How much access do you have to your computer?

[Paul_UK]

The reason for this question and poll is to help decide what sort of software can or cannot be used for the new chat room software, so that as many members as possible can use it.

Do you have full access to your computer, so you could install software on it if necessary?

Or is it restricted by your parents so you can't install things, or so they log what you're doing?

Or is it a school or library computer which again you can't install stuff on?

Or are you just non-technical and don't want to be installing stuff anyway?

Please choose the relevant option or post here if none of them fit. Thanks.

[JSG]

I have enough computers at home to keep what I want private.
I have 4 in my room, 2 Macs, 1 Linux, 1 Pc laptop, I use each one differently, I prefer this eMac, mostly for media.

[joeyconnick]

I've replied... but none of those options asks whether Flash and/or Java are already installed... you could add some test URLs so that people could check if they already have access to those technologies because if they do, then logs of what gets installed are irrelevant because those things are already there.

Same with school/library computers--if they have Flash and Java, it doesn't matter that they're locked down.

[Paul_UK]

Fred has a thread where he's asking if people can see a Flash based document here (http://emptyclosets.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1923), so that will answer the Flash one. It'll be interesting to compare the results of that one with this poll, for exactly the reason you suggested. There are some chat room programs that use Flash so that may be a way to go if the results suggest that most people can use it.

If a Java based one looks to be suitable (I hope not as I hate the bloated Sun Java runtime) then we can do a similar test with that.

[Kimi]

We have computers for each person and have one laptop that we share.
Anything will be ok...as long as I know how to install it:p

[Jersey4Life]

I use our family computer. My mom and brother have this wierd fascination with what I am doing on the computer, so I'm constantly deleting the google search tab and the browsing history.

[xxAngelOnFirexx]

my mom has it soooo wired... i can go on whatever i want but it's all recorded so she see's a list of everyone i e-mail, IM, websites i go on... the only thing she can't see is what i e-mail or IM people. and she lets me have my privacy on sites like this, but i can't instal anything, have a myspace, or go into chat rooms, or chat with people in general... she only caught me with a bad myspace, looking at porn jokes (it was on a joke website for jezzas sakes!) and talking to strangers...

[Miaplacidus]

I am the administrator at home - no one has access to the computers if I don't want them to. Nobody uses my laptop, and the shared desktop computer (very old) is under my control as well... Concerning the home network, the Gateway (my laptop) is firewalled, and is therefore invisible from the Polaris (the desktop), but not vice-versa. I know all the passwords and resetting my dad's password is not precisely a problem.

So, I'm in control...

[Miaplacidus]

I've replied... but none of those options asks whether Flash and/or Java are already installed... you could add some test URLs so that people could check if they already have access to those technologies because if they do, then logs of what gets installed are irrelevant because those things are already there.

Same with school/library computers--if they have Flash and Java, it doesn't matter that they're locked down.

I have set up a Flash test, for the magazine project. I'll post the link here as well.

http://www.emptyclosets.net/magazine/flashtest/flashtest.html

If you can see the document (a physics report in Spanish) you have Flash Player 8 or up installed.

[EthanS]

I have enough computers at home to keep what I want private.
I have 4 in my room, 2 Macs, 1 Linux, 1 Pc laptop, I use each one differently, I prefer this eMac, mostly for media.

4 computers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :icon_sad: :icon_sad: :icon_sad: :icon_sad: :icon_sad: :icon_sad: :tears:

[davo-man]

I have full access to my computer and am the administrator.....I think the flash test that Fred and Paul posted is a little bit outdated cos it was initially working for me when it was originally posted, but is now just blank....i think someone also posted this in the thread it came from.

[jayden]

we only have 1 computer and my mum dad and 2 brothers use it so i have to keep clearing the history. i dont understand computers very much though and dont no how to do some hard things like the loading etc etc. my 13yo brother is good at it and my 10yo brother plays heaps of games also on it

[Paul_UK]

I have full access to my computer and am the administrator.....I think the flash test that Fred and Paul posted is a little bit outdated cos it was initially working for me when it was originally posted, but is now just blank....i think someone also posted this in the thread it came from.

Yes, it was removed is a while ago. This is quite an old thread now, and based on the results a while ago I implemented the Flash-based chatroom.