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ashling

(25,771 posts)
Mon Jul 9, 2012, 04:16 PM Jul 2012

Who here has experience with computer writing programs [View all]

I am grading (. . . when am I not grading?) a paper on the War Powers Act. I don't think I have ever seen one like this. I have plenty that have all sorts of inaccuracies and bad writing. Sometimes it takes a second or even a third reading of a passage to understand what the mean. Some are so bad that I require they go to the writing center on campus.

But this paper is a collection of often unrelated words generally relating to the topic. It sounds as if it was written by a computer ... or by a committee

Examples:

Without a doubt, the perseverance has efficiently required confident presidents into connecting Congress afore obligating the military in voyages away and through the retro of actions.


The necessities of the steadfastness need to successfully have banded the premier after autonomous engagements in the use of the armed in conflicts is worried.


This successfully foresees the probability of the president interim singly in such a way.


This esteems if the help of the president are tense by this determination as in encumber his receptiveness to conditions that might request for the placement of the country’s fighting.


I'm confounded.

Help, please





















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Don't know how it was written, but definitely an F. sinkingfeeling Jul 2012 #1
No question about that ashling Jul 2012 #18
Definitely an 'F' guardian Jul 2012 #52
sounds like a foreign language being translated literally by Babblefish librechik Jul 2012 #2
That's exactly what struck me, too Canuckistanian Jul 2012 #12
Someone's playing a prank on you. randome Jul 2012 #3
A prank? ashling Jul 2012 #20
Could it have been a bought paper... hootinholler Jul 2012 #4
No luck with any I have tried ashling Jul 2012 #23
Do you have ESL students in this class? MattBaggins Jul 2012 #5
It almost sounds like Babelfish. denverbill Jul 2012 #6
No offense, but you shouldn't be publishing student writing alcibiades_mystery Jul 2012 #7
That was one thought ashling Jul 2012 #24
That looks like the output of a text combination generator localroger Jul 2012 #8
Agreed. Foolacious Jul 2012 #17
That was my line of thinking, ashling Jul 2012 #27
Like the Chomskybot Crabby Appleton Jul 2012 #37
Probably a Markov chain generator. backscatter712 Jul 2012 #49
Agree William Seger Jul 2012 #58
Is the student from India? jberryhill Jul 2012 #9
That was my thought, a purchased paper tammywammy Jul 2012 #56
Those look like the result of using Babelfish to translate something in English through a series... slackmaster Jul 2012 #10
Apparently you have Ms. South Carolina in your class! DrewFlorida Jul 2012 #11
I have had some students like that ashling Jul 2012 #29
God, that was painful to watch! randome Jul 2012 #51
It looks like it was written by a future Harvard MBA. AnotherMcIntosh Jul 2012 #13
Could have been prepared with OCR software. lpbk2713 Jul 2012 #14
There are blog/spam programs that write nonsense like this. Looks like it. democrat_patriot Jul 2012 #15
The large vocabulary being used seems inconsistent with the lack of sense or grammar. nt bemildred Jul 2012 #16
Word Salad = Schizophrenia Junkdrawer Jul 2012 #19
More here: Junkdrawer Jul 2012 #21
I also ran it by my wife (College Professor - Theater History) and she's seen word salad.... Junkdrawer Jul 2012 #25
Unfortunately I don't have any face to face contact ashling Jul 2012 #32
Word salad is quite disturbing. In the 70s, I volunteered... Junkdrawer Jul 2012 #34
I think the possibility of mental illness necessitates a call to the Dean.... Junkdrawer Jul 2012 #42
Thanks ashling Jul 2012 #53
I think you may have hit on something here. It would be worth looking into....... wandy Jul 2012 #33
Anyone related to Dan Quayle in your class? TlalocW Jul 2012 #22
or sara p. bbgrunt Jul 2012 #40
Postmodernism Generator? longship Jul 2012 #26
Postmodern Generator was my first thought as well. progressoid Jul 2012 #39
Yes, but the PMG generates good grammar. longship Jul 2012 #44
I'd like to see the sources!!!! benld74 Jul 2012 #28
A basic lack of English. kentuck Jul 2012 #30
Could be someone mentally ill. Or it could be written by someone who isn't a native English speaker. Ian David Jul 2012 #31
This person has a solid future in corporate communications.. Fumesucker Jul 2012 #35
Is Sarah Palin in your class? The Velveteen Ocelot Jul 2012 #36
I thought it sounded familiar! Dalai_1 Jul 2012 #55
This confirms my theory that Sarah Palin's brain was replaced with a Markov chain generator! n/t backscatter712 Jul 2012 #59
Appears to be generated. immoderate Jul 2012 #38
Word Salad once through a spell checker? Junkdrawer Jul 2012 #41
Good point. immoderate Jul 2012 #43
Not even word salad. RebelOne Jul 2012 #45
More on Word Salad (aka schizophasia): Junkdrawer Jul 2012 #46
Reminds me of that South Carolina beauty queen. moondust Jul 2012 #47
Perhaps voice recognition software. Blanks Jul 2012 #48
I've got dragon and have that problem ashling Jul 2012 #54
My guess is that you have shown examples of computer generated prose and not a very good ladjf Jul 2012 #50
Article spinner ? limpyhobbler Jul 2012 #57
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