Teenager-proof a computer

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Larry Sabo said:
Geez, that's a poor choice of words/metaphors.
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Not sure what you mean? I was actually quoting that from this thread. I don't think granny needs to "grow a pair". And I'll continue to maintain that I believe we don't know enough about the situation to determine that the grandmother simply isn't doing a good enough job of being a parent.
 
This is the last time I am going to comment on this thread, and I am only doing so because I've really had enough of the pompous, judgmental tone from certain techs here.

I know these people personally. The kid in question is very sweet and not really a problem, and it would appear a good portion of the issues that appeared on his computer likely happened because of his friends. Most kids have friends and some of them are more trouble than others. This is life. Even so, my general sense is these are just boys acting their age, and not with any particular maliciousness. The grandmother is very kind and brings down the hammer when necessary...however she is not tech-savvy and that is why she calls me for help. The solution I applied seems to be working just fine and I have not heard a peep since then.

I feel sorry for your customers if your first and last response to situations like this is "sorry, can't help you, you just suck at parenting." How charming. Honestly? This is why people call me after trying people like you.
 
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TechLady said:
This is the last time I am going to comment on this thread, and I am only doing so because I've really had enough of the pompous, judgmental tone from certain techs here.

I know these people personally. The kid in question is very sweet and not really a problem, and it would appear a good portion of the issues that appeared on his computer likely happened because of his friends. Most kids have friends and some of them are more trouble than others. This is life. Even so, my general sense is these are just boys acting their age, and not with any particular maliciousness. The grandmother is very kind and brings down the hammer when necessary...however she is not tech-savvy and that is why she calls me for help. The solution I applied seems to be working just fine and I have not heard a peep since then.

I feel sorry for your customers if your first and last response to situations like this is "sorry, can't help you, you just suck at parenting." How charming. Honestly? This is why people call me after trying people like you.
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I know this was directed squarely at me so I'll respond since you are not commenting in this thread again.

Call me pompous and judgmental if you like but the few people on here with common sense agree fully with me. Feel sorry for my customers if you will, meanwhile I'll feel sorry for your children.
 
Don't worry TechLady, I think you are doing the right thing. And there is nothing wrong coming into this community to get some affirmation. Not everyone would do it your way. I would start your way and as long as the parent or guardian did not get abusive with me I would continue to help them as much as possible.

It really sounds like you have listened to your client, the 1st right step to any successful business. Maybe you did not fix the situation the first time, but you stepped up and did what it would take to do as much as you possibly can.

Keep on treating your clients the right way and I am sure you will be in business as long as you like.
 
?

Loosing track? :)

This post started out as a great challenge! It was so interesting to read through the posts until it became personal... Let's get back on track here and stay professional.

I was working with a school teacher about a year or so ago to safeguard 15 machines against random bars and games installations. Deep Freeze would have taken care of it, but the school did not have the funds for it. The solution? Spend Friday afternoons uninstalling crap...

Kids, Adults, Seniors alike, if they're not top notch geeks, they will click on anything shiny! :) And... that's what we're here for :)


-----------------------------
http://www.etoolsguy.com
 
when i was a teen if you did that id go ape **** at you then promptly set about undoing every step you did and going back to my usual browsing habbits

rather than locking there machines down and dictating what they do have you considered advising them on how to prevent virus issues
 
TechLady said:
Indeed sir, that is correct. However...these are teenagers we're talking about...smart, but not that smart. And kind of lazy. Given those conditions, I think I have a chance of winning.

We shall see.
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Here's another route, try Deep Freeze. They can install all they want, and bypass any security you set and when the machine reboots it's reset right back to the the original config (except for the data). http://www.faronics.com/products/deep-freeze/standard/
 
reesk92 said:
when i was a teen if you did that id go ape **** at you then promptly set about undoing every step you did and going back to my usual browsing habbits

rather than locking there machines down and dictating what they do have you considered advising them on how to prevent virus issues
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So you'd be willing to freak out and remove all of the security measures put in place preventing you from doing "what you wanted", but your honestly going to say that had your parents (or whoever) sat you down and said, "Now this, this and this are things that you like to do but are bad for the computer" you would honestly listen and stop doing them?

paristotle said:
Here's another route, try Deep Freeze. They can install all they want, and bypass any security you set and when the machine reboots it's reset right back to the the original config (except for the data). http://www.faronics.com/products/deep-freeze/standard/
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Deep freeze isn't a "bad" solution to a point, except that you really limit what you can do in the machine when you have no data storage.
 
TechLady said:
This is the last time I am going to comment on this thread, and I am only doing so because I've really had enough of the pompous, judgmental tone from certain techs here.
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Yeah righto.

FYI you start the thread with this:

TechLady said:
Yup, tried that route too. The teenagers got so frustrated over not being able to install their usual games and music and crap in Ubuntu that they stopped using it altogether, and simply moved on to trashing other computers in the house.
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and then this:

TechLady said:
No...look, these are determined teenagers. Limited accounts are bandaids they rip right off.
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Which makes the kids sound like total ****-heads.

A bunch of people jump in and try to help, offering suggestions in line with what you have told them. You then insult them for not comprehending some hidden information you had not offered at the outset.

If you had lead with this

TechLady said:
I know these people personally. The kid in question is very sweet and not really a problem, blah blah blah
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Then the whole thread would probably have had a different tenor.

In my reading of the thread, any 'parenting advice' that was offered, was wholly something you elicited in the very emotive language of your own posts on the first page.

Think about it.

:rolleyes:
 
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So now it is my fault you and some others found yourselves unable to respond in a civil or helpful way. Interesting. Many of your colleagues managed to do it, however. Those people offered helpful ideas and suggestions, and for those I am grateful. And they were able to do so without inflammatory "contributions" like this:
16k_zx81 said:
Password the customers computer and sell her a used laptop for the brat - with the proviso that brat pays for his own repairs The situation of continually patching up the shared machine will far exceed the purchase price of the brat machine after that, any stupidity of the brat is his own financial burden. This will take the problem put of your customers hands. Or keep sucking money off the old lady.
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At no point did I address anyone like that. It's not helpful and sets a negative tone that doesn't need to happen, regardless of how well I do or don't know these people. Why should I need to say I know these people personally at the beginning? I know almost all of my clients personally. And all of them deserve respect (...and the few that break the respect chain lose me as their fixit lady). And finally, if "determined" equals "***head" (your words?) then you might consider the impression you leave in your determination to continue beating this horse. It's still dead. Dragging it out doesn't make it undead. Ironically the kid in question--twelve or thirteen I believe--has manners that greatly exceed that of the supposed professionals that chimed in on this thread...some of them, anyway.

So let's give it a rest, shall we? It's worked out fine. I think all of us are grateful to have such a good place to ask questions and get feedback so I don't see the point in injecting unnecessary negativity.
 
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