Accusation of fraud advice. (university belgium)

[villadelfia]

Apparently, there has been fraud on the exam/project of intro to databases. Also apparently, I am suspected of committing fraud.

This is quite surprising for me given that I:
1. Didn't even once attend the classes, but I did make the assignments and the exam.
2. Don't actually know anyone from my class, let alone talk to them.

It is clear to me that I can't have committed any fraud directly, however I have been asked to go to the exam commission this thursday to discuss this. I also have a problem that I get very nervous and sweaty, and I get very bad with explaining stuff, when I feel like I'm under any pressure.

What do I do?

[achan1058]

This is quite surprising for me given that I:
1. Didn't even once attend the classes, but I did make the assignments and the exam.
2. Don't actually know anyone from my class, let alone talk to them.

I think they are suspicious that the person who did the assignments and wrote the exam isn't the real you. The problem in that case, of course, was because you never went to class, so the profs do not know you at all.

[Bakemaster]

Don't worry about it. Teachers and administrators understand that students are under a lot of stress and may become very nervous independent of their guilt or innocence. Just go to the commission meeting and answer their questions honestly. This is not Law & Order; you are not being interrogated; you can sweat as much as you like.

[villadelfia]

This is quite surprising for me given that I:
1. Didn't even once attend the classes, but I did make the assignments and the exam.
2. Don't actually know anyone from my class, let alone talk to them.

I think they are suspicious that the person who did the assignments and wrote the exam isn't the real you. The problem in that case, of course, was because you never went to class, so the profs do not know you at all.

Unlikely, you have to show photo ID and sign your name when they come around. And for the project, well I have a static IP, I can easily prove that it was in fact from my home that they were handed in.

As for actually making it, well, I only have my unique coding style.

UPDATE: Now I know the actual accusation: Apparently somebody almost literally copied my project code, now I'm left wondering how the hell he got my code, because I don't even know the guy :/

[broken_escalator]

Now I know the actual accusation: Apparently somebody almost literally copied my project code, now I'm left wondering how the hell he got my code, because I don't even know the guy :/

They'll probably be suspicious that you guys pulled code from the same place on the internet or something, even if you guys never actually talked.

[Yakk]

So it looks (to me) like you have two possible accusations from that.

1: You copied someone else's code. This is relatively easy to disprove by being able to generate similar code in a "clean room" environment.

2: You let someone else copy your code. This is difficult to defend against, given that they apparently have a copy of your code.

[villadelfia]

Ok, so the guy said I had given him my code, he said I had given it via skype.

So I logged onto skype and showed the exam commission my skype log, problem solved.

[Yakk]

Ok, so the guy said I had given him my code, he said I had given it via skype.

So I logged onto skype and showed the exam commission my skype log, problem solved.

Why would they trust your Skype log? /puzzle.

[broken_escalator]

I bet they already thought you weren't involved but had to accuse you from policy. That or they are very naive to just trust a skype log you hand them.

[achan1058]

I am still wondering how the guy got your code in the first place?

[villadelfia]

I am still wondering how the guy got your code in the first place?

Good question, but I doubt they're going to tell me.

Also, they accepted my Skype log because he couldn't show a skype log that contradicted mine.

[broken_escalator]

Did you save your code on a school computer? A lot of the time I find code saved on desktops because people don't save it to their network area.

[Thirty-one]

I don't know about your school system, but with the one we used at my school, sometimes people would submit their hand-ins into the wrong folder, and it would be for all to see and download. Could that have happened?

[villadelfia]

It's on an ssh server, but I just checked, you can just go to other student's home directory and copy the files... blatant security oversight imho.

[Windmill]

^ Bingo. There's the problem. At least they didn't tarnish your reputation.

[Yakk]

Heh. Probably they shared the data by giving students the same user group, and your default use mask was "allow members of same group to read", and that let the markers copy your submission?

Slackers.

[achan1058]

It's on an ssh server, but I just checked, you can just go to other student's home directory and copy the files... blatant security oversight imho.

Now with this being the case, somebody may be able to copy your code again in the future, and you might not necessary be so lucky next time...... I wonder what the best option would be from here. It's possible that your schools might accuse of hacking you if you brought this issue up with them too...... Maybe act paranoid and simply e-mail your code to the prof or what not?

[++$_]

chmod -R go-rwx /home/villadelfia

[_Axle_]

It's on an ssh server, but I just checked, you can just go to other student's home directory and copy the files... blatant security oversight imho.

Now with this being the case, somebody may be able to copy your code again in the future, and you might not necessary be so lucky next time...... I wonder what the best option would be from here. It's possible that your schools might accuse of hacking you if you brought this issue up with them too...... Maybe act paranoid and simply e-mail your code to the prof or what not?

If there are time stamps it should work in your favor. Though, the idea that anyone can look at your code kind of sucks =/

[Chen]

It's on an ssh server, but I just checked, you can just go to other student's home directory and copy the files... blatant security oversight imho.

Now with this being the case, somebody may be able to copy your code again in the future, and you might not necessary be so lucky next time...... I wonder what the best option would be from here. It's possible that your schools might accuse of hacking you if you brought this issue up with them too...... Maybe act paranoid and simply e-mail your code to the prof or what not?

If you have to submit your work via this SSH server which is not secure, I can't see how you can be blamed for this situation. I'd also assume they'd fix that situation once its brought to their attention.

[thedufer]

I have a class for which we turn in assignments by leaving them in our home folder with read rights to users in our group. We're required to sign it with a personal private key (and leave our public key in our home directory) and then encrypt it with the grader's public key. Sounds like you need something like this.