Son of a Bitch
 

I have been taking a two week mid-session class over the winter break; which ended on thursday, but the professor let us have a couple of extra days afterwards to finish the homework assignments. There were four homework assignments, the first one to be completed by yourself, and the last three to be done in a group of two people. We had to work in groups because the business program at my college emphasizes the importance of teamwork; so there was no way that I could have done them alone. Anyways I was paired with a fellow from another college who had come to my college just to take the course; and so his grade won't transfer over to his college, just the fact that he passed or failed.

So I'm talking to the guy and we have a lot in common- he is really into movies like me; foreign and independent films, and he wants to become a director someday (but is in business so that he has a backup) very much like me. I am in business so that I can have a safety net in case I ever want to pursue a career in art or literature. So we are getting along very well and he seems like a very nice guy, someone that I might have stayed in touch with for years to come. We became good friends over the two week period.

So we decide that we will split the assignments up, where I would do #2, he would do #3, and then we would each do half of #4. The homework assignments were quite extensive, it took me six hours to complete the second assignment, and about four hours to do half of assignment four. Anyways, he does his part and hands in assignment three like we had agreed, and we go into take the final on thrusday, with only the forth assignment to hand in.

So I call the guy on Friday and ask him how his part of the last homework is coming and he says "oh I'm going out tonight but I'll definately have it done by tomorrow (saturday). So I call him on Saturday and ask him what's going on with the homework and he says "going pretty well i'll email you my half on Sunday", so I said fine and thought that he would have it done and it would be in my inbox soon enough. Come Sunday, nothing. I kept checking my email hoping to find it waiting for me, still nothing. So I decide to call him Sunday afternoon, and no answer. His phone rings and rings, but nothing. So I figure ok two things could be going on; either he is not going to do it, or he is at a library finishing it up (he had no computer at home so this was a possibility). Come sunday night nothing; no email, no answer on the phone.

I woke up at six o'clock this morning and called him to see what the hell was going on- his phone is disconnected; so I started working on it myself and I just finished the assignment (it is printing as I am typing this). Five hours to do his part! [excessive profanity]What the fuck! Goddamn son-of-a-fucking-bitch! Why the fuck didn't he just tell me he wasn't going to do the fucking thing so I could have been working on it over the fucking weekend, at my own pace! MOTHER-FUCKING ASSHOLE! I can't believe the asshole did this to me! [/excessive profanity]

Sorry, I had to get it out. I don't know what to do next. Should I call the backstabber up later and bitch him out? Should I leave hate emails? Or just drop the whole thing?

I know this probably belongs in bitchlist, but I thought that it would be a good time to talk about ethics. What do ethics mean to you? Do ethics mean anything in our time? Do you follow ethical and moral principles in your life? Would you have done the same thing to me if you only needed a passing grade? Have you done something unethical that you have always regretted? Please help me understand the reasoning that is behind such a devious act. I would never, ever leave somebody high and dry like that.

that isn't too good. I hope it all turns out OK.

Personaly I think you should have some large and not well adjusted types drop by and break his friggin kneecaps.

That happened to me; A group of us decided to split up an invidual assignment so we each did a section. We would email the separate parts to each other so we didnt have to do as much work. 2 hours before deadline, one guy has not emailed. He's handed MY work in alongside his, but I recieved no email. I go round to his flat: he's disappeared. His mobile phone is off. Bastard! I had to do a whole quarter assignment in an hour! I'd done the honorable thing of sending my work to him.

Bop.. I understand why you got so mad in such a way (but honestly I never expected this from you..)

ethics and morals.. hardly anyone follow for hardly anyone believe in.
it happened with to me and it always happens in team work that tasks are not fairly and seriously undertaken among members.. but in your case it was way beyond what could be tolerated.. I imagine under what pressure and stress you had to work it out..

I think you should let him know how you feel about the whole matter, not for the sake of pay back, just for him to know that it was so wrong and to itch the sense of responsability in him if there is any.

for the rest, try to free your mind and Goodluck!

Thanks for the kind words... but what didn't you expect from me?

It's in your best interests to make sure that people don't hate you. That's about as far as it goes.

We were good friends, I think because he knew he had nothing to gain by completing the last assignment; he figured he was free to renege on his obligation.

I don't think that even a stab in the back is good enough to break a friendship. People often make mistakes out of fear. I bet he was afraid of what you would think if he didn't do his part, so didn't tell you (you mentioned that if he told you, you would have done it anyway). His ignorance is something that can be fixed with kindness.

That seems way to mature for where I am right now, RM. I asked if he was going to do it on Saturday and he said yes, I feel he had the opportunity to tell me his objective then. He could have said "I'm not going to do it" in which case I would have been pissed but I would have understood. This way I had to wake up so early in the morning and cram it all in, I handed it in about twenty minutes before the dead line- which was noon today. I think I am just going to put it behind me... after all I did for the guy, this is how he treats me! I just think that I would be better off with someone like that not in my life.

He was probably in panic mode, and thought by sticking his head in the sand, the problem would go away.

That final homework assignment has probably taught you more about buisness than the rest of the course put together.

UJ

Rule #1 - The only person that you can count on for anything is you

I'm going to choke up any sense of self-worth, loyalty, or conviction I have, and disagree with you. I got terribly sick, and because of it, missed out on an assignment worth 25% of my European History final mark. Fate is terribly inconsistant and unpredictable, so rather than lick her feet, ride her back, and just go with the flow of things.

The guy's an irresponsible ass-wipe!

Look what I found in my email:

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Manna,

for some reason i can't get the spreadsheet attachment up anymore. i don't know what happened with it. your email doesn't even include that there was an attachment.

Matt
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I sent him spreadsheets on thursday, he told me he had printed them out; now he's changing his story, somehow they magically disappeared from my email...

What's done is done.

I agree...

I meant that I didnt expect the way you 'let it out' Bop :)

I would agree in someway with RM that it would be very humane not to scratch any soul .. and in my own point of view, I think it would really cool your anger Bop to forgive the guy...

He could have been affraid.. he could have plenty of real excuses, (even if it were not in fact the case at last..) but the main point is that he should know he was wrong.. to know he caused harm whether he meant it or not, so he would avoid doing it again..