A few years ago, Rob Bateman worked as a programming lecturer at Bourenmouth University. Like many instructors, Rob put his notes, assignments, and resources on his webpage, available for all to see. It wasn't anything particularly interesting or exciting, mostly just stuff like this...

However, ever since posting his materials online, he's received a steady trickle of e-mails from students around the world. They're not unlike this one that one arrived on 19th Nov 2007....

Dear Rob First of all sorry for my English isn't really good : -) Well , my name es Mario Parra and I'm computer ( last year ) student in politechnical University of Catalonia (barcelona SPAIN ). I'm writing you because I need help in computer graphics and I'm totally desperate. The situation is the following, I'm doing the last courses of my studies and also working , no way i need earn money . Conclusion, no time for be focus in all the subjects...and particularly computer graphics subject. I have to submit a computer graphics project for the next Monday until 8,30 am, and really for me impossible to do it, no time, poor computer grapichs knowlodege ,etc,etc.. So i was looking on internet good example and i found your web page.. and i decide to write you for do a business. Probably for you my project will be easy to manage, because is an introduction subject of computer graphics, and maybe you don't need to spend more than 4 hours.. for the reason if you want I can pay you 150 ? for this first part and 150 ? more for the second part.. if you are agree. I'm not a reach man is a effort for me pay all this money but as i said you I'm totally desperate and i will do but i think is a reasonable price. So if you are interested this is my proposition : - Give me response to my proposal - If you are agree more or less agree i send you my project translate (the original is in catalan) -We can arrange the way for pay you, by PayPal, your own bank account, as you prefer... - I send you the money according ( I will have trust ... no other way to do it.. ) - You send me the project , finish of course before Sunday (the deadline for submit the project is on Monday 26 of November until 8:30 pm ) Best Regards, Mario Parra

Like a plz email me teh codez from academia, the emails kept coming in ...

Hi Rob I found your website on the Internet. I am looking for someone to write up some revision notes for me. I need to make sure they are right, I have other notes but they already come with the answers, but the last lot I received didn't. Would you be interested in doing the notes for me, I have the questions ready. obvoiusly I would pay you. If you are interested could you let me know as am in a bit of a hurry, exams looming. Kind Regards Sally George

And in...

Respected sir; I m a student of mcs in pakistani university.kindly send me project of stack & queue.Documentations r attached wid e-mail.plz try 2 send it early as last date of submission is 1-02-08,so plz plz send me full code +presentation .I will b thankful 2 u. Nabeela Rajpoot Pakistan

Rob's instructor pages have since been taken down and, unfortunately, he hasn't gotten a "plz plz help" since.