AIBU to leave my laptop lying around without logging out of my MN account?

[KenandDeirdre]

Just had an incident with my DS who decided it was highly amusing to post under my name on a current thread whilst I left the room for a few minutes. So having sorted this out, ranted and raved at him, apologised to the posters on the thread, reporting post and asking to have it deleted...it got me thinking...

AIBU to leave my laptop lying around without logging out of MN/FB or anything else I might happen to be using? Or are my DC just terribly untrustworthy and badly brought up? Does anyone else have any similar stories or am I alone in this? TBH his contribution to the thread was not highly rude or controversial but caused me 15 minutes of stress at the time!

So what do you think? AIBU to remain logged in at all times?

I just saw that, I never log out of anything on my iPad but maybe when the dc's are older I should

I remain logged in at all times and while I think my DD has had the odd snoop, the DSs are too afeared of the Wrath of Mum to even think about going near it.

Point out to your DS that it's pretty much the same as posting as him on his FB. Warn him that you might feel the urge to do just that one of these days. Then have a lecture about the right to privacy.

hmm, i would log out just to be on the safe side. how old is he? my dcs are too young right now to know how to post but i wouldn't put it past my eldest to get curious and try posting at some point. children dont realise that they are posting to real people unless it has been explained to them that they mustn't do it and why.

I always log out, it's good practice and at school it is compulsory.
We get a lot of dim-witted 'OMG! DD has just downloaded xyz and it's cost me £60' posts here, and I always think 'More fool you'

I stay logged in ATM but my DC are little. The worst that happens is the baby hammers out a bdsjkfbhedskfncvldskfnmgfvkr status on FB.

I will log out when they are bigger. It's not what they will write, it's what they will read! This is a site for grown ups :)

Before I permit anyone (other than dgs) to use my iPad, I delete all histories, cookies etc. It is none of their damn business where I play on t'interwebz.

In my school, the children have individual logins and always log out after using it.
We all have separate logins at home, privacy and safety are important.

DS is 13 and should know better! He was highly amused at first and his initial reaction was 'but nobody knows you anyway'. I guess I am just too lazy to log out every single time. Hassled - he has definitely just experienced the Wrath of Mum!

The irony of this is that I am not even allowed to 'like' something on his FB page until his friends have 'liked' it first!

So lol, my Dcs then 13 and 14 filled out a form in my name to become a neighbourhood watch coordinator.

The first I knew was a bloke knocking on the door with my name badge and a list of the the streets I was 'responsible for'.

and then @ thebody's dcs!

thebody - lol! What did you do? Are you now the coordinator?

AIBU to smile a little bit at his very 13 YO choice of what to say?

Now mine are teenagers I always log out. I shouldn't have to, but I wouldn't feel too safe not doing it (especially since there would be WW3 if they read what I rant talk about sometimes).

I have to delete the history quite a lot after being on some threads with lots of very peculiar links .

Have you considered sending a couple of his friends Facebook messages from him?

I accepted as I really had no choice. Did it for a year and actually had a good laugh going to the meetings, ( to myself) of course.

The most embarrassing thing was having my name in local parish mag and having the total piss taken out of me by all my friends. One made me a uniform the bitch!!!!

Dcs were well bollocked but had to laugh as it was so cheeky.

MaryZed - no haven't thought of doing that! Don't know his password - maybe I should do some detective work

thebody - that is a great story and couldn't help laughing over that. Yes - sometimes it is so cheeky and actually quite innocent in a way that you just have to laugh (once you have got over the shock).

usual - yes it was quite apt! He hadn't read the thread at all so a total fluke but it did seem to fit! He is very impulsive - does something without thinking it through first. Have all recovered from my ranting now. But an important lesson has been learnt.

Don't admit that on here . You are meant to have his password and check his page minutely every day. You are a bad, bad parent (the type of parent whose child would think the word poo was funny.

If you are Facebook friends, just post a gooey message on his wall, about how nice it is that he shows an interest in chatting to your online friends instead [evil]

I think it isn't smug parenting, MaryZed, it's just common sense internet protection that children and adults ought to be using.

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lincolnshire/5379930.stm

I always log out, my son would get me banned

That story above I found funny

OMG at that story McHappy! That must have shocked them! What a clever 3 year old though.

MaryZed - yes I am his FB friend. Hmmmm - you've given me an idea there

Wofflingon - on a serious note I am extremely careful at work, logging out of anything when no longer using it. Plus DC have to be Internet safe at school. Think he just got carried away tonight but will definitely be more careful in future and if nothing else it has highlighted an important issue and led to a very constructive conversation at home.

Depends entirely on how trustworthy the other people in your house are.

You should be able to leave your laptop around without anyone messing about with it.

If you leave your computer logged in to something that gives access to other people's credit card numbers, or their medical history or something you are being very unreasonable. But it's hardly the end of the world if your DC posts something a bit off on an anonymous Internet forum once and there's no need to pretend it's the most important thing ever. If they keep doing it then you are being inconsiderate to the other forum posters and probably ruining your online reputation!

But if you do think you need more protection, you don't have to log out of each forum, auction site or e-store all the time. Just password protect your laptop account (set your laptop up to have user accounts if you haven't already) and have a screen saver that requires a password come up after a couple of minutes of inactivity. Then (providing you use a secure password) you are fairly well covered.

That's what we have Emmeline.

not sure at what point I pretended 'it's the most important thing ever'!! But anyway...

I never actually log on to anything with other people's credit card numbers or medical history and if I did would most definitely log out afterwards. Struggling to think when this would happen actually - maybe in a work situation? Would hope anyone who does do this most certainly logs out afterwards.

My interest was in whether other people remain permanently logged in to discussion forums/FB etc. I can accept that I am probably being U in just not bothering to log out in fact I will definitely accept that I am lazy when it comes to that. In case I am accused of not listening to the majority in AIBU then hands up, IABU!!

Like the idea of the screensaver password on the home laptop. Good idea.