One Web, One Solution!
By: Taban Khajehnassiri
- Now, it's my turn.
- No... No... No, never, I told you, it's my turn. I have to upload these files at once, they need them now, it's so important to me.
- I must check out my inbox on the web...
Sherrie says : "Well ... you know? I've recently missed many of my friends overseas. I can no longer reply their e-mails as promptly as I should. I have no longer access to my own computer as before, and this is why I am loosing my friends. I have even forgotten the names of my own files saved on the hard drive. I cannot even recall my passwords, I cannot use my own computer." On the other hand, Nima says; "It is just impossible! I cannot let her use my computer, becuase I have all my life, all my projects on the hard drive. I cannot let her destroy all I have done for all these years by a simple mistake, pressing or choosing the 'delete' from all other options. It is now my working computer set, it's now at home, it's now my business working and running at home. She said we bought the computer three years ago, but I was the one who upgraded it to what we now have and use. I spent so much time and money to get it connected to the net. Now I cannot see her sending junk e-mails to her friends, chatting with others who I do not know either." - "But I have to learn how to use the computer, how to use the Internet, how to communicate with others in chat rooms", sherrie says.
It is not so much complicated. You might have heard such dialogues between parents, friends, couples, brothers and sisters, those who are using the only one computer set available at home, in a room or at the office. Two persons using only one device. Years ago, it was the issue of using one TV set at the hall. One wanted to see the late show and the other one(s) was (were) dying of the football match on the other channel. Now for many households, the issue has been changed to the new subject of disputes over using this so-called single computer set at the same place. Two net users have to use only one computer to connect to the web. They have various favorites, different habits, interests and working programs. They have their own privacy issues, the have their own way of communications and many many other issues, topics, views and attitudes.
"I want to read my e-mails afternoons at 5 or 6 hours, I simply cannot do this because my husband is using our Internet account exactly at that time from the office, so I have to postpone my e-mail reading to another time while he is on the way back home. I only have 30 minutes to read my e-mails, because when he comes back home, he wants to moonlight with some of his personal projects at home and on the net. You know what, I just cann't stand it anymore." Says Sherrie.
What can be the solution in such instances? Who is going to use the only one computer at home next time? Whose computer is this anyway? Well ... in this case I do not know, but regarding other similar cases, I have to say there are simple solutions towards it. I know that many couples or friends have solved similar issues perhaps from the birthday of their computer at home by allocating separate drives, directories and filenames, they have their own separate time schedules to use the single computer and their sharing devices, programs and the Internet Connection. In case of each person's privacy, they have solved the problem by simple win-win negotiations, establishing password protected drives, directories and files. However, in any given society, or families, even now, we can see similar cases causing such disputes.
One of my friends believed like the case of only one TV set at the hall which anyway failed at that time when the matter of sharing it was brought up, - that we need more than two computers at home in any case. "It sounds that I have to kill my wife or her drive space with all her directories and files at least for a month, so that I can use this state-of-the-art computer even late at night, she wants to chat her old friends in the U.S.A late at night at 12 hours, because it is the right prime time to find them online connected to the net from their offices." - And everyone knows it is not the right thing to do, I mean killing the other partner('s) drive or programs. That's not the solution no more.
The solution can be a simple time table schedule to use a single computer at the place. The solution can be using the computer at one's leasure time, managing the time, changing the habits. Why killing one's drive space? The right way can be establishing a set of rules and regulations. Ok I use the computer while you are out of home, at the office and not connected to the net from 8 AM to 10 AM to write my e-mails offline. Then I get connected to the net to send my e-mails and browsing the net at 14 PM while you are having your lunch at the office. In this way you can work your moonlighting online jobs out.