The sheer sound of our smart phone’s chirp activates the region of our brain involved in love and compassion. The bond we share with our computers and smart phones is, for most of us, an eternal and pleasing relationship we’ve managed to hold on to.

 

However, when it comes to electronic devices, absence does not make the heart grow fonder. If you find yourself out of touch from your digital life support for some reason, you may need to ask those five little words: “Can I Use Your Computer?”

 

Using someone else’s smart device involves a subtle blend of courtesy and discretion. Apart from the insanely obvious DO’s and DONT’s, there are a few subtle guidelines to keep in mind when borrowing a friend’s computer or tablet:

 

 

DON’T assume the Owner wants to reveal His/Her Password to You

According to a study by the Internet Security Company BitDefender, 3 out of 4 people use the same password to access multiple sites. By asking for a password, you may be demanding your friend’s banking or email sign-on. Plus, the password might be embarrassing too. Just pass the device back to its owner when required the password.

 

DO ask before altering the Hard Drive

Do not download any plug-ins, run new programs, etc. on someone else’s computer. If the lender doesn’t have Adobe Reader, this isn’t the right time to access that fancy PDF. Further, do not download email attachments unless you clear it. They can easily get buried in folders, which is invasive for you to dig out and also mess the owner’s files.

 

DON’T leave a trail of Cookie Crumbs

It’s a little annoying to use your computer after someone has been on it, and when you log into your email or Facebook, you’ve already logged in as said user. Don’t be that borrower, and instead, turn off the cookies so that whatever you are doing isn’t remembered for all time by the web browser.

 

DO withhold Judgment

In all honesty, everyone searches for embarrassing things, and thanks to the wonder of personal computers, our beloved gadgets remember forever. Whether the internet history reveals that your friend has been looking up the definition of SOPA or even just checking up on an ex, this information should be never used against them. They are doing you a favor, giving you another sweet hit of their e-life before you start to get the shakes. 

 

All in all, no matter what you do or don’t do when borrowing a computer, always make sure to return the device as it was received, reversing back the user settings and what not.

 

(Written by Shirantha WG)