>ITT: Parent-proofing a device Hey Jow Forums, let's talk about what kind of programs/ apps you use to make a computer or phone foolproof for your parents? You know you are their tech-support, so what measures do you take so they don't fuck everything up?
Every time I visit my parents my mom's pc got some other new spamshit on it, and every time when I ask what she was doing she has no clue... She does not grasp minimal concepts of computers, I tried for 10 minutes to explain to her what a shortcut is and if you delete it the thing 'shortcutting' to doesn't go away.
Same goes with my dad, he just doesn't understand how cloud-storage works, but is a bit more tech-savvy overall, but he is getting worse from year to year. When changing anything in their normal computing-cycle they freak, so >bonuspoints if there is stuff they don't even notice Share your knowledge Jow Forums, let me in on parent-deception.
>parents only seem to use facebook and other social networks >install ubuntu for them >set up chrome with ublock already installed >no more viruses
They have this thing where they keep forgetting their passwords because they think their email account, facebook, and google are all the same entity, and they get confused whenever I try to explain to them, none of these 3 websites have any way of knowing who YOU are until you give them your login information, so it makes it extremely difficult to know what they're talking about whenever they have issues with logging in. Then it turns out they somehow enabled 2 factor authentication and the cell number goes to each other's phones rather than their own because mom has like 10 facebook accounts for wannabe catfishing my dad (for some reason???) I actually regret introducing my parents to computers, in all honesty.
Carson Smith
it's weird how my grandpas and father had no problem with technology but my grandmas and mother can't seem to figure it out. wonder why that is. maybe women just like to play helpless
Carter Campbell
I hate that my dad is so in love with Apple products, but doesn't know shit about it. Getting stuff off the phone is tedious as fuck if you normally use android based stuff, and he never wants to use itunes, so I'm stuck doing that shit for him... doesn't help that he has to do pictures and videos on a daily basis, and the few gigs on the cloud storage doesn't help at all. I'd rather have his phone connected to google storage for the 'infinite' size, but he would have a heart attack cause he could not figure that out.
Same goes for my mom and her pictures, for some reason she is still using picasa to this day and can't get away from it, I tried showing her the 'newer' google photos, but it just was too much for...in spite of having a more tidy interface. At the same time she doesn't understand how picasa thumbnails and the real folder on the computer aren't the same thing.
It’s not even a gender thing People who just have the patience to sit down and learn something whether it be by a manual or just getting a feel for things will have no issue with technology
Robert Powell
this is absolutely correct. taught some old boomer woman how to use a web browser in like 10 minutes because she actually tried to do shit herself and not get spoonfed.
Hunter Lee
Troubleshooting at my gf's house last night, they couldn't get the wifi extender working. It was supposed to connect using the WPS button. I got it working by using the reset button on the extender and then using the extender's web based admin console. Their last extender bit the dust when there was a power outage. I could tell when I was talking to her mom she didn't quite understand the difference between wifi and mobile data on her phone and thought that changing the wifi settings on her phone somehow effected the whole house wifi or something. She kept testing the wifi signal using her iphone, before connecting to the new extender, I told her it's a different network to connect to now, and she said we have ATT wireless. They also had a smart tv, I think without WiFi, so they connect to netflix through a blu-ray player that has wifi. I think the reason for them needing an extender in the first place is that they are using some archaic apple wireless router, instead of connecting directly to the ISP provided wireless router. The signal strength was the same from the extender and the ISP router to the blu-ray player, but not from the apple wifi router.
Austin Nelson
install CloudReady on their shit
Eli Davis
There should be a product-line like EZ-os for old people, just a screen with facebook, browser and and maybe facechat. That is all they need... maybe a keyboard with big buttons
My dad, in all seriousness, deleted system32 and couldn't figure out why his computer wouldn't work. I swear to Christ I'm not making this up.
Colton Green
the other day my moms laptop got a new icon on the desktop saying 'windows update' (i had all that shit disabled so we could use internet)... the thing is i legit didnt know whether that shit was legit or fake virus stuff. eventually my father updated it using that icon. bottom line is: i cant tell the diference between viruses and standard windows behaviour anymore and they wont allow me to install loonix
Carter Powell
My mom is quite competent. If not, TeamViewer is your friend for Win-Win or Lnx-Win communication.
I run a PiHole at their home.
I installed BIG launcher for my uncle, he's happy as well.
Ryan Sanchez
Not sure what i'd do without Teamviewer, the amount of times my parents/siblings/family have told me they've fucked with their pc or "it has a virus" is insane. Having remote access means i can just login whenever i have a spare minute and click two buttons to turn wifi off and on or whatever their complaining about instead of physically going to the computer.
Asher Lopez
I have pihole set up on there network b/c they somehow managed to install ransomware through unlock origin. Now they're complaining they can't do their shopping. Yes, they click on the first google result, which is sometimes a paid ad. mfw
I install a custom host file blocking all the bad shit and don't tell them.
Daniel Adams
Chrome OS?
Carter Howard
Installing Gentoo, unironically, with some browser.
Luke Green
Tell him to stop browsing /b/
Matthew Cruz
my dad has like 4 browsers in his computer because they all have different passwords saved to them, he believes each browser somehow contains each different email/separate set of accounts, he has no clue what any of the passwords are, so whenever his 2012 secondhand crappy macbook finally stops workink I dont know what he'll do. I wish he would stop looking at porn keeping it in minimized windows thinking thats how you save a page for later instead of bookmarking it.
Blake Sanders
It was tiring. I've installed GNU/Linux which will automatically start Windows XP virtual machine. Why XP? Because they're used to it, and it is last Windows probably, which had thick user manual. When they ask me "son, how shit is done", I say "read the fucking manual". Because it is nerve wrecking. Also, I don't want to live until 80 years because of this shit, since I don't want to become this retarded.
Christopher Kelly
I installed linux mint, browsing and printing is all they need. Deleted or hid any shortcut not needed. I installed apex launcher classic on their phones, I can hide shortcuts they dont use or need and I can lock the desktop so they cant delete or move things. I taught them to use lastpass for all passwords.
Charles Cook
A huge problem is that they dont understand what words mean, wifi, internet, mobile data is all the same to them, so its perfectly natural to them that your phones wifi settings could cause the house's wifi to act up or some other dumb shit. Sadly even young people can be like that, friend of mine got super defensive when I called his bluetooth headphones by their name because they couldnt be bluetooth since they didnt connect to his phone but rather through a usb dongle, in his mind they were 'internet headphones' and were the reason his game was laggy.
Aaron Taylor
this is the perfect middle ground, as long as they know how to launch a browser they'll adjust to the os, it won't get in their way and it stops most of the malware shit. That, and turning shit off and on solves 9 out of 10 issues.
Parker Morris
if they are really touchy about not changing shit in their system
It was a major whitepill when I was able to train this 50 year old woman who only knew how to check email and use facebook, how to do the most complex technical secretarial work our entire company does.
When I had to train her two months ago, and she called every web browser "the internet explorer", thought urls were handled by the post office, didn't know about alt tabbing because she didn't know what an alt was, and was SURE that her grandson got a virus by playing that infernal minecraft.
Now she's very good at excel. Not only can she use macros, she can now write them. Now she's learning python on her own, and going to a code camp.
Pretty amazing desu
Asher Carter
95% of people over the age of 50 can't actually see state changes in digital user interfaces making them useless with regards to learning how to operate computers in any meaningful way. I don't really know how to educate a mom into clicking an OK button to go to the next screen when actually getting them to see the button in the first place is impossible. Really might as well just do as some people have already suggested and make a super gimped OS/toddler tablet that can only read AOL email and articles.
Mason Taylor
Sorry, just had to share this story >on phone with my nan, who's fairly good with technology, as she is still a court reporter and can reach 108 wpm with a normal keyboard >however, she has bipolar and refuses to take her meds for it >trying to help her plug in new stenographer's keyboard to send a report to her boss >she has a bipolar flip and starts to become a bit less plesant >freaks out and jams in usb port >I can hear an audible crunch over the phone >she starts to calm down >"uh, user I think the usb port broke" >she broke the hdmi port on her mac >apple """genius""" talked her into buying the new macbook while going in for repairs >starts chewing me out on the phone because she can't find the "square plug" on her new laptop >spend 12 minutes explaining to her how a dongle works >freaks out and speeds to bestbuy to grab a 12 dollar dongle so she dosen't lose her job >Thanks alot steve jobs.
Kayden Morales
Don't understand how idiots continue to plug the triangle block into the square hole. My mom has done this too, wtf is wrong with old people
David Lee
It's easy. Set up two Windows accounts, one administrator with password and a standard user. Give your parents access to only the standard user account. Install Chrome with uBlock Origin on that account along with whatever other software they normally use. Never give them the password to the administrator account. That way, they'll never be able to install things they aren't supposed to.
No more malware installs, no more adverts that'll have them install malware. Ez. Boomer parents should never have any sort of administrator access on a PC.
Liam Thompson
My dad is pretty smart and learns stuff well, my mom just shits herself whenever she turns on the computer because she is afraid of fucking something up somehow
But I have a blast teaching them how to do stuff, I get to joke about it sometimes lol
Maybe you guys should try memeing the thing while doing it
Evan Campbell
I think I hit the lottery with my parents. >dad is 57 year old EE >very familiar with old technologies like vi, Unix/linux (still uses for work), etc. >not very good at basic computer settings though (hard time differentiating between YouTube volume, browser volume, and speaker volume and dumb shit like that) >mom is completely incompetent but only uses the computer for MS money to enter her receipts I have them setup with chrome + ublock origin and they've never once had an issue with any kind of virus or malware. They also don't particularly care about having high end technology when they know they won't be using it for much, so I have them both on moto Jow Forums 5 + phones and they're happy. My mom sometimes needs help transferring files to the computer from her phone, but I'm more than willing to help her since she really appreciates everything I help her with.
Leo Morris
>Maybe you guys should try memeing the thing while doing it Unironically good advice. My parents and I banter ALL the time but we help each other out with whatever we can. I guess it depends on the relationship you have with your parents and their personalities, but I think it's a healthy dynamic to have.
