To have caused a fuss in library ??!

[TheRealCarrieBradshaw]

I had to pop to the local library this morning to print some important docs out, as we don't have a printer. They have 6 computers, and then about 12 in their computer training room, although there was a class going on so those ones could not be used.

The 6 were all taken up; some guy looked like he was searching a job site (good on him), some other guy was reading large documents, not sure about 2 others, but then there was a girl (about 24ish) and a lad (probably a little older) sat just scrolling through Facebook, and blatantly daydreaming! There was a queue for the computers and I know some locals who do visit every day to carry out job searches etc.

Anyway, I couldn't help myself, and asked the guy on the desk why it was right for people to have to wait for a computer, for productive purposes, while people are sat wasting their lives on Social Networking, when maybe they should be taking a leaf out of the other guys' book and searching the job sites?

It really gets my back up as I'm a huge believer that you need to work hard in life. I had a chat with the lady on the other desk and she was in total agreement with me that the use of SN sites should be banned from these computers - I have written my complaint to the Council

Please feel free to come take care of my brain damaged hub, and childmind my children along with the school / nursery runs and yes, I'd be back in work at the drop of a hat!

Shouldn't you be doing that yourself, if it's so time-consuming? Rather than indulging yourself in faffing about on MN, trying to wind people up? Or are you now going to come up with another convenient excuse as to why you're here, like 'my dc are at club/a friends house/etc).

I think you sound ghastly to be honest

Oh the irony..
Complaining on MN that people use networking sites.

That's what I asked Tantrums I am intrigued as to what the unemployed uniform consists of.

No, Marmalade - slightly off piste here, but I'm saying if you're out of work and CANNOT work that's a different story, but if you're out of work and can be looking for it, then do so...

No, I didn't know this couples' circumstances, but when I refer them to the couple on Benefits St, let's just say there was no major difference (appearance wise), then I don't think he's a fricking CEO on his day off and what-not!

coffee - No, SN sites in a library, where there is a queue, with people who are waiting to use the computer productively ...

Being sat on here now myself, no, I don't believe I'm being at all productive

That doesn't really answer the question as to exactly what alerted you to the fact that they were unemployed.

Doesn't matter if they're unemployed or not. Irrelevent!
What matters is they got there first, so tough shit.

I didn't watch the programme in question so don't know the couple to whom you are referring.

I suppose if you are a showgirl, you are used to judging people entirely on their appearance.
Scruffiest bloke I ever met was Professor of German at Oxford. When he leaped off his bicycle and grabbed me, I nearly thumped him. Fortunately I reserved judgement and accepted the message he wanted me to deliver to my OH instead.

Ok, this thread has been twisted and I'm genuinely bored now ...

To clarify - my point was, IN MY OPINION, I don't think the use of SN sites should be accessible on the library comps ... End of!

Guess what. I'm unemployed and I'm on here wasting my time!

There's only so much job hunting you can actually do in a day you know OP.

It's not just a case of 'I'm not coming home til I've got a job' these days. I'm qualified and experienced up to my eyeballs but I have a CV gap from having my kids. I've no doubt I'll be working again soon, but I'm not judging people who are struggling to find work. There's not a great deal out there.

OK OP, that's your opinion - and you know what? That's fine. It's ok to think that using social media shouldn't be allowed in library pcs. What was infinitely not fine was to make a fuss and write a letter because guess what? The rest of us don't agree...

Actually I feel your pain to an extent. Couldn't they just have a time limit on use rather than having to judge the "worthiness" of each person's activity? Or a time limit if it is busy/there is a queue?

Except that wasn't everything you said.

In any case, if that's your view then you're still wrong - public libraries are just that, and you've no business whatsoever telling others what they should do there.

But why not?

Apart from the fact that they held up your all important self by getting there beofre you, what's the problem with SN sites being accessed at the library?

So you're openly admitting that you judge people on their dress? Nice, nice.

Plenty of people work low-paid jobs and dress like the people on Benefit Street. It isn't a uniform for the unemployed, it's what poor people dress like and a lot of poor people DO work, hate to break it to you.

You're a bit unhinged, I think. So people can only be unemployed if they meet the rigid criteria to which YOU conform to? All other circumstances are invalid, right?

Yabu. You should have gone to a print shop if you were so desperate.

I have not read the whole thread but I used to use libraries a lot when I was a piss poor student and there was definitely an unwritten rule that during busy periods the computers should be used for work/study/research/reference/job hunting only, and then your usage should be considerate to other users, i.e. don’t hog the machines. I have no issue if someone wants to while away their time on facebook or watching youtube videos of cats that look like Hitler if the place is empty but I do think if you are only on the computer because you are bored and others actually have more pressing or dare I say constructive work to be getting on with then you should make way. Yes, it’s a public library and any person off the street has a right to use the facilities but I don’t think I was being unreasonable when on a few occasions I have asked people to move when they have just been messing around with chatrooms and online games. In my experience, these people are often well aware of others waiting to use the computers and they were too selfish to move and usually most people were too polite to ask them to shift. When I was trying to finish my dissertation and plenty of others had their own pressing projects to work on, I think that trumps someone beating up dragons on World of Warcraft or checking out the latest status updates on facebook.

Ah, 'end of'. Always works to end a thread, doesn't it?

gosh op don't you talk a load of shite.

I'm loving the irony of this OP

You've spent the best part of a clearly unproductive day, bumping your gums on the internet.

You couldn't make it up.

You've said "simples" "fricking" and "end of".

I judge you.

I assuming you mean SM or social media sites not SN sites which would be a different kettle of fish altogether.
I think I should be able to access any sites which are legal in the library, after all I'm allowed to read romance novels in there with fear of being drummed out so why not Facebook or indeed MN?
I could see a slight case for limiting the time on the computers doing anything so that everyone gets a fair turn but that's regardless of what site they are visiting be that watching fluffy videos on youtube or researching astrophysics.