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last time i used a computer at a library in chicago (a few years ago now) there was a 15 minute time limit, and you couldn't sign back up for half an hour after your time was up

 

[Evander]

I'm usually not around White Oak. I mostly drive through the Silver Spring/Wheaton area.

White Oak is a Silver Spring Neighborhood.

Do you ever take 29 in to DC? White Oak is around where 29 crosses New Hampshire.

 

[HUELEN10]

Libraries just need to get with the times, get rid of the books, and install more computers.

Hell no! We need more books, not less! There needs to be a good and fair balance.


Also to make it even better IMO, no more freaking video games!

 

[giga]

I was there just last week because my home computer was acting up

Are you telling me that you don't even have a second backup computer? You and your poor degenerate kind disgust me.

 

[Angry Grimace]

These days, I cannot go to any library in all of DC or Montgomery County, MD without seeing the same breed of degenerate visitors exhausting and misusing valuable library resources and space.

It’s sad when someone who needs to use a library computer for a legitimate purpose has to sign in on an electronic wait list because most of the machines are being occupied by flash gamers, youtube fanatics, and social networking zombies.

I was there just last week because my home computer was acting up, and I had to wait 45 minutes to get on a machine to check and send e-mail and other important things. I walked around and noticed that a good portion of the computer users were dicking around with the machines and when I reported this to a librarian at the service area, she told me that there was nothing that she could do about it.

It’s not just about me not being able to use one of the computers that I pay with my tax dollars, it’s about the decaying atmosphere of libraries today. I remember when people, both young and old, would go to a library to actually LEARN and would walk out with a stack of books in their arms. These days, libraries are transforming into some arcade/social café hybrid, and I have no doubt that if CNN were to film a story about it, tax paying citizens would demand changes. Disturbing footages of people who can’t even speak proper English using library resources not to LEARN the damn language but to MySpace some jobless underage whore who’s probably using a public computer herself on someone else's dime.

It's BS. Free Internet is attracting the wrong breed of visitors. Fuckers that didn't even know what a library was much less care for it now flock to it in droves. They used to avoid libraries like the plague, now it's their little fucking home away from home.

I have a solution: Libraries should force visitors to pay a monthly fee of $5 to use the machines. That way, not only would it free up some of the machines by weeding out some of the mongrels that come in regularly to use them but the extra money would help to finance areas of the library that need to be improved.

My money is being wasted.

 

[levious]

It’s sad when someone who needs to use a library computer for a legitimate purpose has to sign in on an electronic wait list because most of the machines are being occupied by flash gamers, youtube fanatics, and social networking zombies.

those are actually all legitimate uses of the public library's computers aren't they?

it's sad that you have no option for internet besides the public library... you've had a rough year haven't you, no clothes, now no computer.

 

[NintendosBooger]

Dude, it is a PUBLIC library, for ALL of the public.



If the poor are desperately in need fo dedicated computers for job searches, then some one should put out DEDICATED machines.

If it makes you happy, just think that ZC is using the bit that isbeing paid for with MY tax dollars to the county.

BS. The libraries were created to service pursuers of academic knowledge. The computers and free internet were later installed for those that couldn't afford either under the expectation that they would put them to productive use. You go to the library for these things, not to drool over a bunch of MySpace photos of girls that probably have undercover penises.

 

[KevinCow]

The only thing that bugs me is that there's now only one computer for looking up books.

 

[vandalvideo]

BS. The libraries were created to service pursuers of academic knowledge. The computers and free internet were later installed for those that couldn't afford either under the expectation that they would put them to productive use. You go to the library for these things, not to drool over a bunch of MySpace photos of girls that probably have undercover penises.

Why can't myspace, facebook, and flash games be academic knowledge? How do you know these people aren't business majors learning how to network, game design or engineering students learning about program mechanics, or communications majors learning about the power of viral media?

 

[HUELEN10]

The only thing that bugs me is that there's now only one computer for looking up books.

You mean you can't just look up the catalog at any library comp? That sucks man!

 

[jon bones]

Are you telling me that you don't even have a second backup computer? You and your poor degenerate kind disgust me.

seriously, who doesn't have a backup pc? (unless the work you do is so trivial that one unreliable computer is enough)

 

[Evander]

BS. The libraries were created to service pursuers of academic knowledge. The computers and free internet were later installed for those that couldn't afford either under the expectation that they would put them to productive use. You go to the library for these things, not to drool over a bunch of MySpace photos of girls that probably have undercover penises.

I'm sorry, no.

You're ascribing a sole purpose that does not exist. The internet access in the library is for ANY purpose, so long as if is not overly disturbing to other patrons.



If the computers were intended only for job seekers, then they'd ask to see an unemployment check before letting you one them, or make you register to use them in some other way (they make you register to check out books, no?)

If some dude can't afford his own internet connection, but really wants to spend 15 minutes, or 30 minutes (what ever the time limit is), scoping out myspace, that is FULLY acceptable. If it wasn't, then myspace would have been blocked on the machine.



Like I siad, consider the myspace bandwidth to be coming out of MY tax dollars, and the monster.com bandwidth to be coming out of your.

 

[levious]

BS. The libraries were created to service pursuers of academic knowledge.

and free movie and album rentals? Doesn't seem like you actually know much about libraries...

 

[thetechkid]

What is this "library" you speak of?

 

[wolfmat]

 

[Evander]

and free movie and album rentals? Doesn't seem like you actually know much about libraries...

I know all of those Stephen King paperbacks I used to shelve REALLY serve academc knowledge.

Spoiler

I love me some Stephen King, but let's be honest about the value of his writing...

 

[Zaptruder]

BS. The libraries were created to service pursuers of academic knowledge. The computers and free internet were later installed for those that couldn't afford either under the expectation that they would put them to productive use. You go to the library for these things, not to drool over a bunch of MySpace photos of girls that probably have undercover penises.

I'm sure somebody has felt the same way about the non-fiction section of the library some time in the past before as well.

 

[ntropy]

Their eyes cast to the screen while books swirl around them.

 

[madara]

Yeah it sure has changed. Even my habits have changed. I use to only use it to check out novels eight times a year. I got so sick of trying to read around cheeto, mud and other questionable marks on the pages that I just flat out buy books on amazon. Now i use the library to transfer dvds from larger ones to my small one a few times a month. I kinda feel like I am using them as free netflix abit but then I see some guy in front of me with 20 dvds with a week check out knowing he is just burning away with illegal crap I don't feel so bad. It is weird though and I know the librarians are kinda pissed about this transfer from knowledge to media entertainment and goofing off on pcs but I guess nothing stays the same for long unfortunately.

 

[Esperado]

Did you make this post from the library?

 

[joelseph]

The whole system needs to be revamped. And it starts with the people working there. What a joke.

 

[Evander]

The whole system needs to be revamped. And it starts with the people working there. What a joke.

what do you propose we pay the library employees?

 

[Chumly]

Couldnt you just go over to one of the Exec's houses that you met on the ski trip to use their computers??? Im surprised that you would have lowered yourself to even be in the same room as people not as good as you.

 

[harSon]

At least your library doesn't have homeless people whacking off to porn

 

[Clipjoint]

This is why we can't have free healthcare. You'll have so many Mexicans in line to get their STD's checked out after Myspace dates that you'll never be able to see a doctor to fix your tennis elbow.

Fucking commie pinkos, the lot of you.

 

[UltimaPooh]

It's a public library.

If anything the library needs to hire better IT people to block websites that don't pertain to library use.

 

[bjork]

This is why we can't have free healthcare. You'll have so many Mexicans in line to get their STD's checked out after Myspace dates that you'll never be able to see a doctor to fix your tennis elbow.

Fucking commie pinkos, the lot of you.

Wowwwww

 

[harSon]

Wowwwww

Seriously :lol

I'm just going to assume that it was a horrible attempt at a joke

 

[dallow_bg]

Wowwwww

Just read the threads the OP has created in the past to understand. I know you remember the one about pending layoff.
Best thing to catch up on.

 

[Jason's Ultimatum]

Sorry if this has been mentioned already, but is the OP a joke poster?

 

[Evander]

It's a public library.

If anything the library needs to hire better IT people to block websites that don't pertain to library use.

it's been discussed

the reason that they haven't done it is BECAUSE they've decided that anything not overly disturbing to other patrons is fair library use

 

[this guy]

You guys shouldn't bash the OP! His valuable tax dollars are being wasted in libraries that allow people who can't afford a computer of their own to get on the internet! Don't you guys realize that he needs to save his money so that he can buy new clothes?

 

[Garcia]

At least your library doesn't have homeless people whacking off to porn

Dear God... :lol

 

[joelseph]

Sucks when juniors and members believe someone to be fair game like NB, brings out the lamest attempts at being an internet bad ass.

 

[andthebeatgoeson]

You're complaining about 45 minutes? Sound like you need some perspective.

 

[Hari Seldon]

I love NB's threads!

 

[harSon]

Dear God... :lol

No joke.

Search for homeless in these reviews http://www.yelp.com/biz/dr-martin-luther-king-jr-library-san-jose

It's a nice library but there sure are a shitload of bums

 

[Jason's Ultimatum]

I love NB's threads!

He reminds me of those snobs in Trading Places. :lol

 

[KevinCow]

You mean you can't just look up the catalog at any library comp? That sucks man!

You can, but for all but one of them you have to get on a waiting list and wait for like a freaking hour. There's only one computer dedicated to looking up books, which is annoying if I want to just look something up real quick.

 

[WickedAngel]

We have people who do the same thing at uni. I use RemoteMaster and restart their computers after I have a bit of fun with them (Disabling their services, closing their programs, and burying their flash drive contents in a sequence of subfolders that adds up to say a funny message).

 

[skybaby]

Are you telling me library computers are not filtered? People can access and do whatever they want?
Block myspace, twitter, facebook, youtube whatever and filter bad words and 90% of those people will be gone.

 

[Ceres]

If they start charging, where am I gonna go to jerk off in public? Back to Barnes and Noble? No way!

Apparently McDonald's bathrooms are a hot spot.

Are you telling me library computers are not filtered? People can access and do whatever they want?
Block myspace, twitter, facebook, youtube whatever and filter bad words and 90% of those people will be gone.

The last time I used ours, it did. This was something like 1998 when I was in high school though. I was trying to find articles for school and couldn't get one because there was a flagged word somewhere in the article.

 

[sonicmj1]

BS. The libraries were created to service pursuers of academic knowledge.

Someone must have snuck all those pulp romance novels into my local library in secret, then.

 

[neojubei]

Save monies, buy a cheap netbook, use the library's free wi-fi, and never worry about the public computers again.

That seems like the logical solution.

 

[Binabik15]

Are you telling me library computers are not filtered? People can access and do whatever they want?
Block myspace, twitter, facebook, youtube whatever and filter bad words and 90% of those people will be gone.

Lets burn some books, too.

 

[railGUN]

If you are willing to pay $5 a month to use a computer at the library, why not just go to an internet cafe?

 

[skybaby]

Lets burn some books, too.

What knowledge is being lost by not reading that sweet 16 y/o profile on facebook?

 

[charlequin]

You stopped at asking a librarian to help you? You didn't throw pocket change at anyone and tell them to go outside and buy crack cocaine with it so that you could use your properly appointed system, or attempt to wrangle a police officer into escorting them out at gunpoint?

Honestly, I expect better from you, NintendosBooger.

 

[Drkirby]

I have the same problem at my collage, it can get a bit tough to find a computer on the first floor, the second floor has nothing but annoying to use terminal computers, and the 3rd floor has 4 general use computers, and a room that can be used publicly when its not being used for a class. But a lot of time, these still can fill up pretty fast.

 

[neojubei]

Maybe the OP can expand his agenda to stop homeless people from borrowing books as well. In fact change the library from a public service to a private one.