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HexForumGeneral: General DiscussionForum Guidelines - Dos and Don'ts

Forum Guidelines - Dos and Don'ts

#1 · September 15, 2022, 3:17 pm

Quote from Admin on September 15, 2022, 3:17 pm
Here a few guidelines for all members, an important read!

The background

As described in our Online Degrees section, there are many different types of online degrees, degree programs, and certificate courses. During recent years, there was a huge influx of new institutions, schools, and universities who started to offer very expensive certificate courses. We have our own very critical opinion of such courses. They don't offer the same value for money as a real bachelor's or master's degree. In addition, these institutions spend a lot of money on advertisement and recruiters, who aggressively contact students with deceiving information to upsell their products.

As an example, these recruiters follow and target our social media accounts to comment on our posts and to publish ads. They hide behind normal user accounts to obfuscate their background as recruiters and advertisers. We had one incident, where a student asked a question in our comment section and a recruiter targeted this student, asking for personal information, while saying he had a partnership with HexForum.com We only found out, because the student contacted us afterwards.

A safe space for students

This forum and website is a safe space for students to ask questions and discuss degree programs from established institutions.

This forum and website is not a space for any recruiters and people who want to sell their services or who want contact students in order to recruit them. Accounts from recruiters and advertisers will be closed.

Any account, which publishes external links to payed certificate courses for advertisement/recruitment, will be banned.

Any account, which targets students on this website and sends private messages for advertising purposes, will be banned.

Any account, which sends private messages and asks for personal information of a user, will be banned.

Dos

You can ask any question and link any certificate or degree program, if you have a question or want to discuss the course/program.

Don'ts

You can not publish external links to payed courses/degree programs, if the purpose is solely advertisement.

Please don't publish any private information. Accounts, which publish phone numbers or email addresses, will be banned.

Common red flags

Users who ask for email addresses/phone number/names or where you live to get in contact with you. These are accounts created from professional recruiters, who keep lists and datasets of possible students. Universities outsource such services to achieve their metrices for new student enrollments.

Users who overstate the benefits of certificate courses and overstate the benefits for your CV. Be careful of anybody who claims "this certificate will get you a high paying job" or "this course will get you into the top 1% of job applicants".

Accounts who want to send you more informational material and therefore need your data and email address. All information is available online, without any need to give some random person any of your personal details. If you can't find the information you need, start a thread!

People who want to help you enroll. Most enrollment is done by Universities themselves. You upload your documents on the official application website, no need to talk to anybody. Some institutions may request additional steps, like a personal phone call with a representative of the university. Be always sure who you talk to.

Services from proof readers, who actively search for people who write their thesis. These are mostly private persons who on the side proof read texts from students. They're lurking in the background, searching for new clients. Try to avoid them and go for established proof reading services from registered companies, if you want somebody to look at your thesis or text.

Services from teaching centers/tutors, which want to help you study. These are mostly small private firms who sell tutoring classes and hired some BA or MA students to teach you content. They're lurking in the background, searching for new clients. Again, go for big brands and established companies, if you feel the need of getting additional tutoring. You go cheap on these you most likely will be disappointed.

We've seen and know the ugly side of the commercialization of online education. We don't link to any external material which we think doesn't provide a clear benefit for your career and improves your ability to get proper education in the field you seek..

Here a few guidelines for all members, an important read!

The background

As described in our Online Degrees section, there are many different types of online degrees, degree programs, and certificate courses. During recent years, there was a huge influx of new institutions, schools, and universities who started to offer very expensive certificate courses. We have our own very critical opinion of such courses. They don't offer the same value for money as a real bachelor's or master's degree. In addition, these institutions spend a lot of money on advertisement and recruiters, who aggressively contact students with deceiving information to upsell their products.

As an example, these recruiters follow and target our social media accounts to comment on our posts and to publish ads. They hide behind normal user accounts to obfuscate their background as recruiters and advertisers. We had one incident, where a student asked a question in our comment section and a recruiter targeted this student, asking for personal information, while saying he had a partnership with HexForum.com We only found out, because the student contacted us afterwards.

A safe space for students

This forum and website is a safe space for students to ask questions and discuss degree programs from established institutions.
This forum and website is not a space for any recruiters and people who want to sell their services or who want contact students in order to recruit them. Accounts from recruiters and advertisers will be closed.
Any account, which publishes external links to payed certificate courses for advertisement/recruitment, will be banned.
Any account, which targets students on this website and sends private messages for advertising purposes, will be banned.
Any account, which sends private messages and asks for personal information of a user, will be banned.

Dos

You can ask any question and link any certificate or degree program, if you have a question or want to discuss the course/program.

Don'ts

You can not publish external links to payed courses/degree programs, if the purpose is solely advertisement.
Please don't publish any private information. Accounts, which publish phone numbers or email addresses, will be banned.

Common red flags

Users who ask for email addresses/phone number/names or where you live to get in contact with you. These are accounts created from professional recruiters, who keep lists and datasets of possible students. Universities outsource such services to achieve their metrices for new student enrollments.
Users who overstate the benefits of certificate courses and overstate the benefits for your CV. Be careful of anybody who claims "this certificate will get you a high paying job" or "this course will get you into the top 1% of job applicants".
Accounts who want to send you more informational material and therefore need your data and email address. All information is available online, without any need to give some random person any of your personal details. If you can't find the information you need, start a thread!
People who want to help you enroll. Most enrollment is done by Universities themselves. You upload your documents on the official application website, no need to talk to anybody. Some institutions may request additional steps, like a personal phone call with a representative of the university. Be always sure who you talk to.
Services from proof readers, who actively search for people who write their thesis. These are mostly private persons who on the side proof read texts from students. They're lurking in the background, searching for new clients. Try to avoid them and go for established proof reading services from registered companies, if you want somebody to look at your thesis or text.
Services from teaching centers/tutors, which want to help you study. These are mostly small private firms who sell tutoring classes and hired some BA or MA students to teach you content. They're lurking in the background, searching for new clients. Again, go for big brands and established companies, if you feel the need of getting additional tutoring. You go cheap on these you most likely will be disappointed.

We've seen and know the ugly side of the commercialization of online education. We don't link to any external material which we think doesn't provide a clear benefit for your career and improves your ability to get proper education in the field you seek..

Carebara Diversa has reacted to this post.

#2 · September 16, 2022, 2:59 am

Over 40,000 degrees and certificate courses in the US alone, average tuition more than $20k a year.

Only a fractional amount will have an impact on your CV. Don't waste your money. Over promise and under deliver, that's what many graduates say. Do your own research instead of trusting in marketing material and some ads.