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Protecting Our Parents' PCs?
Frustrated Son asks: "I assume that many Slashdot readers must serve as the IT staff for their parents. My folks get my old machines and just enough software to be productive. I try to protect my parents from the forces of evil by installing automatic OS updates, virus checkers, spyware blockers, pop-up blockers... But still I find that my parents end up with unwanted applications and dangerous software. What software or strategies do you use to protect your parents' PCs? Is it possible for inexperienced users to surf the net in safety?"
I run into the same problem at my college which distributes laptops to all students. I have come up with a motto that has made life easier for a great many people...
"JUST SAY NO!"
No matter what it's asking, just click no. I've never run into a time where this can cause a problem. If it comes back a few times, (do you want to go to this encrypted page), read it. Then if you're really sure, click yes.
either a mac or install mozilla and open office and other alternatives to the standard ms garbage. if you 'train' them to not use microsoft applications, the chances of them becoming victims is significantly reduced...
Gekido's Lair
Remove that blue "e" from the Programs menu, and teach them to click on the little red fox circling the globe. That'll prevent a lot of this from happening...
"Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies."
Another trick that I find useful in XP is to set them up as a limited user, and encourage them to use it for day-to-day stuff (like in *nix), give them the password for the administrator account, but make sure you stress that it should only be used to install software.
..educate them, just a little bit.
just little things, like DON'T use ie on pron sites. don't install little helper applications they didn't spesifically went on to look for(bonzi buddies&etc - just not using ie puts this down pretty well though).
then lock down the computer from any outside access(firewall) but please, don't make it so that the firewall gets in the way since they will figure out how to disable it if it is very annoying(the whole point of why it was there was to remove annoyances, so if it is set to so aggressive that it really becomes an annoyance with a person who doesn't even understand the "allow connection blabla" dialogs it isn't fulfilling it's purpose).
though, these tips are quite obvious. just get it around into their heads that it is good for _them_ to use something else than ie for almost anything if they don't wish to get popups in the middle of doing some spreadsheets.
world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
I actually swapped tech support with a buddy of mine. Its so frustrating trying to tech support your own parental unit machines. So, I tech support his parents, and he tech supports my parents. This has helped a lot in terms of stress and getting annoyed at the "stoopid" questions.
It's not often that users like that legitimately need to install software. Change their account type from "Administrator" or "Power User" to just "User", and they'll be much safer. For when they DO need to legitimately install something, you could let them have the administrator password.
My server
Yeah.. after hand cleaning beagle.j off my dad's laptop this weekend, I'm about ready to tell my family "I don't do windows anymore." Would really like to move them all to macs. Since I bought my 17"pb 9 months ago or so, I've just grown to love it. ...and yes, before anyone says anything, I already have them off of all windows mail readers (they use mozilla and my horde/IMP install to read mail, in fact) but my dad opened an attachment from a friend manually, even though my procmail system had defanged the filename so he had to rename it. What're ya gonna do?
- My favorite error message: xscreensaver, running on an old Sparc 5 w/ 8bit color: bsod: Couldn't allocate color Blue
She doesn't have to learn Linux, no one has to spend $$$ on a Mac, and she can still watch those stupid WMV video clips her friends send her links to.
Chances are your parents already have a Windows PC, just keep it and install the right free apps and you'll be all set.
"Is it possible for inexperienced users to surf the net in safety?" No! Giving computers to the technically illiterate is like giving firearms to children. Computers were supposed to be tools only for the techno-elite. The good thing about viruses, spyware, pop-ups and spam is that they will eventually cause millions to swear off computers, and again they will be tools for the techno-elite.
How ya like dat?
My parents are both in their late 50s. They do not to computers readily, nor do they learn quickly. But they do learn. I've shown my parents, carefully, the results that happen from each action. Install spyware or adware? The computer is slow. Open unknown attachments? Get a virus. Fail to update Windows/Norton/AdAware, get taken advantage of. By now, they can operate pretty close to self-sufficiency. About once or twice a month I'll get an e-mail or an IM if they want to double-check a course of action with me, but 90% of the time they choose correctly with my input in those cases anyway.
In short, stop underestimating people just because they didn't grow up around personal computers. A little bit of time and help can go a long way.
Cogito ergo sum in Slashdot.
Well, neither of my parents are stupid, so I explain to them what it is I am doing and why.
I implement many of the same things as listed in other posts: Non-admin accounts, Firefox, auto-updating virus checkers etc. The point is that all these are solutions selected based on my product knowledge, what I try to give my parents is a good understanding of the first principals involved.
This has equips them to deal with issues in a timely way, solve their own problems, be empowered over the computer as opposed to being intimidated by it and most importantly, not call me every time something happens, but instead call me to boast about how they solved X, Y or Z.
Dialectician. Archology.
I used to do what the OP did, give my parents old machines and clean them up for them. Up until November this worked OK, probably because they were on dial-up, but it was basically just an email/web access for them. In November, my parents decided to get DSL cause they had a deal where it was only $10 more than dial-up (and they no longer needed a second line, so its actually cheaper).
I kid you not, within 4 hours of getting online with DSL my mother had gotten a serious virus that Anti-virus was saying had infected kernel32.dll. OUCH. I didn't know exactly what had happened, but the computer was basically DOA until a certified geek could get working on it. I was NOT about to walk my parents through the process of formatting a drive and reinstalling the OS over the phone.
The earliest chance I had to look at this problem was when I came back for Christmas. So I told my parents this and suggested that they consider getting a new computer - and I recommended a Mac. My dad was totally against the idea, until he saw those new flat-panel iMacs. Then he actually thought they should get that OVER the eMac, which was much cheaper. =) That's what they came home with.
They took it home, set it up, and didn't once call me for help. They called with some internet setup problems, but it was actually the provider's server being flaky. My mom has been really happy with the new machine. She's talking with family via iChat, has figured out email and web just fine, and is even figuring out things I never really taught her. Just a couple weeks ago, she called asking me if she can burn more songs onto an iTunes CD she created. =) I had only introduced the programs like iTunes to her, but never really showed her how to use them, so this was rather surprising to me.
Anyways, they are much happier with the new machine, and honestly my mother in particular feels empowered by the fact that she can do this stuff. I would recommend that everyone at least consider the option. I know it's a bit more expensive, but chances are they'll get more out of the machine as well.
Rules of educating someone:
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I had to laugh when I read the original post:
"I assume that many Slashdot readers must serve as the IT staff for their parents."
Many of us are the IT staff for our kids! And I don't mean 4 year olds, I'm talking teenagers. Not all teenagers are as computer literate as we'd like to think -- my older step-kids, 11 and 15, have been exposed to tons of computer technology over the past 9 years, but still have much less knowledge than I did at age 10 (1980). I know 60 year old men who know more than young "geeks" that work for me in IT
I think a lot of it has to do with personal interest and motivation. For most average users, they just want to do what they need to do and don't care about Windows or Mac OS X. A computer that needs constant attention from an IT guy is a less useful computer
I'm not trying to push buying a Mac, but this is exactly why I switched to an iMac for home a year ago. It was comparable in price to an equivalent PC from several other manufacturers (HP, Sony, Dell, etc.), but I haven't had nearly the OS problems that I've had with the same kids using a PC. I just got sick of spending 8+ hours per month at home fixing the same I.T. problems we see at work.
My kids generally get my old machines, too. My Mom doesn't just because she's not that interested in it.
It's honestly easier to guide their use of the iMac because I'm home, so if I gave another family member (Mom, brothers, sisters, etc.) a computer, it probably wouldn't be a Mac. The biggest problem is when you look for software and the vast majority of the software is not compatible with the Mac at all. It's too easy for a newbie to buy a quickie piece of software at Walgreens and never realize it's not Mac compatible -- then they get mad at the fact that they have a Mac.
With my kids, I just steer them in the right direction when we're shopping for software. We've been able to do all of our home stuff on our Macs (iMac and PowerBook G4), and about 85% of my I.T. stuff on my Macs (some I.T. things are easier in UNIX/Linux than on Windows, which is nice).
Protection of the innocent is a non-issue on a Mac because I'm a dedicated parent. I don't need filter software, I just know what they're doing and control access times. The rest of the crap we deal with on Windows every day is non-existent in the Mac world.
Yeah, it's nice being a Mac-owning parent...
It's probably been said already, but the best thing I ever did for my parents' computers was to install Firefox and hide the IE icon.
Nice way to return the respect due to the person that helped give you life.
These trolls are annoying. If you ignore my opinion regarding what is going to serve you best and purchase something more difficult to use and maintain, don't call me asking me to help you use or maintain it.
It's that simple, don't bring in the ``helped give you life'' bullshit. I'm not obligated to help my mom do everything she ever asks, especially when she has specifically ignored my advice and continues to go down that path.
-- The world is watching America, and America is watching TV.
My father got his first computer last year at age 73. Fifteen years ago he used a couple of custom DOS programmes at work for a while, but that's all. Now he had to start from the very bottom basics, things like how to use the mouse and what the shift key does.
For a man who doesn't know what the shift key does, the learning curve is equal in all common operating systems. There was no legacy here, nor any acquired bad habits to take into account. So I installed Redhat on his machine.
The first major advantage, for the both of us, is that I can do everything on his machine remotely. We live some 3000+ km apart, so dropping by to do an update or fix a problem is not an option. However, as long as sshd runs and he can connect to the net, there is no problem that can't be fixed remotely.
The second major advantage is that we could skip most part of the security litany. No Outlook there. No MSIE. No spyware that comes in easy click-here-to-install rpms. Mozilla is secure enough for clueless use all by itself and, if he ever tries to run Netsky, all he'll get is a question he can't answer.
The third major advantage is that he is protected against himself. He can't ruin the system no matter what he does. Yes, he does have the root password, but he has no concept of what root is and no wish to find out. A little bash scrip backs up his home directory on CD every once in a while and that's all it takes to keep that system sane.
After eight months, the net result of this is only positive. All the probems he has had so far are of the kind he would have had on Windows too. Of all the problems mentioned in the main article, he has had none.
My short advise is: if your parents are new to computers, don't waste their learning efforts on Windows. Go straight for your favourite OS, as long as it has a good-looking and well-functioning GUI on top of it.
Perhaps you confuse "statistical correlation" with "ironclad guarantee." You give two data points, yourself and the friend you were helping. That's not enough to do anything with. All you've shown is that now all Asperger's people have technical parents, which we already knew, and that not all autistic people are good with computers, which we also knew. Or at least, I knew. The surprising thing is that many technical couples DO have children with Asperger's. Note the "many." This research doesn't address the other side AT ALL, which is how many Asperger's kids have technical parents. It may not be many at all, but it's still significant from the perspective of a possible parent. To put it another way, being stabbed by a mugger is not a leading cause of death among the population at large, but it may be a serious consideration when a shady character is eyeing you and reaching for his pocket.
Let's assume their system starts out hosed, so we either have to clean it up or reinstall, first.
Then we have to go through and manually disable all of these services.
Then we have to set up separate accounts and hope that they're not going to run anything that requires using the admin account. We either have to not give them the admin password, or give it to them and pray that they don't just use it for everything.
Then we have to download a third-party browser and somehow keep them from using IE.
And finally, we have to buy and install ghost and set up separate partitions and make sure ghost works with them.
How is this "simple", again? You can install Mac OS X, and have it be in a fully secure yet completely ready to use state in twenty minutes, most of which is just watching the pretty animated progress bar move from left to right.
Mod down posts with a "Free Mac Mini/iPod" sig, they're spam!