Poll: Social Proof and Essay Mill unchecked usage of your institution's brand...
"Used by students at [ivy league], [state flagship], [top UK college], and [top 25]"
ESSAY MILL . COM
buy your paper now!
The above image (less the text) is from a real essay mill. I doubt that MSU or NYU appreciate their brands being listed on a site used to circumvent their own academic honesty policies, devaluing their brands and degrees.
Why they do it - “Social Proof”
Listing reputable brands lends credibility to a site. This tactic is called “social proof” or “trust indicators.1” Startups do this (we do it at Cursive to help show the support we’ve gained and the collaborators we’ve worked with).
Psychologically, it provides the buyer some comfort in making a purchase. Buyers recognize sameness, inclusivity, and familiarity with the brands listed, making it more likely they’ll ultimately make a purchase. Students seeing their own college listed on an essay mill site also normalizes essay mill usage, a harmful feedback loop impacting the overall usage of essay mill service on a given campus.
What do we do about it?
I know firsthand that there’s probably nothing more potent than a D1 licensing office (my predecessor on the student activities committee at UVM [so. many. years. ago.] made the mistake of unlicensed use of the University of Vermont brand). This legal apparatus—common on all campuses—is efficient and systematic in its approach to shutting down unauthorized use of university brands and logos on apparel, in print materials, and elsewhere.
So why would it be allowed on known cheating sites?