Hi River! Good idea to move it to a more private location. I can't believe someone would not ask permission first, not good manners. I'd be quite put off also.

Karen, I feel for you! I had the same thing happen - my laptop is (was) in my kitchen. The person(s) even went into my history and said "oh, I saw you were looking at shoes at so and so site"!

I ended up with a virus that mines passwords and the end result was one of my cards being used in Italy for gas!

I haven't been on that computer since. They had to dump everything.

Good luck.

That's the craziest thing! I mean to me, personal computers are, ummm, well PERSONAL! I wouldn't dream of using someone's computer without asking! But here's the thing, I also wouldn't dream of just helping myself to anything else in someone's house without asking either. I mean, would these same people just go do their laundry without asking first for example?

I keep a lot of my own private information on my home computer and I don't necessarily close out windows when I'm done because I'm the only one who will access it. I simply can't imagine a guest in my home just helping themselves. Maybe it does help that it's not out in a public area, but still!!

Yeah, not only would I move it, I'd protect it with a password or fingerprint or whatever.

Ick. Invasive and intrusive.

That was a total invasion of YOUR privacy... If it had happened to me words would have been exchanged, quite loudly and probably laced with a lot of French.

It did happened to me, just once... Hubby will no longer even come near MY computer, let alone touch it... Same goes for anyone who visits... Everyone I know understands that the computer is MINE, the one and only thing that is mine alone.

As for moving your office/computer, I wouldn't inconvenience myself that much... If I had the slightest idea that a house guest would violate my computer the power cord would be removed BEFORE they arrived or as in your case, with a laptop, I'd definitely install the fingerprint thingy... No need to rearrange your entire life to keep others from doing things they shouldn't or wouldn't if they had any common sense... They were down right RUDE!

Rita

Gotta chime in with the opposite reaction I suppose. If I had friends staying I'd have no qualms at all about them using my computer without asking, and I don't have any compunction about using the computer at a friends or at my mother's house when I go there. This is especially true if the computer is in a public space -- I certainly would ask if it was in someone's private office or bedroom, but to me a computer out in the living space is typically one for family use, and when I'm staying with friends (or when they're staying with me) I consider myself (and them) part of the family.

Emily

I can relate! My brother was here last week for a family matter and he was at my house. I was looking for him to ask him something and couldn't find him. I finally found him in my office ON my computer! He never even asked! If I had gone to HIS house, I would never have gone into his office and used his computer. It's personal. I didnt say anything - but felt it was really out of line for him to do that.

It doesn't matter that the computer was in a "public" room, guests should always ask before using someone else's computer. DH isn't even allowed on mine. Karen, you don't need fingerprint technology, just password protect your desktop.

Also, some of my best friends are not very computer literate - their own computers are always messed up with viruses and such - and I'm usually called upon to fix them. So they are not allowed either - but they don't need to be on the computer all the time, so it's okay!

With so many computers around, people tend to think of them like televisions. With guests who stay for a few days, or even overnight, a computer in the family room looks to be available to use, just like the TV.

Even if someone asks, and no matter how careful you are, you can end up with all sorts of problems. And if they ask, to check their email or check in on-line for their flight, for example, are you going to say NO? Are you going to hover over them. You need to plan your response so that the next time you have guests, you are ready for them.

You can password protect your computer, but you might want to create a guest log in, for your guests. Be sure you have a very good anti-virus program, you really can't surf the net without one these days, even if it's your personal computer and you are the only one who ever uses it.

Good luck.

Guess I'm lucky - our family and guests always ask if they can use a different computer - that even goes for DD#2 when her computer is down.

Our computers at school are a different matter. There are three computers for teacher/student use at any time of the day. Students were changing the desktop around and doing all sorts of other things! Before they did that, I saw a student go into the Control Panel (these are ELEMENTARY kids) and change the background on the desktop. I went up to him and said, "Do you go into your neighbor's or friend's house and change the furniture around?" The answer was "of course not, it's their house." My answer to the child was, "This is the school's computer, and that desktop is its furniture. You don't have the right to rearrange the furniture." The library lady heard me and gave me a pat on the back for actually saying something and making the child change it back.

They finally put everything under an Admin password so that we can't even save files without a floppy (or USB flash drive).

You shouldn't have to password protect or anything. I'd say to my guests, "If you need to use a computer, please ask so that I can clear some of my stuff to an empty file and make space for you." Sort of like moving your guest room furniture around to accommodate the guest....right?

JMHO,
DonnaR/CA

Buy a Mac, maybe it will baffle them and slow them down. Another option for people who need to check email: they might be able to use their cell phones. I check my email, several accounts via my very ordinary cell phone. I have ATT. I'm sure other providers have the same services.

Well, I've gotten the geek guys to take a look at the computer... many spyware problems with countless trash and a few hundred dollars later my computer will be ready in a few days.

I think I'll put one of the older computers in the public areas so guest can check their airline tickets and e-mail. I don't feel obligated to do so but it's nice for a guest to have. That way I can say NO to them using my computer without feeling like a bad host.

I would never use a family member's computer without asking. Period. If I were to go to my sister's home I would never ask to use a computer. The people I have in my home as guests are people I consider to be my family... never again will they have access to my computer. I have learned a big lesson here. Password on my computer!

Thanks for letting me vent ;-)

What I can't figure out is, aside from checking email and printing a boarding pass, what else would a guest really need to do on a computer? I mean, are they here to visit me, or to surf the net?

I don't see it the same as a TV, I mean, if the TV is on, whoever might be in the room can watch. Not so with a computer, it's a one-user-at-a-time deal. Sitting down at a computer inherently separates you from the rest of the household. And seriously, have we gotten to the point where we can't live without our email or the internet for a 4 days (the time Karen's guests were there)?

I have friends who visit from Utah and ask to use my computer so that they can print their airline tickets. I do the same at my sister's house. I removed IE from my computer so that they are forced to use Firefox to print their tickets - IE causes problems on my computer. I also stand over them and watch while they use my computer, which cuts down on the time they are on.

I think guests should ask if they can watch TV (if it is in the living room and others are in the room). I like to keep the TV off, and there are certain shows that I don't want to have to listen to.

Lars

I sometimes have guests for the weekend that want to use my computer. For them I create a Guest Account. I do this before they arrive. If someone wants to use the computer they are mostly unaware that they are on a limited account. They can use any program but won't have access to my information.

: )
lyra

What I can't figure out is, aside from checking email and printing a boarding pass, what else would a guest really need to do on a computer? I mean, are they here to visit me, or to surf the net? May--Duh...checking the Cooking Forum!!

I was one of those awful guest who used Karen's PC when I was at her lovely home. I may have asked but I just remember huddling around the pc to post to the Cooking Forum.

I usually give overnight guest the tour of the guest area and let them know at that time that they can use the pc. I don't know that I have had anyone just help themselves. I guess it would be disconcerting.

Duh...checking the Cooking Forum!!
LMAO!!

OK, guilty! But as I recall, Karen was right there with us posting and encouraging us to post. Whole different deal going on there I think! I think forum friends are on a different plane, thus immune to what may be the norm for others.

When I go to Canada and visit my brother I usually want to check in on the Cooking Forum, so one year he made me a guest account on his main desktop PC. The next year I came to visit him he'd bought a new PC at a discount sale and installed it in his spare bedroom for me with webcam and all. How comfortable is that. Lucky for me he's a techie guy who loves electronic stuff.

Wolf and I have our separate computers in different rooms and the last time our friend from Germany came to visit we took an extra cable from our router and strung it into the guest bedroom where he uses his own laptop. Sometimes we're e-mailing or Skyping each other from room to room to save us the trouble of getting up out of our chairs LOL.

We don't want wireless in the house as we're in an urban area where anyone could connect to us from the street.

SharonCb

I think forum friends are on a different plane, thus immune to what may be the norm for others. That's the answer I wanted to hear as I was lamenting over my rude behavior LOL!

Cathy, I'm sure you had Karen's Okay, LOL.

Sharon, when you get wireless, you set up a name and password for it so neighbors can't piggyback on your account - at least that's how it's done here.

My problem is DH's grandchildren getting on mine. When one of them (7years old) asks if they can use my PC what do I do? The only thing I know to prevent hard feelings in the family is to say "if you Mother or (Dad) says it's okay you can." I really don't want children on my PC, but they let them on it every time. You have to be careful of getting the stepchildren and stepgrandchildred upset. It's a fine line to walk. If someone dared to use mine without asking I would be really put out!!

Beverly

Ok, I have used both Karens and Cathys computers but I think I asked first...didn't I? If I didn't, I am so sorry, but beleive me, I was checking teh CF and other boards and I could truly care less about any banking or private info.

Computers are like medicine and filing cabinets. You keep your nose out of them when you visit!

Having a guest account would not stop a virus. The person that used my computer was not doing it in a malicious way. They just were randomly googling and going on sites and I ended up with a Trojan Horse virus that mines passwords and got all my info...

Prior to that I didn't think one way or the other about people going on but now forget it!

Peppi, You were shown the PC behind the bi-fold doors so you good! And you are right, I wouldn't even think about snooping in areas of someones PC that were personal like email, history, bookmarks. I would stick to their designated browser.

I would never read someone's email or go snooping on their computer. There are things I neither want nor need to know. A few years ago I was doing some work for an attorney acquaintance and I needed some image files from him. I was there in his office and he had me sit down at one of the other attorney's desks and sent me to a shared server to look for the images. I meandered through various folders and sure enough, I found a boatload of porn!

Nope, no snooping for me. No sirree!

Cathy, Peppi and May, LOL! We were all surrounded around the computer at my house. You guys didn't do anything close to what has been found on my computer this past week. UGH!

I'm checking in sporadically...still without a puter.

How rude! It would never occur to me to just up and help myself to someone else's computer, and even if I was using it with permission, I wouldn't be downloading anything or rearranging the desktop. Anyway, unless I'm alone in the house there's no reason to be using the computer, since I theoretically would be there to visit with my hosts.
Beverley, I'd have no problem with saying "no". Your PC, you decide who uses. What would you do if they wanted to wear your good jewellery? Your best clothes? Play with the crystal? etc.