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Keeping a PC Personal At School?
Berto Kraus writes "As one of the most tech-oriented students in my art-oriented institution, I'm usually the one with the laptop. This causes frequent requests from other students to read mail, check some site, or connect it to the projector to display a file from their Flash drive. For the sake of my privacy, the health of my laptop, and my own peace of mind, I'm reluctant. But telling my compatriots to go to our building supervisor and ask him for a desktop-on-a-cart, as they should do, is considered rude and unfriendly. Now, I could dual-boot Ubuntu, or carry around a Linux-on-a-stick. Or I could embed the computer in my skull. For many reasons, none of these solutions is ideal. So I'm asking you, insightful and funny Slashdotters, what would you do to keep your PC personal at school?"
create a guest account.
I agree. Note that if you're running a recent version of Fedora, there's a built-in 'xguest' SELinux profile which is completely locked down -- that might interest you, along with the fast user switching.
Pirate Party UK
I've solved this problem by having a Win XP virtual machine: I put this machine on a second monitor (or external projector) and then I don't have to worry at all about the host OS being messed up.
Alternatively I can make it fullscreen on the primary/only screen.
Terje
"almost all programming can be viewed as an exercise in caching"
Art Schools are the worst for whiny incompetent self absorbed losers with entitlement issues. I should know - I've attended three and have an advanced degree in fine arts. The few people that were "real" are to this day some of my closest friends and colleagues. The rest were fucking morons I couldn't stand then and have no time for now.
If they want something done, they need to take the responsibility to make sure it happens and then GET OFF THEIR LAZY BUTTS and MAKE IT FUCKING HAPPEN.
You don't have to be nice. You don't have to share. And these people need to learn that they need to depend on themselves and be competent on such self-reliance. When they do that, they become better people.
That said, if someone's presentation is fucked because their laptop puked blood and died, then: Yes, you would win big karma points letting them use your machine. But if they're bugging you for your machine to check facebook, they're leeches who should just choke on their own tongues.
RS
Shoes for Industry. Shoes for the Dead.
When I was an apprentice in the Merchant Marines, I was one of the few who had a laptop in my dorm packed with games and music and what not. I set up a guest account with a massively long password so that those that wanted to could play the games I had on it while I was out and about on the campus doing whatever. The catch is, is that to use it I charged by the hour and I only let certain people use it so that it didn't get fucked up. Food, soda, and cigarettes were all accepted currency on top of straight cash. I had no issues saying no, and if I was busy saving the day in whatever game I was playing at the time, then too fucking bad. I don't care if you want on, it's my rig.
Start charging for access to use your laptop and don't be afraid to say no. I'm guessing most of those students aren't the smartest people in the world and you don't want one of those airheads busting your laptop after all so be judicious in who you'll let buy time. Remember, the customer is always wrong.
being in the same boat and having the same degree, i can say with all honesty that beyond the first year, art school exists solely to teach you how to bullshit. it's not a matter of what you create, it's how you sell it to the others. hell, look at the dada movement as proof.
A laptop costs almost nothing compared to most art supplies, if they complain they don't have the cash... ask them how much they paid for their last photo enlargements?
Or even better, ask them how much they spent on booze last term.
In fact, the best solution to this is not to tell them they cannot use your PC, the best solution is to start charging a fair hourly rate for laptop rent. This will probably cover the cost of a new laptop just to rent out in next to no time.
This is perfectly fair as your time in providing a working laptop is probably far more valuable than the laptop itself and they are putting ware and tear on your laptop anyway. If you are going to put in a load of additional time in order to secure it so it can be a shared resource, then you certainly deserve monetary compensation for your time.
That is how the capitalist world we live in works. It makes sense for your fellow students to learn this as soon as possible since they will all have to join the real world sooner or later unless they plan on trying to find a country that still works on a gift economy.
I dont read