

Also, get organized. I have to admit that I slacked off during spring break. But I finally decided to set aside a few hours a week to post. For future classes: Don't wait until the end to try to reach Nirvana. The website will be flooded with posts that need to be moderated and you might get discouraged. Again, just keep trying to post on a regular basis. Good luck to all!

rockets writes

Okay now let me try to answer how I managed to earn decent karma. Firstly, make or at least have in mind some type of schedule and stick to it. Do not try to earn all your karma in the last few weeks of class. For the teachers, instead of just having website contributions due every so often it might be helpful to have due dates for karma points. I personally am a procrastinator and nothing motivates me better then a deadline. Instead of having 100 karma points due for the entire semester break it into sections 25 points every four weeks perhaps. This makes for smaller karma points due each time that might seem less daunting then the one hundred number everyone keeps complaining about. It also gives those of us that are procrastinators multiple deadlines with which to struggle, hopefully motivating us to start posting earlier and also giving the student a clearer picture of where he/she should be at any given point in the semester.

Post on the stories you find at least mildly interesting. Not everything will be interesting to everyone but at least a few should pique your interest. Post multiple times to the stories you find interesting there is never a shortage of people saying dumb things to rip apart. Many times, I would post three or four times in a single discussion and almost always at least twice. Also post on the stories that you have some previous experience with or knowledge of. Again their should be at least a few that qualify and post multiple times within those discussions.

Focus on quality not quantity. Early on in the semester, I operated on the assumption that posting one hundred comments that all earned ones would be easier then posting twenty that all earned fives. I was wrong. I realized fairly quickly even one comments are not super easy to write and it is relatively easy to flesh out a one karma comment into a 3 or a 4, and while it is frustrating to work on a comment and get zero points it is rewarding to work a little harder and get 2, 3, 4, or even 5 karma points. Doing better will give you confidence to post more often and with higher quality.

Remember your early days of freshmen composition though philosophical arguments are slightly different than the formal arguments you should have learned in Engl 1301 and 1302 the same basic principles do apply. Many of my early posts that earned high karma were based on knowledge gained from the freshmen comp classes.

If you somehow are taking this class before taking freshmen comp or just remember nothing from your time there get help soon. Talk to your section leader, a peer mentor, or the lecture professor early and often make them help you understand how they want you to post. Bother them constantly until you have learned the ways of posting for high karma. They are the ones grading your posts and can share tips on how to improve your posting style. If you are frustrated or consistently earning low karma talk to them early do not wait until the end of the semester when it is almost too late to do anything but complain. On the flip side of that coin, more could be done to help those unsure of how to post. A peer mentor session early on dedicated to teaching good posting techniques perhaps. I would even like to see a seminar or session led by the faculty who actually grade the majority of the posts giving advice and tips on effective posting techniques or perhaps some more time spent on this in class.

Well thats my two cents worth hope it helps.

GoodKarma04 writes

Hello future Ethics students,

Here are some of my tips and tricks on how to maximize the amount of Karma that you receive. Although it seems hard, it's not as hard as it sounds.

Tip #1: Have a good attitude.

One of the things that I noticed while in this class was that hearing the words "100 karma" seemed to cause many people to panic about earning the karma and develop a bad attitude before we even got started. Yes, 100 karma is a lot- but it is REQUIRED and there is no way to get around that requirement short of failure, and who wants to be a failure? Just take it with stride and make it a contest with yourself or peers to see who can get the most Karma. It doesn't have to be ho-hum boring. It doesn't have to be a "task," it CAN be fun.

Tip #2: Learn to prioritize.

Okay, we understand that you're taking 16 hours, have 2 jobs, a sister that talks on the phone all night when you need to log on to the Internet, and a dog that yaps all night so you can't sleep. We know this, we are all going through this. What you need to do is prioritize. Find an empty place in your schedule where you have about 30minutes to an hour to just sit down and post. This can be between classes when you're playing pool in Breakers, or on Saturday at 2am when you just can't seem to fall asleep. It can be anytime, just make sure to set aside at least ONE of these sessions each week. Also, you can prioritize by arranging your tasks by immediacy. You have a Bio project due next Monday. Instead of starting it today, do some Karma posts instead. You still have 6 days to do that Bio project.

Tip #3: Learn your theories.

We've obviously established that Ethics is not a blow-off course...but have we established the IMPORTANCE of KNOWING your theories. Don't skip class, don't skip your readings. At the least, make it a point to know one theory each week well enough to discuss it. Why, you ask? Well, forget the fact that it's going to be on the exam, it can ALSO earn you tons of Karma. If you can make an argument on the board, chances are you'll get a 1 or 2. If you can incorporate a theory or two to back up your argument, that's when you get the 4's and 5's. The more 4's and 5's you get, the less time it takes to get your 100 karma.

Tip #4: Set goals.

Set realistic goals for yourself. Try to do 5 posts a week (that's one a day with the weekends off, or for makeups if you had something else you had to do during the week, instead). If you get ONLY 1 point each at 5 posts a week, that still comes out to 20 posts a month. That makes 5 months to reach 100 karma. Think you can handle more? Do 5 posts a week WITH the theories in them. Say you get 4 karma each, that's 20 posts in a month with a total of 80 karma. WOW! You'd be done in no time.

Tip #5: Write every post as if it were a research paper.

This is pretty much self explanatory. Don't post little 2 liners and expect tons of Karma to come your way. You get what you put into it. So, spend less time on little silly posts and spend more time on making a well developed post. For instance, spend 30 minutes on something that will get you 5 points, rather than 30 minutes on a bunch of points that may get you -1, 0, or 1. Try to have at least 3 reasons in your argument, and atleast 1 theory to back up your argument.

Tip #6: Watch and Learn.

Okay, so it's been a month and you're still getting 2 Karma per post and someone else is on the top 10 comments list racking up 4's and 5's like they were going out of style- LEARN from them. Don't complain, don't wish- just LEARN. Look at their post and compare it to yours. What are you missing? If they are doing something that you can obviously tell you're lacking, learn to do it. If you feel your writing ability isn't up to par- get on Microsoft Word's thesaurus and grammar check and/or have a friend, discussion leader or peer mentor read drafts of your posts.

Tip #7: Take advantage of it.

Seriously, you're given so many opportunities for extra credit and learning chances with the peer mentors that you should take advantage of as many as you can. Extra credit is a huge incentive, BUT you will also learn something- so, in essence, you won't NEED the extra credit, because you'll be getting A's anyway!

Tip #8: Just face him!

When in doubt of your performance or if you have questions on the material covered- PLEASE ask Dr. Berkich for help. He may seem intimidating, but you have to understand he only expects the best from us. Should you settle for an "easy A" class that makes both you and TAMUCC and its graduates/professors look bad? Or, should you accept the challenge and feel good about yourself at the end of the semester, knowing you did well in a class that compares and may possibly surpass great programs at large universities like UT? Don't degrade yourself by saying you can't do it. Dr. Berkich is actually a very easy-going, personable, friendly professor and is always more than willing to help a student. Don't let what you hear from people who have FAILED the class fool you. You'll never know unless you try, and if you feel your grade is struggling, it's ALWAYS worth the try.

Finally, stay positive. You can do anything you want to or you wouldn't have gotten this far in the first place.

hudson22 writes

Ohhh, the dreaded karma. I can say I don't have the 90 points, but I am getting pretty close. I have a total of 77, with posts that have not been moderated yet. And I am trying to post as much as I can before the deadline. I was so frustrated at the middle of the semester because I had a whole umm, 23 Karma. I knew that I had to step it up a notch and get after it.

What strategies did you employ?

From the beginning I told myself that I would post alot of posts hoping to get 1's and 2's. This was very frustrating because at the beginning of the class, I had not idea how to argue the right way. But once I started using what I learned in class, I started getting points.

How did you manage your time?

i started off first at just posting 2 posts a day. but that got old, constantly checking everyday on what was to post. So, I took a few hours out of one or two days to sit and read everyone elses posts, and post mine.

What did you learn in the process?

Well, being that my strategy was to post alot, I got to read alot of articles and learn about specific issues. I know I have heard to just post on something that you are interested in, but how is that learning anything about any other issue. Issues that I had no interst in before, now interest me.

What would you advise future students do?

First and foremost, learn how to argue the proper way. Don't go in and just post what you feel because that is not going to get you anywhere. Also, when you go to post something, don't be the first one to post. Wait a while when others have posted. I am not saying be the 52nd person to post something, but ten posts are so would be a good start. Read what others have said first. You don't want to repeat anything. If you can formulate an argument not already used, then start a new thread. If someone has said what you would of said, then find someone that opposes what you think, and reply to them. Also, always check and see if someone replys to you so you can reply back and argue, intelligently please! Try to apply a theory learned in class to an issue. It is pretty much a garantee that you will get some points. And if you back up the theory well, you will get even more.

What would you advise future students not do?

The first thing really, is to not get frustrated because you haven't been moderated at all or fairly. I did that and got upset and just didn't post for a while. That did me no good. I know it takes a while for things to get moderated on here, but they will get read eventually, be patient. And the fairness factor, well everyone deals with that on here. Just something we all have to get over. People complain that they should of gotten more points. And people complain that other people are getting points they don't deserve. It is never ending. Just remember, life isn't really all that fair, so get over it. Also, please don't use cuss words. What good is that going to do? It is disrespectful and offensive. There are many other ways to get a point across than using cuss words. So, try to avoid that. Don't cut down people either. You wouldn't like being cut down, so don't do it to anyone else. So, really, all in all, Karma isn't really all that bad. It is frustrating and stressful at times. But we can all be relieved next week when it is all over and done with and we don't have to look at this site ever again, that's if we all pass. Hang in there and happy posting!

PoohBear writes

Keeping in mind that my strategies may not have worked this semester and may not work in the future for other students, I'll go ahead and provide information on how I have made it to 89 points of karma, with a few discussions not yet moderated and further postings to come in the next couple of days.

First of all, this class has by far been up there with Dr. Bucks microbiology class when it comes to stress, frustration and difficulty (those of you who have had Dr. Buck know what I mean), so I would prefer that my fellow students do not assume that philosophy comes easily to me, that my comments are intended for "kissing up" purposes, and that I live for karma. I have managed to get to the point that I am at today by figuring out what worked for me...not what worked for everyone else. Each and every student in this course lives a different life and possesses a different list of priorities. We cannot assume that there is a set strategy for reaching the required karma, but we can assume that someone's strategy may very well lead us to our own successful strategy.

Strategies I employed:

Prior to the beginning of the semester, I informed my discussion leader that I would not be able to attend the first class, due to the fact that I was in Germany over Christmas break and I was unable to get an affordable flight until the second day of class. At the time, I assumed that although I had never missed the first day of any class in my life, I would be told what I needed to know concerning the first meeting and I would catch on to everything once I made it to class. However, I didn't realize that although I could do that in my other classes...I had missed vital information about a very significant portion of my philosophy course...KARMA! Because of that, it took me some time to get into the groove of getting on the website and to really grasp what was going on. I was worried because I was sitting in the single digits and I had friends who were in the teens and seemed to understand it all a great deal better than me. Once I started going to the peer mentoring sessions, however, I got enough information to really get moving...and along with advice that I was given, I came up with some additional strategies that worked for my lifestyle and my own background with writing:

Moral: You can still make it to the ultimate goal of 100 karma if you get a bit behind...

Formatting is key! At first I tried to just use plain format, because I didn't think anyone was using the html. It wasn't long before I realized that some individuals had their arguments set out very nicely and mine just weren't cutting it. So I searched the website and found the area that showed how to use html...absolutely golden. As irritating as html can be at times, it is much more appealing to the eye among those enormous “paragraphs" of words...the peer mentors and other moderators seemed to agree as well. Most importantly, take advantage of the preview key...use it often! Fix those typos and html errors. Your argument will look so much more appealing and you'll have a better chance at having karma awarded to your argument.

From my comment on "The Death of Punctuation:"

Even with this class, we are judged by how we put our arguments onto paper. Many of you have noticed that the peer mentors find it highly frustrating when students do not properly format. For those of you that have not had the opportunity to attend a peer mentoring session, the peer mentors have pointed out that formatting can be key to their evaluation of any argument. You might ask why they feel that way and it's actually quite simple. When you format and use the proper grammar, your argument flows better. It is not left to the peer mentor to organize your thoughts for you, and why should they?

Take time on a single post...write all that you can! A lot of people felt that posting as many comments as possible was the best strategy for them. "Post many and post often." Well, I have never employed that strategy throughout the entire semester. It just isn't me. For example, about 30 of the 40 posts that I have done are actual well-thought out posts that were not simply short remarks or comments, but I have 89 points. Other students may have 89 posts and 30 or 40 points of karma or 89 short posts with one-point a piece and 89 karma. It all depends on what works for each person individually. I have always been told that I can put things into words quite well, and for those of you that read my comment on "The Death of Punctuation," I stated that I consider my writing as an extension of myself. Our words speak for us on these discussion boards. People have their opinions about us based on our discussions, because for the most part, they only know a nickname and the posts behind that nickname.

For posting, I would check the ethics webpage several times a day, just simply looking for an article that appealed to me. Once I saw one, I would read the article, look for someone to argue with, and then one paragraph at a time I would put an argument together. Often times I would not post a comment for days, because I would tweek it until I was pleased and felt that it was a strong argument. I made sure that I said all that I had to say, whether it was a few words or a few pages. Although some people I can, I can't get a strong argument across without exploring every avenue of the side I'm arguing. It takes time, but for those most part, it was worthwhile.

Tear them up! Now as many people have said, you're tearing up arguments, not people. This is not meant to be a site for personal attacks. Although we attack what individuals think and try to find where their arguments are weak, the idea is not to tear into their character. In addition, you can't take responses personally either. Everyone is trying to get karma...so when someone attacks your original argument, just think of it as an opportunity to form another argument to support your first one...more karma...that is your goal isn't it?!

Find the holes! As I mentioned above, you want to look at other students' arguments with somewhat of a fine tooth comb and find where their argument is weak. It worked for me to find certain sentences in a person's argument that really got my heart pumping. I would quote those sentences and then form an argument one statement at a time.

Find where your passion lays! As I searched through the active articles, I made a point to look for the few that (as I mentioned before), really got my heart pumping. I cannot argue on an issue if I do not feel strongly one way or another. Some students found strategy in posting an argument that reflected the opposite of their views, and although that worked for them, my argument would just not have been as solid if I had chose to post that way. Many did that to avoid the redundant and repetitive moderations, but if you put your own style and unique knowledge into the argument, then you have said something that hasn't been said.

Reply... Being one of the first threads does not always guarantee big points. Many say post early, but once again that is not a strategy that I chose to adopt. Just as many others, my schedule did not often permit me to catch a discussion right at the beginning and, therefore, to be one of the first threads. However, I actually preferred to post later, because that way I had people to argue with. It's much easier to form and support an argument if you have someone else to use as your backbone when you do it. You are given the opportunity to see what the other side finds most important in their argument...and that's exactly what you want to attack. If you can tear apart their most significant points of support, you already have a good argument. Then add a few unique points for your side, and you have a good shot at some much-needed karma.

Research when and if necessary: If you don't feel like your argument is strong enough, type in a couple of key words into a search engine and back it up! It really works and it can take as little as 30 seconds to come up with something pertinent to site as part of your argument.

Submit...Once I found out how to submit a story, I started checking the news daily. My yahoo homepage shows the top stories and even my mom and boyfriend kept an ear out for controversial topics that I could find articles on the web for. If I saw something that I felt would work as a good discussion on the website, I would submit it. I didn't dedicate hours to submitting articles, because the chance of them being posted is not too great, but I used it as an additional opportunity for karma. Out of 12 articles, 2 of mine were submitted...6 more karma that I would not have had if I hadn't taken advantage of submitting.

Look at Peer Mentor, Lecture and Exam announcements for questions from other students. Help other students with their problems and their concerns and it will most likely pay off. It can even help you better understand the material and keep you updated on what's happening in the course if you pay attention to what your fellow students have to say.

Type your posts in a word processor. Typing in Microsoft Word, Works, etc. provides protection for what you're working on in the event that the internet goes down, your computer crashes, or some other unpredictable event occurs. It also gives you a better representation of how much you've written and what the format is, before you add the html and paste it onto the discussion board. (preview is especially important with this method) Nevertheless, it provides a spelling and grammar check which can come in handy, even though you still need to do your own check before posting.

Check your preferences! Fortunately, I found the preferences tab at the very beginning. I checked the box that allowed for me to have an e-mail sent to me each time I was moderated and each time someone replied to one of my arguments. Those e-mails were not only encouraging, because I knew as soon as I received a moderation and had an increase in karma, but they also kept me on my toes. As soon as someone replied, it motivated me to check out what they said and at times, gave me the motivation I needed to post another comment. Without those e-mails, I might have forgotten that I was taking a philosophy course altogether...just kidding!

Once again, these are the strategies that worked for me. A combination of these strategies and other strategies may be another individual's path to success in this course. In order to get karma, you have to look out for what's best for you and go for it. Take advice from others when it could be helpful to you, ignore the rest or incorporate it into your strategy in another way...and always try something new if what you're doing isn't working. Chances are it won't start working and you have a limited time to find something that does.

What should students avoid doing in the future?

Don't waste time complaining about what you think is impossible

Embrace the challenge and take it one post at a time. Regardless of how much you complain, it won't change the requirements and you'll be yapping away time you could be using to get karma.

Don't get overwhelmed...Don't panic.

Give yourself deadlines...whether it be so many points or posts a week, so many points by a certain deadline, etc. Make obtainable goals that you feel like you can accomplish.

Don't get angry with students who are doing well. Instead, ask for advice and suggestions from them. Heed the advice that others give to you, but disregard it if you know it's not fitting for you or your lifestyle, and look for other advice that is.

Don't get angry with the peer mentors.

They are not paid for what they do, nor given any credit. Respect why they are there...to help YOU. The requirements are not their fault. If you have a problem, take it up with Dr. Berkich or the discussion leaders, but let the peer mentors use the valuable session time to give advice, not to take it.

What did I learn?

Well, most importantly, I learned that what seems impossible is not necessarily impossible...and that when you conquer what seemed impossible in the beginning, the rewards and the satisfaction are so much greater than breezing through and achieving what is recognizably possible.

This class definitely gave a lesson in time management and priorities. From the beginning, I came into this class reluctant. As a child, I often saw television shows where philosophy was that one class that everyone either passed or failed when they entered college...you either got it or you didn't. For example, on Boy Meets World, Shawn went to college early (because he wanted to drop out of HS) and attended a philosophy class. It was a huge deal to the professor when he actually understood the concepts...I came in worried, because I already knew that I would not be one of the ones that it came to naturally. Shawn was convinced that college was for him and high school just wasn't. Well I did good in high school, with a lot of hard work, and I thought that coming to this “stereotypical" college course, I wouldn't do well, because it seemed as though you only did well in such a course if you didn't do well in it's counterpart...high school.

The last time I felt such accomplishment in a course was last semester when I received an A in Dr. Buck's microbiology course. Science majors know that Dr. Buck has a reputation, much like that of Dr. Berkich (no offense)..."avoid his courses at all costs...take someone else if you can." Well, at the beginning of this semester, I applied to Nursing School and I had my plan set. I accepted the challenge Dr. Buck provided me with last Spring, so why not accept the challenge Dr. Berkich would provide for me this Spring? I needed to take the course prior to entering Nursing School, so I figured I would go for it, terrified or not! Just like so many people, I have struggled through this semester in fear of losing the GPA I have maintained during my 2 years of college. Nonetheless, regardless of my acceptance to Nursing School just recently, an invitation is nothing if you lose the GPA and criteria that got you in, in the first place.

18 hours, a job, school organizations, and a life. A load just like so many other students have had to balance this semester. I understand their frustration and their anger with the time that had to be dedicated to a course that became an entity all its' own. However, I know its' possible to still do well in other courses, while dedicating so much time to philosophy and other areas of life. I'm still waiting for a few grades, but for the most part I'm pleased with how this semester is ending and I hope that other students will feel the same sense of accomplishment that I believe I'm going to feel next Wednesday.

In addition, I learned a great deal about forming a logical argument. I am not naturally outspoken. It's always been hard for me to state an argument face to face with someone, because I tend to avoid conflict. However, since participating in this discussion board, I have found how powerful words can really be. Your words can speak for you, even without a real name or face to put with them. Your argument can provide you with credibility if you remain logical, honest, and true to yourself.

Nevertheless, I am usually horrible about keeping up with what's going on locally, nationally, and internationally, but this semester I have been more in tune with the news than I have ever been in my entire life. Not to mention, rather than just listening to the news...I thought about it. I actually considered what my views were concerning what was going on and then figured out how to support my reasoning in a manner that has allowed me to not only believe in myself, but to believe in the method of reasoning that lingers behind how I determine what is and isn't ethical. Before this class, I never considered that there were actually implications that led me to feel the way that I did. I just knew what the conclusion was that I had come to, and when people asked me how I felt on a particular issue...I gave them my overall view, without any support. Throughout this course, I have come to realize that people will only respect your views if you have support to back them up. Even if they don't agree with you, they will likely have respect for your views if your argument is strong enough.