Goodbye

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2005-01-17 01:23am

They won't be getting any use out of it. They said it's going to remain unplugged so it won't "infect" my brother.

Apparently they think there's something about that computer that compels one to be online all the time or some such.

White Haven · Post by **White Haven** » 2005-01-17 01:28am

Lisences. Parents should need lisences to be allowed to raise their children, I swear... *mutters*

darthdavid · Post by **darthdavid** » 2005-01-17 01:34am

I just thought of something. Where abouts do you live? 'cause if all else fails I've got a friend with an old laptop that he's not he's not using that I could probably get sent to you. Right now it's got no operating system and it only has a 700 mb hard drive and it doesn't have a way to connect to a network and it has no floppy drive and can't boot off a cdrom but I imagine that if you got a serial port floppy drive (or a replacement for it's proprietary floppy drive), a pcmcia ethernet card and an old copy of windows 95 (about the best os you could run on it with it's 486 DX processor) you could connect to the net/ type up documents (not very many of 'em with that hard drive but...). Well you'll probably be able to find better, but If in a couple of weeks your still in need PM me and I'll look into it.
Edit: Plus as a laptop you can stick it under your bed when the 'rents come over to visit, thus preventing them from catching you and getting angry. Oh and it's a thinkpad so it's solid like a fecking rock.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2005-01-17 02:18am

Your parents live in another reality. Either that or (no offence) they're fucking idiots. Or both.

I agree with others that the best thing to do would be to have your academic advisor (or whatever equivalent your school has) to contact your parents and explain to them just how vital it is for a university student to have their own computer these days. What they're doing is more or less single-handedly risking the outcome of your education just to prove some convulted life lession based on their lack of knowledge. Shit, if you're a liberal arts major, you might as well just drop out right now...

Forcing you to rely solely on computer labs is tantemount to academic suicide, frankly. Shit, there have been times where I've had to rely on the labs at Iowa just to print documents, and even that was a logistical pain in the ass. I'm in a slightly similar situation, with my parents paying tuition and are concerned with the amount of time that I spend online, but they would never do anything so drastically idiotic as yours. But then again, they're also moderately computer literate and actually understand the importance of having a computer these days...

Not to pry into personal matters, but what were your grades like this previous term for them to base their insane decision on?

Sucks, man. I may have always given you a bad time in the chat, but I've always thought you were alright.

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2005-01-17 02:44am

My GPA for the semester was 2.82. Not good enough for them, not with my brother and sister breezing through high school with about 3.8 each. Combine this with my roommate mentioning once that I stay up late on the computer (late being a relative term; the guy goes to bed at 9:00), and they came to the conclusion that I was an Internet addict. Running the LAN party over schedule just pissed them off enough to do this.

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2005-01-17 02:45am

Knowing him his GPA probably dropped from a 3.8 to a semester average of 3.6 or something along those lines

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2005-01-17 02:51am

Jesus, my GPA is currently a 2.5 (both total and last term's, mostly due to having to deal with foreign language courses). The only thing my parents get on me concerning my grades is that I bring it up enough to ensure I get in the graduate programme for cinema.

I'm sorry, Rogue, that your parents are such unrealistic idiots.

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2005-01-17 02:53am

Spanky The Dolphin wrote:Jesus, my GPA is currently a 2.5 (both total and last term's, mostly due to having to deal with foreign language courses). The only thing my parents get on me concerning my grades is that I bring it up enough to ensure I get in the graduate programme for cinema.

I'm sorry, Rogue, that your parents are such unrealistic idiots.

Hell my GPA is lower than it should be due to foreign language courses... WIth my laod of sciences this semester it will jump back up to its proper level.

Kazuaki Shimazaki · Post by **Kazuaki Shimazaki** » 2005-01-17 07:00am

Rogue 9 wrote:My GPA for the semester was 2.82. Not good enough for them, not with my brother and sister breezing through high school with about 3.8 each.

Lucky you. My GPA is really struggling.

Explain to them that university is different. Totally different (it certainly was for me). If they've been to university, tell them that things are like that in your particular area of study. It will be just about unfalsifiable for them (normally, unfalsifiability is bad for scientific theories, but these parents aren't particularly bright).

Combine this with my roommate mentioning once that I stay up late on the computer (late being a relative term; the guy goes to bed at 9:00),

He mentioned it to your parents? Tell your room-mate in the harshest possible terms his careless, irresponsible speech had just doomed you. What happened to solidarity between fellow students?

Running the LAN party over schedule just pissed them off enough to do this.

20 minutes is not "over schedule" except in a legalistic sense. It is what's realistic when it comes to parties and many other hours-long social events. Ask them whether they get off work at precisely 5PM every day, whether their work meetings always end on precisely the minute planned, to say nothing of the year end Christmas Party or any such analogues. It is a mere excuse, and a cheap one. No offense, but they were idiots to begin with, now they are cowards as well. Even in their position of complete superiority, they are such cowards they can't just give the order. They have to find a lame excuse to pretend to have a justification. Presumably, they think it actually sounds more reasonable.

Ask them what the fuck did they expect you to do when the party has no sign of running down at the appointed time. Turn off the computers with the hardwired power buttons (which many computers don't even have these days, so you would have to rip out the plugs) and threaten everyone with the police if they don't leave within the minute? Honestly, if they really feel being such an asshole is necessary, at least they could have had the courage to do it themselves. Or just refuse permission for the LAN Party (with such "wonderful" parents, I really doubt you wouldn't have to ask permission - the presence of a scheduled and agreed end time also implied a permission). Authorizing any party and seriously expecting it to end at precisely the time they want suggest they lack touch with reality.

At the very, very least, your parents could have made it clear they expect this one to end at precisely the correct time beforehand and state the consequences for not meeting that requirement.

The only criticism I have with you is that it is hard to believe such asshole parents never showed their tail (so to speak) before this. If you really have such parents and knew it, you should have planned things so they begin ending at least 30 minutes before the scheduled time, and make your parents painfully aware of it. If despite that it still runs over-time, and they still rake you over the coals for it... Still, parents often turn into assholes before their kids know it.

HemlockGrey · Post by **HemlockGrey** » 2005-01-17 07:46am

You can't get a job and buy your own computer?

Or maybe, to solve your term paper problem, you can purchase that wonder of futuristic invention known as a typewriter?

Chardok · Post by **Chardok** » 2005-01-17 07:59am

HemlockGrey wrote:Or maybe, to solve your term paper problem, you can purchase that wonder of futuristic invention known as a typewriter?

Sarcasm?

Typewriter? Do you know how hard it is to even find a typewriter? I cant remember the last time I saw one in a store. Who sells ribbons anymore?

I do not think I typewriter is the answer.

El Moose Monstero · Post by **El Moose Monstero** » 2005-01-17 08:04am

They do sell electronic typewriters these days, essentially just a keyboard attached to a printer sort of thing, about 70 pounds+ in the UK.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2005-01-17 08:39am

How the hell is a typewriter going to help him? Yeah, both can put words on paper, but it's like comparing a moose to a donkey.

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2005-01-17 11:00am

HemlockGrey wrote:You can't get a job and buy your own computer?

You've obviously never been a music education major.

Not only is it the most credit-heavy field offered on this university unless I'm much mistaken, but most of the courses are only one credit hour and require vast amounts of time out of class to excel in.

Or maybe, to solve your term paper problem, you can purchase that wonder of futuristic invention known as a typewriter?

Great idea, Einstein. Haven't seen one of those since the one we used to have got left behind when we moved. Where do you suggest I find one that actually functions and is not sold as an antique and priced accordingly?

Post by **Ghost Rider** » 2005-01-17 11:32am

For Typewriters...Office Depot, Staples...hell Targets have them. They have some better functions then tha ancient one but they are a bit of a hassle with ribbon replacement and what not at times.

Usually the price range if wondering fall between $100-$500.

Sharp-kun · Post by **Sharp-kun** » 2005-01-17 11:36am

I assume your course doesn't require electronic submission of work? Some of my classes wanted a physical copy, as well as the file.

darthdavid · Post by **darthdavid** » 2005-01-18 01:46am

Sharp-kun wrote:I assume your course doesn't require electronic submission of work? Some of my classes wanted a physical copy, as well as the file.

Well if he went the Electronic Typewrite route that might not be a problem. Alot of those have floppy drives.

White Haven · Post by **White Haven** » 2005-01-18 02:11am

Course for that price you can find an old computer.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2005-01-18 04:04am

darthdavid wrote:
Sharp-kun wrote:I assume your course doesn't require electronic submission of work? Some of my classes wanted a physical copy, as well as the file.
Well if he went the Electronic Typewrite route that might not be a problem. Alot of those have floppy drives.

Since when?

HemlockGrey · Post by **HemlockGrey** » 2005-01-18 06:23am

Well, if you desperately need something at home to work on papers, I'm sure you can grab a typewriter for $50-100 dollars at a local pawn shop or whatever, I know I can't swing a cat without hitting one down in Philadelphia or even here on Okinawa.

Of course, like everyone else has said, you can just grab a cheap laptop.

Col. Crackpot · Post by **Col. Crackpot** » 2005-01-18 08:41am

so are we all gathering up old used componenets to ship to Rogue? I may have some parts sitting around

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2005-01-18 10:03am

Col. Crackpot wrote:so are we all gathering up old used componenets to ship to Rogue? I may have some parts sitting around

So do I. I could send him a spare monitor, a bit of SDRAM and some other miscelaneous components.

White Haven · Post by **White Haven** » 2005-01-18 10:15am

Hrm...only unused parts I have right now are rediculously high-end and waiting for other, similar parts to complete an upgrade cycle. Everything''s in use, sadly.

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2005-01-18 10:57am

No, the paper problem's solved. I've created myself a private forum over at Terra-Noga to store text documents in. I doubt anyone's going to be so kind as to give me a comp powerful enough to run Dawn of War, so I'm not going to try for it.

Thanks anyway, guys.

Illuminatus Primus · Post by **Illuminatus Primus** » 2005-01-20 01:22am

Thank God I don't need any foriegn language credits.