The Paper Market is an interview with our good old friend Nick Mamatas, a former term paper writer. He talks about writing term papers a bit more in depth than in his other article, The Term Paper Artist.
Mamatas' definitely has a tone that shows he didn't care about this job. It seems as though he only did it for the money. He continuously bashes the dumb clients with sarcasm or outright harsh comments. His tone make all of his comments that much better for people who catch them.
He wasn't very showy with his vocabulary, which can slightly let us know he's just your average guy. His diction is normal, like everyday people. This shows us he's not super smart or above the rest of us; it just is a sign of how stupid his 'dumb clients' must have been.
When I first read his written article, I expected a little nerdy guy. When I saw his picture, I expected Kevin Smith's voice. Then, finally, when I heard the interview, I was kind of upset. There was no Kevin Smith voice. To be honest, though, hearing him did change my opinion of him. Before, I only saw him as some smart guy who stuck his nose up to everyone with bad grammar. Now I can see he's just like us, an average joe.
The fact that is was audio instead of print is a game changer. In print, you would've missed all of his sarcasm. No one would know that Mamatas liked to screw around just like the rest of us do, or that he couldn't care less about his old job. Print can never really catch the tone of people. I mean, imagine joking with your friend on AIM, "Hey, guess what I did tonight!" "I don't know...what?" "I killed a guy." "...I have to go..." "NO, it was a joke!" Tell me that never happened to you before.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
The Term Paper Artist
In the Smart Set article, The Term Paper Artist, Nick Mamatas tells us of his past job, writing term papers for college students. In his article, he tells us of the highs and lows, the diversity of people, and the way of thinking for term paper writing. Mamatas starts off saying how hard it is to be a freelance writer and all the negative comments he reveived growing up. It wasn't until he found the Village Voice ad that he could prove them wrong, "After all, nobody ever puts a classified ad in the paper that reads 'Writers Wanted.' Then, in the Village Voice, I saw just such an ad. Writers wanted." Now, he was in business.
According to Mamatas, there are 3 different kinds of clients. Dumb clients, the one-timers, and "well-educated professionals who simply lack English-language skills." The most predominate, the dumb clients. To no avail, said clients flock in and throw around names they've never before heard, ask for smaller words, and, my favorite, "Produce a section called 'BODY OF PAPER'. I was also asked to underline this section." Where would the world be without the notorious dumb people?
For Mamatas, this is one of the easiest things to do, in his mind, for extra cash. "Term paper work is also extremely easy, once you get the hang of it. It's like an old dance routine buried in one's muscle memory." His suggestion for anyone trying to finish a term paper, "In the paper mill biz, the paper isn't important. The deadline, page count, and number of sources are." In simplified terms, don't write, fill.
Mamatas is sincere when it comes to the clients he encounters. It's endearing, almost, to read what he has to say about them. He does make a good point about how students act these days, "I know why students don't understand thesis statements, argumentative writing, or proper citations." He's right when he mentions this. Today, a lot of students get off with as little work as possible.
It seems as though Mamatas and the company he works for could be jipping these kids from actually learning. "The students aren't only cheating themselves. They are being cheated by the schools that take tuition and give nothing in exchange." There is no doubt that Mamatas is right when he says it's a lot eaiser to pay for a term paper rather than re-paying to take that class again.
In the end, it seems as though Mamatas may slightly regret taking not only money from the students, but also their ability to learn.
According to Mamatas, there are 3 different kinds of clients. Dumb clients, the one-timers, and "well-educated professionals who simply lack English-language skills." The most predominate, the dumb clients. To no avail, said clients flock in and throw around names they've never before heard, ask for smaller words, and, my favorite, "Produce a section called 'BODY OF PAPER'. I was also asked to underline this section." Where would the world be without the notorious dumb people?
For Mamatas, this is one of the easiest things to do, in his mind, for extra cash. "Term paper work is also extremely easy, once you get the hang of it. It's like an old dance routine buried in one's muscle memory." His suggestion for anyone trying to finish a term paper, "In the paper mill biz, the paper isn't important. The deadline, page count, and number of sources are." In simplified terms, don't write, fill.
Mamatas is sincere when it comes to the clients he encounters. It's endearing, almost, to read what he has to say about them. He does make a good point about how students act these days, "I know why students don't understand thesis statements, argumentative writing, or proper citations." He's right when he mentions this. Today, a lot of students get off with as little work as possible.
It seems as though Mamatas and the company he works for could be jipping these kids from actually learning. "The students aren't only cheating themselves. They are being cheated by the schools that take tuition and give nothing in exchange." There is no doubt that Mamatas is right when he says it's a lot eaiser to pay for a term paper rather than re-paying to take that class again.
In the end, it seems as though Mamatas may slightly regret taking not only money from the students, but also their ability to learn.
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