OMG - that’s the same printer we have… it’s the only one that still works!!

Some of the plastic pieces have gotten brittle and broken - I’ve been trying to figure out how to 3-D print replacements. (they broke before 3D printing was a thing and I don’t have the broken bits anymore)

I’ve replaced the rollers once and serviced it myself over the years.

It’s valuable enough to fight over it when my Last Will and Testament is read… If there’s a fire, save the people, save the cats, save that 1998 printer - the rest can burn and be replaced.

I make sure the important stuff is backed up to external drive on the computers I tech support for family and friends.

So I say, “yeah, it says that, but they are lying. unplug it. If it’s not working when it comes back on, I’ll come over and restore it. You won’t lose anything, we’ve got backups just for this reason.”

So far, I haven’t had to go and restore anything. But one of them buys me lunch, so I go and shoot the shit and have a good time for big Windows updates about once a quarter.

I feel you. Add her then acting like it was her idea to get you to do the thing and you have my late grandmother.

Don’t let her get to you (easier said than done, I know) but she is also fairly easy to manipulate if you don’t let her get under your skin.

You probably already know how she reacts to things, start small and see if you can get certain reactions out of her. You do A, she reacts with B (good or bad), you do C, she preens like she won something.

I managed to trick my grandma into giving up her car keys after her first minor fender bender in her 80s (in fairness she was a good driver, her vision was just going bad) - she ended up believing giving up the car was her idea and that she deserved to get driven around from now on. She loved her independence but also loved having people at her beck and call. She got to feel smart and superior by stopping driving and we didn’t have to worry about anyone getting hurt. Everyone was so relieved, she got a lot of praise for that decision which helped too.

Don’t let her ruin your health, try to reframe your reactions to her and never, ever let on that’s what you are doing. Don’t tell the cousin that will rat you out to try to appease her. ‘She seems to do what I want? I don’t see it that way. She’s just making good decisions like she always does… what are you talking about?’ Feel free to tell the one you can trust.

I laughed too hard at this.

This is always my response. Hacking a lot of times comes down soft skills, where bad people get you to give them your sensitive information. (Your pornstar name is the street you grew up on and your first pet’s name, finding your mom’s maiden name on facebook)

If someone is in an office, having a post it or notebook is a bad idea, especially if your area can be accessed by the general public (like front desk people, or anyone who takes walk-ins)

But for a person living alone, or with people they trust, having a hard copy in a safe place is really safe. The Online Scammer isn’t going to break & enter into everyone’s homes to get their post it passwords.

(And it gives them the ability to give a trusted person access if they end up in the hospital or something, without having to share that info ‘just in case’.)

The threat is always greatest (if you don’t fall for phishing easily) from the people inside your house. The ones that could steal your jewelry, cash, pick up your mail and open accounts, or just outright sit in your chair and access your computer.

In that case, even if you have a password manager, chances are good someone with physical access to you can find or figure out that one password. And like Bytemeister says, you have way bigger problems in that case.

If you can, get a photo of his remote and save it. (bonus if it’s his actual remote with the worn down buttons or whatnot)

Draw a circle around the button (arrow pointing to it optional) and text the pic back of which button to push. Repeat as needed.

If you can get him to text you a photo of the TV screen - circle and repeat.

I have an older friend with a TV/remote that is close to ours, but slightly different. Having these reference photos helps with the “language barrier” and the minor differences in layout.

Since I started making it visual and texting photos, it makes it much easier. Because even I, with my CS degree, can stare at a screen (or grocery shelf), frustrated, and not see the very obvious blinking whatsit that I’m looking for.

We used to say, " if it was a snake it would have bit me" but snakes are also well known for blending in , so it makes sense that we don’t see things until we see them, especially when we are stressed.