The purpose of this thread is to determine what our homework policy should be, if any.

In previous discussions, we saw:

 * https://cs.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/13/will-homework-questions-be-allowed → Homework questions are allowed, but we might want to have a policy of giving hints or requiring effort.
 * https://cs.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/17/homework-tag-discussion → we should probably have some kind of policy; it is unclear whether to mark homework questions with a [tag:homework] tag, and there is some disagreement as to what that tag might mean.
 * https://cs.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/177/just-a-hint-tag → a proposal for a [tag:just-a-hint] tag got neither any significant traction nor any significant opposition.
 * https://cs.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/313/what-should-the-homework-tag-mean → There is a strong voice against having a [tag:homework] tag, and no one has defended the tag *and* explained what it should mean.

Homework policies and discussions on other sites:

 * [Mathematics](http://meta.math.stackexchange.com/questions/1803/how-to-ask-a-homework-question) (policy and advice)
 * [Physics](https://physics.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/714/how-do-i-ask-homework-questions-on-physics-stack-exchange) (policy and advice)
 * Some recent homework-related drama on Meta Stack Overflow: Recent occurrences include [Can we now burninate the homework tag and discourage its use?](http://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/123758/can-we-now-burninate-the-homework-tag-and-discourage-its-use) and [Can we cut back on the “Is This Homework?” berating?](http://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/130558/can-we-cut-back-on-the-is-this-homework-berating) on one side, [What are some homework red flags?](http://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/130603/what-are-some-homework-red-flags) on the other side.

This is a **call for homework policy proposals**. Please put your opinion forward. Please try to propose workable policies. Consider these questions:

 * Do homework questions get different treatment?
 * Does homework only cover questions given as exercise in a class? What about self-study?
 * How do we decide whether a question is homework?
 * If there is a dispute as to whether a question is homework, who gets to decide?
 * Are homework questions marked as such? (Note that the idea of having a tag is unpopular.)
 * Does the policy risk preventing good questions from being asked or answered?
 * If someone asks a question which was obviously given as a homework exercise, and someone else asks substantially the same question but it is obvious that the asker is not a student who gets homework assigned, are the two questions treated differently?

**Policy discussion rules**: This discussion is open until Wednesay, June 27 at some unspecified time of day (probably in the evening in Europe), i.e. in roughly 10 days' time. To be sure to get your voice in, please post before **Tuesday, June 26**. On that day, the three community moderators will examine the proposals and either decide that a consensus has emerged or decide which options to offer in a referendum. (If you do not like these meta rules, object early and loudly.)

*The discussion leading to the referendum is now over, and [voting has opened](https://cs.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/468/homework-policy-please-vote). You may still post here if you have a different proposal, but the referendum will take precedence.*