When I was still in the Navy I had to work on the Admiral’s PC one day. His desktop was a cluttered mess. While I was fixing his problem I “helped” him by organizing his shortcuts. I didn’t delete anything from the desk top, I just put them in rows so the desktop looked less cluttered and things were easier to see.
I spent the next morning being lectured by my chain of command, one at a time, about how that was not to ever happen again.
It looks like Grandpa’s computer is a Windows box. He needs to know the command Windows Key + L to lock it as he leaves. That would have stop Milton, unless he has a post it note with his password on it. I have seen that before at work, not wise.
Our house has several machines, one of which is the ‘family’ box on which everyone bar me browses the ‘net, uses Messenger, and so on. I refer to it as the Lightning Rod because it tends to catch any nasty drek flying about, leaving the important machines alone.
After the last time they killed it, I rebuilt the machine on 7 and made myself the only Admin, password locked. The power is almost too much for one man to possess….
As far as I’m concerned, deliberately messing with another’s desktop should be a death offense.
It’s a matter of knowing myself & my personal limitations. If I put it on my desktop, I can find it & do something about it since it’s sitting there silently nagging me. If it goes off the desktop, all bets are off that it will ever be found again, much less get anything done about it. Additionally, I could get lost in a teacup, much less in even a small hard drive. Hence the Draconian view of folks who decide to “help” others be organized.
ironically that’s the exact opposite of what my Mom used to do with my physical desktop and cupboard when i was a kid… what goes around, comes around..
A non-‘Neat ‘N Clean’ Desktop is not for me, as I found out. Turns out, you can just type two letters in the desktop in Windows and the icon automatically appears! (selected) Then hit ENTER.
Awesome stuff. Beats searching for it in the Start menu, for damn sohr’e. :)
Tovias
February 27, 2010 at 12:03 pmWhen I was still in the Navy I had to work on the Admiral’s PC one day. His desktop was a cluttered mess. While I was fixing his problem I “helped” him by organizing his shortcuts. I didn’t delete anything from the desk top, I just put them in rows so the desktop looked less cluttered and things were easier to see.
I spent the next morning being lectured by my chain of command, one at a time, about how that was not to ever happen again.
Z
February 27, 2010 at 12:19 pmI once tried to “convert” my parents to Ubuntu.
In hindsight, I should have known that it was not going to end well.
qka
February 27, 2010 at 1:25 pmGrandpa – that’s why they invented passwords.
James
February 27, 2010 at 5:24 pmIt looks like Grandpa’s computer is a Windows box. He needs to know the command Windows Key + L to lock it as he leaves. That would have stop Milton, unless he has a post it note with his password on it. I have seen that before at work, not wise.
krishna
February 28, 2010 at 6:57 amJames, you’re describing Grampa to a tee (with the whole notion of stickie notes next to his monitor.) :)
Tulle
February 28, 2010 at 11:35 amNever done this with someone desktop, but with my moms word documents. Amazingly enough, she quickly adjusted to it.
Chris
February 28, 2010 at 11:56 pmOh I really hate it when somebody screws with my computer. I’m an easy going guy, but messing with my computer boils my blood.
Majere
March 1, 2010 at 7:51 amOur house has several machines, one of which is the ‘family’ box on which everyone bar me browses the ‘net, uses Messenger, and so on. I refer to it as the Lightning Rod because it tends to catch any nasty drek flying about, leaving the important machines alone.
After the last time they killed it, I rebuilt the machine on 7 and made myself the only Admin, password locked. The power is almost too much for one man to possess….
wdwillis
March 1, 2010 at 11:41 pmmessing with another mans desktop is right up there with touching another mans fries…
never tough another mans fries
the bird
March 1, 2010 at 11:57 pmAs far as I’m concerned, deliberately messing with another’s desktop should be a death offense.
It’s a matter of knowing myself & my personal limitations. If I put it on my desktop, I can find it & do something about it since it’s sitting there silently nagging me. If it goes off the desktop, all bets are off that it will ever be found again, much less get anything done about it. Additionally, I could get lost in a teacup, much less in even a small hard drive. Hence the Draconian view of folks who decide to “help” others be organized.
Dave Bergschneider
March 2, 2010 at 5:26 amNever did that but had a blast of doing docking station manipulation pranks and of course the ‘ol usb thumbdrive prank: http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/electronic/ae83/
Ashish Chatterjee
March 2, 2010 at 11:17 amironically that’s the exact opposite of what my Mom used to do with my physical desktop and cupboard when i was a kid… what goes around, comes around..
AA
March 2, 2010 at 2:44 pmGuilty as charged! My Dad completely flipped out over the new and “improved” neat and clean desktop. (A desktop shortcut for Solitaire? Really?)
Robert Dundon
March 2, 2010 at 8:49 pmA non-‘Neat ‘N Clean’ Desktop is not for me, as I found out. Turns out, you can just type two letters in the desktop in Windows and the icon automatically appears! (selected) Then hit ENTER.
Awesome stuff. Beats searching for it in the Start menu, for damn sohr’e. :)
Aaron
March 5, 2010 at 1:26 pmYeah i was going to take ubuntu for a test spin. when i told my dad(60) that the task bar was at the top instead of the bottom, he put a stop to it.