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I understand your concern, and I agree that some editors go too far in answering questions. I try as much as possible to give just enough information to help the student find the answer on his or her own. For instance, if a student asks a questions that requires a subjective answer, I reply that only the student can answer that question and give suggestions for how to answer it. Also, if a student posts a multiple choice question, I try to edit the question so that my answer is not a dead giveaway. I also flag any true/false or "lazy" questions as inappropriate.

However, if a student has a question about a historical event or person or how to identify a literary device, I see nothing wrong with giving that student the answer. I don't identify every simile or alliteration in a poem, but I do give enough to help the student find the rest.

We're doing a good thing!

I have definitely felt that there are some students who do want us to do the work for them. I try my best to be vague with my answers without being entirely evasive.  My answers tend to be more along the lines of leading questions that will hopefully get that student to think and find his or her own answer.  I try to avoid those questions that seem like blatant "gimme the answer to my homework" situations.

If you are opposed to the idea of doing students' work for them, then are you also opposed to the summaries by chapter on here? Are you opposed to the document exchange where we teachers can take each others' assignments?

This much I know to be true: students sometimes just don't get it. They need extra help. Sure, there are those that are purely lazy and want work done for them, but most questions, it seems to me, seem to be asked by kids that are struggling with the meaning of a piece. It took me and entire 18 WEEKS to get through Huckleberry Finn with my on-level juniors this year--I had a horrible time trying to get them to understand the complexities of that book--lots of teahcers, as I'm sure you have seen, will assign something difficult and send kids off into the ether with a list of questions and no clue how to answer them. I use the resources on this website to make myself a better teacher (and to earn some extra cash) and I believe that most students use the resources on here to gain a deeper understanding or to fill in the missing pieces they just don't get!

We all need a little help now and again. Is it cheating? Sure, in some cases, but for the most part it's providing a boost to students.

Students ARE going to get extra help with their work from somewhere ... Sparknotes, Monarch Notes, Whatevernotes, so that's not an issue for me.  I have a little different philosophy about the time I take covering a book.  I can't imagine spending more than a week, maybe two, on a book.  I ask the student to do the best they can on their own, I do some work with them, and then I offer them a number of possibilities ranging from books (Twayne Series, individual critical works etc.) to electronic interpretations such as enotes.  I have to do this because I can't mention everything in a week and I would like them to explore on their own; but I think there is more benefit from wider reading than intensely close reading --- and I think it helps keep the students interested.

Might as well deal with what we know is going to happen ....

I wondered about this myself when I first came to the site.  I, however, work in the math part mostly answering questions of understanding and yes, I suppose they could just copy down what I have worked in order to get a complete for their homework.  However I do hope that through reading my usually lengthy explanation they will understand how to complete the problem for themselves. 

As for the literature part of it, they may very well plagiarize but there isn't much we can do.  It would have to be up to the English teacher to search for and find out on their own. 

This was my biggest conundrum when deciding whether to be an eNotes editor.  Although Scott did a lot to calm my fears about students' rampant cheating, the way I dissuade plagiarizing is by inserting my own personal voice into every single answer.  For example, today in my response to a question about "The Fall of the House of Usher," I talked about my favorite stories dealing with the issue of isolation (specifically The Shining).  I respond in the exact same way I would if one of my students came for help after class.  I am continually using interjections (my most famous being "Ha!") and overusing italics and making jokes (and trying desperately not to use my smiley-face-end-parenthesis-and-colon).  My hope is to bring some humor into the student's evening, . . . and to alert any teacher to a different personal style. 

In reply to #1: I too am new to eNotes, but thus far I have elected not to answer questions that clearly seek for someone to write an answer that can then be copied & pasted by the student. I look for cut and dried questions that can be answered succinctly and helpfully in order for the student to be able to understand a piece of literature, and I try to craft my response to be useful by any student who reads the answer.

I am drawn to questions about allusions, literary terms, and specific references in certain works that I have loved teaching.

In reply to #17:

"and to alert any teacher to a different personal style."

Excellent point! I also use language that is easy for all levels of students to understand, but also use my personal voice so that teachers are alerted to a direct "copy and paste". However, as an English teacher in high school, all students papers are run though TurnitIn and enotes comments are included in the plagarism checking feature.

I answered a question for a student who then sent me the rest of his homework to do for him. I sent back a message stating that I had no intention of doing his homework but would check it if he did it first to provide some feedback. I never got a reply for that one.

However another student sent me a message stating that she was grateful that I had helped her understand a question that her teacher hadn't explained. That makes it worthwhile to me.

We are professionals and therefore need to use our judgement in order to help students do the work for themselves. I think much of what we answer is a springboard for students to do the rest of the work themselves. I offer a scaffold not an answering service much of the time. By just giving answers we don't help students to learn, but guidance helps them to think for themselves and look at differing viewpoints.