Do you let other people use your computer or devices?

[Harold Mansfield]

Another thread made me think about this and whether I'm different from anyone else.

Do you let other people use your computer?

I don't. For some reason letting someone else use any computer I've ever had has never crossed my mind. I've always considered any computer or device a personal device. Not something you share with people.

I also don't let people play with my phone. I've broken up with women for answering my phone, or going through my call history. It even makes me uneasy when people I don't know well ask to use my phone.

Is it just me?

[billbenson]

No its not just you. A text came on my phone. Personal, but nothing important. It led to an hour argument with my wife for an hour. Just a text from a guy I work out with that she doesn't like. She grabbed my phone and the text was there. Her intentions were completely innocent. Still it led to an hour lecture during the middle of my work day.

I was at a college friends custom built house a few years ago in silicon valley. He made a server and had monitors all over the house. He also said anybody can use them but nobody uses my work laptop. Makes sense to me.

Nobody but you should be touching your personal electronics.

[Brian Altenhofel]

No one uses any of my devices. They're also fully-encrypted.

[Freelancier]

Personal, but nothing important. It led to an hour argument with my wife for an hour.Danger, Will Robinson, Danger!!

No one uses my computer, because it's for my business. I set up a computer in the playroom for anyone to use and that solves the issue. I have a tablet that supports the concept of "users" and lets me prevent anyone but me from loading software on it, so I don't mind someone else using that as much.

[Harold Mansfield]

I have a laptop connected to my entertainment center that I don't use for anything except web surfing from the couch. That's what I let any guests use if the need comes up. I also have a guest wifi set up.
As far as my office goes, I don't even want people sitting at my desk, let alone touching my work station. To me that's just out of line.

[shrinkme]

I use my HP for consulting. Mine only.

We have our iMac that's used for our distribution business and for my family to use. My wife mainly, but my oldest son will use it from time to time. Each user has their own sign on.

Our distribution business runs on QuickBooks Online and we use Stamps.com, so mainly we're using the internet for the business. We also have printed materials on the iMac, Word documents. We will print them on the color laser when we need them. But otherwise I guess we are in the cloud. So if our iMac blew up, our business wouldn't shut down.

[Blessed]

NO! Not my computer, not my phone! My iPad... I'd prefer that they not use, but I do let other people use that sometimes... I gladly give guests our wifi password and if someone needs to use a computer I let them use my daughter's laptop that she uses for school. She's only 7 and only gets to use the laptop for school or supervised activities so that's no biggie. I never answer my husbands phones (personal and work) unless he asks me to, I also never check his messages or call logs or emails and he gives me the same respect. To me it's like mail - the only things addressed to my husband that I open are bills I'm going to pay, anything else he opens and I wait for him to show it to me if he chooses to.

I also don't let anyone use my desk.

When my husband sits at my desk it irritates me... irrational since it's the only place to sit in our front room aside from the piano bench which is where I usually am when he sits at my desk. But it's still enough to set my teeth on edge. It is better since we bought the armoire that is my desk now - I can close the doors on it, then I don't feel as violated if someone does sit in my desk chair. One of these days I'll get a couple more chairs in here!

[will.i.earn]

Same boat here. My computer and phone are connected. Hence, no one is allowed to mess with them exxcept me. I'm always terrified that my bookmarks will get lost, notes might be deleted and things might not boot! And as I've said, if someone tinkered with my phone, changes are applied instantly to my work computer too. It's one of the cons of having our devices all connected to the cloud I guess.

[KristineS]

I have not and do not, and it's never occurred to me that someone would want to use my computer or phone or tablets. I guess everyone I know has their own and when we're in situations where one is needed, whoever needs the device uses the ones they own. It just would feel weird to me to have someone else on my computer or tablets or phone. Not that there's anything on there I feel needs to be hidden, but they're my devices, set up they way I want them set up.

[Joey90]

Me and my partner share a laptop but if he leaves his email logged in I just log him out straight away without looking, I'd never even think about having a look, the same with his phone and his tablet, and I expect the same from him. I sometimes let my daughter play on my phone but only when I'm around. they are personal things, like my diary, they have appointments etc on them.