<p>I'll answer your particular questions first:</p>

<ul>
<li>Here's the <a href="https://stats.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/12/how-should-we-deal-with-obvious-homework-questions">current homework policy</a>. However, this was discussed sometime ago, and we've had many new users since then. Also the policy was discussed before we had experienced "term time".</li>
<li>@robin: I don't mind the standard deviation question - although I wouldn't up vote it. To my mind, someone unfamiliar with statistics could ask this question. However, statistics homework questions can be completely contrived - see the question on <a href="https://stats.stackexchange.com/questions/6972/normal-distribution-and-weight-of-babies-problem">birth weight</a>. </li>
</ul>

<hr>

<p>Personally I think that we may have to start closing homework questions. If you look at the recent questions by <a href="https://stats.stackexchange.com/users/1833/queops">queops</a>, they are all blatant homework questions. One of the questions was closed, but only because it was a duplicate. If I didn't have mod powers, I would have probably voted to close quite a few of the recent questions.</p>

<p>If my students asked their homework questions in this site, I would be rather annoyed that they just got the answer with little/no work. </p>
