Monday, August 10, 2009

The Rules of Being A Good Guest

I am sure Dear Abby or someone similar has printed the top ten rules for being a good house guest. Today, I will focus on one.

Do not fuck up the computer of your host.

In other words, do not get online to "check your email" and go poking around in dodgy corners of the Internet. Because when you end up downloading all kinds of viruses, malware and spyware onto your host's computer, that is very bad form.

Folks, I just spent the weekend in ATL visiting my parents. I flew down for the sole purpose of spending time with my college-age cousin whom I have not seen in four years. While we had the opportunity to chat and catch up, I spent the majority of three days trying to undo the damage he inflicted onto my parents main computer. Nasty, malware. Redirect viruses that rendered the Internet useless. I ran every scan I could think of and in the 23rd hour, moments before I had to leave for the airport--POOF. It was gone. I'd managed it. My mom almost popped my head off, she hugged me so hard.

It all feels all rather anti-climactic because I am not completely sure how I got rid of it. Either way, my parents now have a clean desktop with a new-antivirus, a new firewall, new spybot and malware protection, and I am once again the favored child.

I totally plan to cash in on this at some point. I'm thinking new laptop.

9 comments:

So Not Wishy Washy said...

People who jump on my computer and leave it useless would be rendered USELESS after I found out about the bad act. That is some trifling shit.

You are the favored child. Always. A new laptop smells delectable.

Cristin said...

Did the cousin feel like a complete tool for almost trashing the computer? He should.

Glad you got it fixed and have my fingers crossed for that new laptop for you.

Patois42 said...

Let's hear it for the heroine! Hip hip hooray!

Coal Miner's Granddaughter said...

Family can, at times, be such a pain in the ass. Glad you fixed it, hon! You go! I would totally score a laptop out of the deal. :)

Irrational Dad said...

This sounds strangely familiar. It's almost as if I accidentally wrote a post on your blog...

Glad you got it fixed. I love the "I haven't seen you in forever, now sit in this chair and fix my 'puter thingy," when you visit friends/family.

Not Afraid to Use It said...

@WishyWashy: My mom is way too passive agressive to have killed my cousing outright. She might have guilted him to death, though.

@Creepy: He did not express one shred of remorse.

@Patois: I told my mom that for the next week, every time we talked on the phone she had to tell me what a rock star I was.

@CMGD: Yeah, I gotta figure out how to work the laptop angle.

@Joe: So, we definitely must be related. :)

A Free Man said...

Miss Manners. I love Miss Manners. I wonder if she has a 21st century update.

Anonymous said...

Magic. I'm firmly convinced that all computer stuff is magic. Blessings on the favorite child, can I send you my laptop?
j/k
(shakes head and mouths "I'm not")

Not Afraid to Use It said...

@AFreeMan: I am sure she would have a lot to say about cell phone etiquette.

@faemom: I can totally give you pointers as to which free programs to use to keep your computer running clean. Just bear in mind the ultimate responsibility lies on your shoulders. :)