Trusting, Suspicious, Curious, Disinterested, or Oblivious?

[azskyman]

I spend an hour or so most every night typing away at the computer. Sometimes it is for work. Sometimes out of curiosity. Sometimes an e-mail. And often to share a message with a friend or two I've never met.

Kathy might be reading, visiting on the phone, watching TV, or tackling some household chore while I click away.

She'll look over my shoulder now and then and ask who someone is...and frequently offer a comment about being careful. Careful meaning "don't do anything that will bring a cop to the door, don't dig up an unhealthy cyber relationship, don't let our credit card information slip out, and don't visit stuff sites."

She knows I use the keyboard to help people, to make them laugh, and to simply stay in touch. And in that light, I think she is trusting of my time on the computer.

Still...we have had enough friends and acquaintances who have "found each other" on the internet that I suspect she is also somewhat suspicious of my time on here.

So...in your household, how would you label the attitudes of others around you regarding your online activities? Unhealthy, a waste of time, suspicious, or perhaps caring less as long as you are not in their face!

[Miss Mary]

Steve - well, my family thinks I'm pretty boring, I'll warn you of that. Jim does look over my shoulder and he knows I'm looking at topics here and there. Responding to some. He helped me get into chat a few times ago, so he knows what's going on here. Still, I think he just shakes his head. But then he's all wrapped in the Apple websites....I swear Steve Jobs is his guru.....LOL So see we each have our own interests! Way back when though, when I was in TWC chat room a lot I sure heard complaints. Oh my, did I. When I was bummed it closed, my family was rejoicing. You see, 10 minutes in chat, was often an hour. You just literally lost track of time. And they'd be begging for the computer. But you're right, there is so much to see on the internet.....but it's not tempting to me. In fact, Jim says my ideal homepage/website would be a 3 way tie: wx/local music (my favorite band in the world)/knots landing. Yup, big KL and Dallas fan here. What a combination. See - I'm very boring......LOL Sorry to disappoint.....

If I had to choose a word, it would be trusting. Just as I trust him. Two way street here.

Next.........

[JQ Public]

during the school year they think i am doing good. during the summer they think i am wasting time

[streetsoldier]

As long as the wife doesn't "need" the computer, she coudn't care less.

[Stephanie]

Marty's alittle suspicious of my time on the PC. I know he sees this Storm2k website up everytime he comes into the bedroom (like now! :o ) and I can tell he wonders who I'm talking to.

[chadtm80]

She dosent care... She knows I spend all my time at storm2k

[Amanzi]

I get large amounts of back ground mumbling, moaning and groaning... My husband is not very keen on the amount of time I spend on here and is often poking his head over my shoulder to see who I am talking too.

[coriolis]

I'll answer this way: I am trying hard to get Theresa to join. Chatrooms seem to have a bad reputation that puts legitamite boards like this under suspicion. And to make matters worse, I sent in my picture! Marshall is looking into a way to get two users on the same email address. I got a network hub and another computer for cheap at my work's used computer auction. We'll have his and hers computers! I better stop now because hopefully Theresa will soon be browsing the board.

HI HON! I LOVE YOU!

[Guest]

Well I can say I have had problems. Now everything is in the open - all email accounts and passwords posted on post-it notes. This is the only message board and chatroom I participate on - others - I just visit and etc.

I had the same problem Ed when Mrticka signed up last night - he had to use a yahoo email addy I had - still had problems - so Mr Wizard (Chad) helped me and Mrticka is now an official member.

We both have our own sites - his are LuvTrucks.com and Me this one - you just have to trust each other and discuss what is going on.....he gets bored with the weather - but oh well - Me the same on his hot rod sites - LOL. Communication in my book is the only way.

Patricia

[isobar]

My husband is trusting, and I've shown him around the site to help him stay that way. Though he doesn't really know how much TIME I spend here, because I do it while he's at work. Not to be sneaky, but just so we don't have to share computer time. Although he can probably tell how much time I've spent here by how messy the house is that day.

One thing I did do was stop e-mail notification for private messages. The whole thing is so totally innocent, but just seeing these words ... "New Private Message Has Arrived" is enough to make even the most trusting spouse gasp a little. I left the pop-up window notification on here, because I'm in S2K more often than e-mail anyway.

[southerngale]

Well, it doesn't really bother my hubby. He'll pop off occasionally, like one time when I was looking at the gallery ( I always enlarge the pics so I can see them better) and he said "Who's that? Your cyber boyfriend?"
I said, "It's a weather board. See!" and he didn't really seem concerned. He trusts me. He now recognizes storm2k when he walks by and he'll occasionally look over my shoulder to see what I'm typing. It's usually something about weather and just bores him anyway. Of course he always asks me when he wants to know if it's going to rain, etc. And during Hurricane Season, if there's something out there that could affect us he and co-workers call me for updates. hehe

We have a lot of similar interests, sports for one, but weather isn't one of them. He just doesn't get my fascination, but thankfully it doesn't bother him either.

[Nalora]

I have been online since 1993. I was online before my family even knew what an internet was. I know all the things that can go wrong on the internet, but I am ever hopeful that the real stuff will linger long after the crap is passe'.

My family knows most of what I do on the internet has to do either with my own love of history, or some other interest I have. They generally could care less what I do on the internet.

Nalora

[ColdFront77]

My parents don't like me to spend that much time online, but I really think it is worthwhile for someone with Asperger's Syndrome. There really isn't anything else for me to do during the day and night (after the evening hours).

My father can care less what I do online, he doesn't even know the first thing about a computer and my mother reads and writes e-mail to my sister and a couple of my brother.

I tell my mother that I access "weather message boards that also have an off-topic board on it" [just did in reference to the fellow Storm2K members having Siamese cats.] As far as I can tell, she is happy that I am communicating with people with the same interest as me.