# Is Your Computer More of a Personal Item or a Communal Appliance To You? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 8, 2005, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-computer-more-of-a-personal-item-or-a-communal-appliance-to-you/325276 "2005-10-08T02:56:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2005, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-computer-more-of-a-personal-item-or-a-communal-appliance-to-you/325276/21 "2005-10-08T22:44:55Z")
Our computer is communal in that hubby and I use it, but it’s more “Personal” in that anyone else’d better have a damned good reason to touch it, or I break their fingers. Plus I’ve configed most of this PC, so it’s set up how I like it (my screen resolution, refresh rate, desktop picture, windows layout [classic], and personalised colour scheme). Unfortunately at work, we hotdesk, which means “My” PCs are also accessible to any other smacktard in the centre. And there’s some real doozies. But the great thing is that due to an administrative cockup, I have full admin rights on my login, where others only have pissant “guest” logins where they can’t even change the layout from “XP-FisherPrice” to “Classic”. That makes me happy. ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2005, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-computer-more-of-a-personal-item-or-a-communal-appliance-to-you/325276/22 "2005-10-08T22:57:07Z")
We have a desktop and a laptop. The desktop is connected to an inkjet printer and I have a laser printer in my home office to connect the laptop to. The desktop is generally always on. So if desktop vs. laptop, printing or connectivity create a need/preference, my husband and I are free to jump on each other’s computers. We’ve never had any problems w/ that arrangement. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2005, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-computer-more-of-a-personal-item-or-a-communal-appliance-to-you/325276/23 "2005-10-09T04:14:52Z")
> [@Bottle of Smoke](#): > > Communal. > > Ours sits in our living room. That way we can make sure everyone shares (and the kids aren’t doing anything they shouldn’t be). We each have our own profiles and we all use it differently. I use it to surf the web, log in to the office from home, do the family finances, etc. My wife surfs message boards and uses it as her music/entertainment center. My kids play games and do some of their homework on it. > > We’re getting to the point one of these days where we will need to get a second one so I won’t have to wait until everyone is done using it before I can get on. > > I’m thinking that one will be a wireless laptop for Dad.🙂 This is our household. Except that Dad already has his wireless laptop (his work computer), and that’s exclusively his except for emergencies. Mr. Legend and I both have admin privileges on the main computer, but the kids don’t. Honestly, though, it’s essentially mine, since everyone asks me for permission before using it if I’m home. We used to have a kids’ computer until it failed spectacularly a few months back, and once we replace it (probably in the next few months), the main computer will be off-limits to the kids except for very unusual homework-related situations. We do have an “extra” laptop that will be available for the kids one of these days, when we get around to fixing a couple of problems with it, and that will probably turn into the older Myth’s personal computer. No matter how many computers and wireless connections we have, though, no one under the age of 18 gets internet access from a private room in this house. Ever. ---
**Author:** ![Oregon\_sunshine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/50afbb/32.png) [@Oregon\_sunshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oregon_sunshine)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2005, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-computer-more-of-a-personal-item-or-a-communal-appliance-to-you/325276/24 "2005-10-09T04:50:25Z")
Communal. We’re thinking about having a sign-in sheet. ---
**Author:** ![Whifton\_Polekitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/97f17d/32.png) [@Whifton\_Polekitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whifton_Polekitty)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2005, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-computer-more-of-a-personal-item-or-a-communal-appliance-to-you/325276/25 "2005-10-09T05:25:14Z")
The ProtoSpouse and I both mave our own computers, and unless something bizarrely technical happens to hers, We Do Not Touch The Other’s System. In all honesty, I’d probably let someone I REEEEAAAALLLLYYYY trusted use mine, but they’d also have to brave the… Less than, um, hygenic conditions I like to keep my desk in. Seriously, people with mold allergies should not even enter the room I keep my stuff in. Last time we moved I found a two-year-old half-eaten Subway sandwich next to the mousepad. :eek: Oddly my computers all work perfectly, with the exception of the stupid PC and the ancient IIci. Oh, and MacTech? Love your collection! -PLD ---
**Author:** ![ReBusEniGma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@ReBusEniGma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReBusEniGma)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2005, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-computer-more-of-a-personal-item-or-a-communal-appliance-to-you/325276/26 "2005-10-09T06:02:06Z")
If I had to choose, I’d have to say it’s mostly personal. It is called ‘dad’s computer’, and I am the only administrator of it. The kids never use it, because they have their own, strictly monitored and locked down machine. They can’t install a thing on it. But Mrs EniGma definitely uses my machine. She has her own profile, settings et al, and is set up as a power user, but not an admin. I have locked down security pretty tightly, so not much ever goes wrong with it. We have a wireless-G network, and I also have my wireless laptop for work, which I use if our computer times overlap. A well managed environment gives no grief. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2005, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-computer-more-of-a-personal-item-or-a-communal-appliance-to-you/325276/27 "2005-10-09T12:37:48Z")
Personal. On occasion I’ll have out of town guests or something who wants to check email, and I let them, but it always skeves me out a little bit. It’s sort of like asking to borrow a pair of underwear - sure, if they’re clean and all there’s no logical harm in it, but it’s an icky thing to want to do. I understand that non-technical people see the computer as something like a TV, and therefore I try to quell the ickyness, but it’s still there. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-computer-more-of-a-personal-item-or-a-communal-appliance-to-you/325276/28 "2005-10-10T19:29:09Z")
I’d _like_ it to be for my exclusive use, but circumstances force me to set it up as a shared family terminal. On the other hand, all my stuff is private and untouchable by others anyway, so it’s just a matter of distracting away whoever’s behind the keyboard at the moment. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![lizardling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f4b2a3/32.png) [@lizardling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lizardling)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-computer-more-of-a-personal-item-or-a-communal-appliance-to-you/325276/29 "2005-10-10T20:22:31Z")
Personal. I have a computer and an old laptop, and both are mine. The former is set up with a guest account if relatives want to use it to check mail, since the laptop isn’t hooked up. Fortunately, my immediate family is pretty clueful about not doing stupid things to my machine, or fingers would be broken. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-computer-more-of-a-personal-item-or-a-communal-appliance-to-you/325276/30 "2005-10-11T01:26:23Z")
Laptop is personal, only time anyone else uses it is if I’m on a WiFi hotspot with a friend who wants to experience the novelty of checking email without any wires… :rolleyes: His desktop–is his, I don’t even have the password to it. My desktop is pretty communal, it has the big hard drive and the DVD burner on it so it gets used a lot for media stuff, but I have my own profile on it that only SO and I use, and a second profile for everyone else. Sometimes there are other computers around, being fixed or built, and those are pretty communal as long as they’re in working shape. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-computer-more-of-a-personal-item-or-a-communal-appliance-to-you/325276/31 "2005-10-11T01:41:43Z")
2 fold answer. I have set up a home network with 4 PC’s, wireless Access and Cable-Internet connection to all. A Konica Minolta Magicolor 2300 DL network color laser for all to share. In addition I bought my wife a Dell Laptop with wireless and she also has a work Laptop with wireless. All that said, I am sitting at a PC I hand built and it is Mine Mine mine. 😃 The rest of the PC are family property and the Laptop is my wifes and I generally ask her if I can use it when I occasionally need to. Yes, I am a computer Geek. I built all 4 PC’s and the network. ---
**Author:** ![Cleophus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@Cleophus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cleophus)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-computer-more-of-a-personal-item-or-a-communal-appliance-to-you/325276/32 "2005-10-11T01:45:58Z")
My computers are definitely a personal item (moreso my laptop, which I carry nearly everywhere), though I allow people I trust to use them freely. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-computer-more-of-a-personal-item-or-a-communal-appliance-to-you/325276/33 "2005-10-11T01:54:10Z")
My computer has more personality in it’s mousecord then most people have in their entire body. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-computer-more-of-a-personal-item-or-a-communal-appliance-to-you/325276/34 "2005-10-11T02:19:18Z")
Personal item. Mr. S doesn’t even use the desktop I’m currently typing on without getting my permission. There’s a laptop for his use, but that’s also mine. He has a couple of rarely used Macs upstairs. The separation is most likely because this is also my work computer – I’m self-employed, so no computer, no worky, no money. The computer is at the top of the list (of inanimate objects) for any emergency plan we may care to formulate. I understand the financial necessity or other reasons why many households have a single “family” computer, but whenever I see such an arrangement (especially when the kids also use it) it just squicks me the hell out. I shudder to think what kind of shape that machine must be in. ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-computer-more-of-a-personal-item-or-a-communal-appliance-to-you/325276/35 "2005-10-11T05:04:58Z")
Both personal AND communal. I have four computers in a rack next to the desk. Yes, rack mounted computers and a KVM switch at home. Two of the computers (B and C) are for my use, the other (computer A) is a general workstation. The wife and offspring use computer A the most. Computer D is our older workstation. I never bothered to transfer the older files and software over to the newer A computer, so D is mostly just storage. I’ve ripped a bunch of CD’s to D and every now and then the offspring uses it to burn a CD. No one but I am allowed to use computer B or C because they’re my music computers (for writing music not listening to it). They don’t have internet access or any software anyone but me would find interesting anyway. The laptop is mine but the wife uses it from time to time to surf the web on the couch. We don’t bother with different profiles, we just share the same setups. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-computer-more-of-a-personal-item-or-a-communal-appliance-to-you/325276.md?page=1)