I think OPs point was that everyone was probably going to get a laptop anyways, so for them to raise tuition only to get an inferior piece of hardware in return is not a fair trade. Like if the school raised tuition because they were giving away free clothes, but you only got momma jeans in return.
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School gave us chromeboks, they are worthless
- Thread starter Generalpsyduck
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Fenderputty
Banned
Man, we had like 10 computers at my high school and they were dial up. I remember taking classes on how to use a search engine. Pretty crazy kids get chrome books and bitch about it now a day.
Taxes aren't the same as tuition.
thetrin
Hail, peons, for I have come as ambassador from the great and bountiful Blueberry Butt Explosion
When I was in high school, we didn't even have our own computers. I remember the day the computers in the library got the internet. That was some day! I remember visiting Spawn.com instead of doing work on the computers. I got in trouble, lol.
Par for the course, dude. You should be happy you got a computer to do schoolwork with. I would've loved one in school.
Yeah, we had about 10-15 desktops for the whole school.
Par for the course, dude. You should be happy you got a computer to do schoolwork with. I would've loved one in school.
Yeah, we had about 10-15 desktops for the whole school.
You Are Viewtiful
Member
Only good thing about Chromebooks lol
I think the camera snooping is for exams, surely? I doubt they can access it whenever they please. You'll have to give permission.
So just use separate email accounts for school and personal emails.
The webcam thing. Are you sure? Did your parents have to agree to that? Stick a post it note or tape or something over the camera.
But everything else in your post. So what, a school laptop has restrictions, that's just how it is.
Do you HAVE to use the chromebook for schoolwork, even when not at school?
If you don't have to, and the restrictions bother you so much, just ignore the chromebook when at home and do your schoolwork from your home PC.
To be honest, it kind of scares me how many people are completely okay with schools putting their students under surveilance.
It's absolutely okay that the Chromebook blocks websites and applications that aren't necessary to make homework, but I absolutely see no reason why the school should be able to monitor the laptop or to activate the webcam. The latter in particular. It's of no importance to the school what students do in their room and this is a serious intrusion of the students privacy.
It's absolutely okay that the Chromebook blocks websites and applications that aren't necessary to make homework, but I absolutely see no reason why the school should be able to monitor the laptop or to activate the webcam. The latter in particular. It's of no importance to the school what students do in their room and this is a serious intrusion of the students privacy.
Wag
Member
Didn't you know? We are all 10yrs old on GAF. 😄
Vermillion
Banned
Do proxies still work? That's what everyone did when I was in school lol
jimmythepage
Member
This is just a taste of what awaits you in the future OP, don't think it will get different when you'll eventually land a job, enjoy the tutorial area 
Freshmaker
I am Korean.
Schools tend to require that teachers monitor such things for appropriate use.
Luxury. In my day
I finished school before the Internet. I remember when our school got a commodore PET. One. For the whole school. by the time I was in secondary school we had a classroom with BBC micros in, with 32k ram.Had 20 desktops in our primary school of about 100 students. Nothing was blocked and there was no survailance. In High school the ratio was about the same and people mostly played Urban Terror, Quake 3 and Battlefield when they had recess or free hours. There were no problems.
Don't see much point in the restrictions that the OP is getting, seems like a case of overbearing bureacracy and old farts thinking "Since the kids are getting these new fancy things then they better not do anything that a text book couldn't".
Don't see much point in the restrictions that the OP is getting, seems like a case of overbearing bureacracy and old farts thinking "Since the kids are getting these new fancy things then they better not do anything that a text book couldn't".
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
I teach (part time) kids in the 8-12 range in classes that sometimes use a computer lab and I can absolutely understand the restrictions. As soon as any kid becomes idle YouTube comes up and other kids start to gravitate around them and get distracted and I have to step in, and that's in a fairly tightly run class of ten kids. In a classroom of 25? There's no way to manage that so tightly no kid is ever idle.
Most smarter admins will also block proxy sites. But I'm sure there's easy ways around that too.
They're giving them to all the kids in middle school and up in the town I live in here in SC. It might be a state thing but I don't know. We have to pay $50 insurance for them. I don't imagine that they will last very long knowing how some kids treat their stuff.
Never seen this happen here. Respecting the teacher is a thing that should be taught instead of putting these restrictions. It's far more effective if people behave properly because they chose to do so.
Langdon Alger
Banned
That's some serious entitlement.
Turin Turambar
Member
Boot with a Linux image in a pendrive, problem solved.
Gravy Boat
Member
Eduardboon
Member
So just format and reinstall?
First, I'd like to say I'm surprised so many people were tough on a teenager. Second, Chromebooks with enterprise management tools make more sense than say a Windows laptop. Cheaper to support, cheaper to replace, cheaper to refresh. But still, not exactly "cheap" for a school budget.
The laptop is meant to help you complete tasks that are representative of each field of study in today's world. You should be glad your school realizes that technology is important at all. Youtube restrictions are a little harsh, though. The science teachers I work with are especially fond of youtube, so it seems to be a valid learning tool.
I can assure you almost certainly that no one is watching you through your camera while you are at home. Most of us don't even want to think about students like you after school hours, much less watch you doing whatever it is you think is important.
I can assure you almost certainly that no one is watching you through your camera while you are at home. Most of us don't even want to think about students like you after school hours, much less watch you doing whatever it is you think is important.
michaelius
Banned
For school with solid technical classes Linux, for more general profile Windows.
They are cut all corners low quality junk. Considering you can get solid dell for 500$ before bulk discounts it's a waste of money but since it comes from "everyone so nobody " pocket I guess it's cool on GAF.
Wait so I have to hear complaining students at work & on gaf?! Am I too old for gaf :/
You can use your own computer for personal stuff.
The laptops are probably lifesavers for poor families or those with multiple kids.
No one has time or cares to watch your camera. Cover it up if paranoid.
You can use your own computer for personal stuff.
The laptops are probably lifesavers for poor families or those with multiple kids.
No one has time or cares to watch your camera. Cover it up if paranoid.
Neverforget
Member
Thread backfire? Thread backfire!
Anyway OP, count your blessings,you're privileged enough to get a Chromebooks from your high-school.
And thanks to the restrictions, you can at least do your homeworks without getting distracted.
Anyway OP, count your blessings,you're privileged enough to get a Chromebooks from your high-school.
And thanks to the restrictions, you can at least do your homeworks without getting distracted.
Thelonelykoopa
Member
Who cares about the other sites it appears you can still get on Neogaf.
Punchy4486
Banned
NoblesseOblige
Banned
Patently false. Chromebooks are just fine for web based use which these days can account for 100% of device use. There is absolutely no reason to shell out $500 per device when a $250 machine is capable of meeting user needs. If a Chromebook isn't capable of getting the job done then the issue is with the curriculum or user.
flatearthpandas
Member
The laptop I got at school was totally unlocked. You just had to give it back if you didn't graduate. Maybe that is the unusual way to do it though.
I had to pay for my own shoddy Texas instrument calculator in high school and you complain about getting a free chromebook because you can't do non-school work on it? lol
The camera thing sounds weird tho, just put tape over the camera.
How is it useless and superfluous? It's meant for school work in school or at home, not browsing reddit or porn. I'm pretty sure a chromebook is enough for the work assignments you get in high school etc.
The camera thing sounds weird tho, just put tape over the camera.
How is it useless and superfluous? It's meant for school work in school or at home, not browsing reddit or porn. I'm pretty sure a chromebook is enough for the work assignments you get in high school etc.
NoblesseOblige
Banned
My district's devices are purchased from specific grant funds that are set for typically 3-5 years before being reevaluated. These funds allocated a sum of money per year specifically to provide students with devices. So cost of schooling isn't increased. And even if it were, why would that annoy you? Education is arguably the most important element in modern societies. We should be increasing what we can offer students.
Also calling Chromebooks 'useless, superfluous hardware' is pretty ignorant and is typically an opinion held by an individual who can't properly utilize equipment.
Superfluous because I suspect the OP already has something he can do all of those things on anyway, without the already incurred costs. Do you really think some school survellience is really going to change students' work ethic?
What?
Higher paid and better trained teachers would do much more good for students than a free Chromebook, the latter is a lazy use of tax.
I have a Surface Pro, I am more than capable at utlising superior technology thank you #
Gotta to see if those students are doing their homework and not playing Dota 2.
Zoe
Member
It's as if you guys think he owns this thing.
I'm from Europe, I already appreciate the value of education thanks. Higher paid and better trained teachers would do much more good for students than a free Chromebook, the latter is a lazy use of tax.
I have a Surface Pro, I am more than capable at utlising superior technology thank you #
Sorry, but kids growing up in poverty can't afford Surface Pros like you. This is to put everyone on a (more) level playing field.
You clearly don't understand the purpose of the initiative of giving out these machines to all students, it's so that they are assured that every student has a computer to do home work and the assignments they get at school (not every student can afford a laptop, surprise!). If OP has better hardware, good for him, he can use that instead for school work and reddit in his leisure time.
Also, you're meant to have the chromebook at school everyday, not very practical or smart to bring your own more expensive shit everyday is it?
And no, I personally don't think the whole spying on students with the cam is very good. But locking out sites like reddit etc is definitely for the better if you want your students to actually use it exclusively for the purpose they were given out to them in the first place.
I understand why it's for but before we go further could you (or OP) clarify this part from the OP for me.
"Raised our taxes by a significant sum this year"
1. How much were taxes raised by?
2. Why is it described as 'our taxes' (I don't know how tax works in the U.S, is it not uniform?)
Are you actively campaigning for a better welfare system?
Zoe
Member
1. The taxes ( if they were really raised at all) were almost assuredly earmarked for more than just these Chromebooks. They're usually done in packages to upgrade several points of infrastructure over several years.
2. They're in the form of property taxes for those who live within the boundaries of the school district.
What?
What makes you believe I have any idea of this tax raise? I don't live in the US and OP didn't really expand much on the whole tax issue. Either way, I don't really trust OP knows what he's talking about regarding this issue.
SpookyFries
Member
My girlfriend was doing a fair amount of college work on her chromebook up until it was stolen. Never had an issue with doing school work. OP I just mad that the school didn't give out computers to fuck around on.
Also I remember when I was in school and getting the brand new iMac G3s in the computer lab. Times sure have changed
Also I remember when I was in school and getting the brand new iMac G3s in the computer lab. Times sure have changed
Zoe
Member
Yes. It doesn't matter if you use the school though. Everybody living in the area pays for the public schools.
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