what would you do? (sorry if long)

[twoodcc]

ok, first off. when i bought my intel imac in January, i sold my mac mini to my parents for my 12-year-old brother to have. i put in over $800 in the mini, and gave it to them for $400 to be nice.

since i'm at home for the summer (from college) i decided to use my router and setup a nice little network between my imac, my powerbook, and my brother's mini. almost all of his files are from me (music, photos, videos, software, everything basically)

i caught him mounting my drives from my imac on his mini without saying anything to me about it. who knows what he was doing or trying to do. he must have somehow got my password.

so i am furious right now. i thought i could trust my own brother, but apparently not. for now i've set a password on his mini so he can't use it.

what should i do? my mom and dad never punish him for anything. i won't let this stand!

almost every file he has came from me. should i delete all those files off? put panther back on it? put back the 256 mb of RAM that came with it?

i haven't confronted him with it yet. i'm waiting to see if he admits it or something.

what would you do?

 

[eva01]

Just delete everything he took from you off the mini and actually get a good password on your computer

 

[mactastic]

Change your password. Do you still have admin access to the mini?

 

[Bobdude161]

talk with your brother first. Don't assume anything right off the bat, cuz if you start making action without knowing the whole situation this little episode can become a big fiasco. And don't come up yelling to him asking WTF he was doin, just ask him nonchalantly because you'll prolly get a more veracious answer. I know how these brotherly situations work, i got 3 of em.

 

[twoodcc]

well i have an account on the mini that is Admin. his account is not Admin. he is still young and does not act his age. (i know he's only 12, but i expect better)

i've already changed my password. but i want to know how he got it in the first place! i guess he saw me type it somehow.

and i just reformatted it for him! and as soon as i turn around he's stealing from me!

 

[Applespider]

I think you're over-reacting a little.

You say that most of his music and picture files were from you originally.

Perhaps he thought that if that was the case, you wouldn't mind if he just updated his collection. Sure, he should have asked but probably the most logical explanation; do you think he'd really be that interested in your personal files (other than perhaps any porn?)

 

[twoodcc]

I think you're over-reacting a little.

You say that most of his music and picture files were from you originally.

Perhaps he thought that if that was the case, you wouldn't mind if he just updated his collection. Sure, he should have asked but probably the most logical explanation; do you think he'd really be that interested in your personal files (other than perhaps any porn?)

well if he's anything like me, and believe me he is, then yes he would want to have everything that i have. so any programs that i have, files, you name it i'd bet he wants it.

but it's the whole "trust" issue that makes me mad. and the fact that he wouldn't even have the computer if not for me!

 

[mactastic]

Unless there is something incriminating that he may have gotten off your machine, I'd just let it go. Change your password so he doesn't get the opportunity again, and curse yourself for allowing your password to fall into someone else's hands. I mean, he is your little brother after all, not some hacker from god knows where.

 

[twoodcc]

Unless there is something incriminating that he may have gotten off your machine, I'd just let it go. Change your password so he doesn't get the opportunity again, and curse yourself for allowing your password to fall into someone else's hands. I mean, he is your little brother after all, not some hacker from god knows where.

true. but the fact that he tried to be that hacker angers me. i feel like i can't trust him, and he's never punished for anything anyways....i feel like something should be done

 

[jestershinra]

Personally, I think you might be overreacting.

I have a similar situation with my little brother (he's 13) and I don't mind. Most of his music came from my library--I let him use and copy whatever he wants. There are some files he can't get to (because of encryption) but, honestly, he wouldn't even know where to look for those. I think you might want to work up a little more trust between family members. After all, if he really cared he could probably get to your files if you didn't have them encrypted.

With my brother, I know he'll get, for example, the music he wants. Provided I have it, there are three options: A) make him buy it B) he'll steal it or C) let him have it. A is mean--why spend double the money? B is likely to mess up his computer (Kazaa, Limewire, etc.) which means I'll end up fixing it. The only choice, then, is C. I was protective for a while, but it really doesn't do you any harm, does it?

 

[Bobdude161]

other than copyright problems, what's the problem with having your programs?

I share anything with my bros as long as they don't mess it up. I let them use my Mac out of all the things that I cherish the most. You just gotta cool down, man. Sit down with him (as stupid as it may seem) and just ask him what he was doing. Simple as that. Don't try to "get back" at him, cuz that way is just pointless.

 

[mactastic]

true. but the fact that he tried to be that hacker angers me. i feel like i can't trust him, and he's never punished for anything anyways....i feel like something should be done

Ah come on, you're going back to college soon and he'll still be stuck at home with the 'rents. Isn't that punishment enough?

 

[Bobdude161]

Personally, I think you might be overreacting.

I have a similar situation with my little brother (he's 13) and I don't mind. Most of his music came from my library--I let him use and copy whatever he wants. There are some files he can't get to (because of encryption) but, honestly, he wouldn't even know where to look for those. I think you might want to work up a little more trust between family members. After all, if he really cared he could probably get to your files if you didn't have them encrypted.

With my brother, I know he'll get, for example, the music he wants. Provided I have it, there are three options: A) make him buy it B) he'll steal it or C) let him have it. A is mean--why spend double the money? B is likely to mess up his computer (Kazaa, Limewire, etc.) which means I'll end up fixing it. The only choice, then, is C. I was protective for a while, but it really doesn't do you any harm, does it?

So true, so so true, I feel ya on that one.

 

[twoodcc]

thanks for the replies. i just wish he would have said something to me about it first, then this wouldn't be a deal at all. but just let me get away with it?

i was trusting him, and he took advantage of me. how can i trust him now?

 

[mactastic]

thanks for the replies. i just wish he would have said something to me about it first, then this wouldn't be a deal at all. but just let me get away with it?

i was trusting him, and he took advantage of me. how can i trust him now?

He's 12! you can't trust a 12yo with jack. You still gotta love him though. Don't worry, when you're 30 and he's in his early 20s you'll be able to look back and laugh about this kind of thing...

 

[twoodcc]

He's 12! you can't trust a 12yo with jack. You still gotta love him though. Don't worry, when you're 30 and he's in his early 20s you'll be able to look back and laugh about this kind of thing...

yeah i guess so. i just expect more from my own brother....

 

[MultiM]

The only person you can really expect more from is yourself. Tell him what you discovered and how it made you feel. Maybe he has a good explanation. If not, and he's still not repentant, then kick his a**.(reasonably, of course) I'm sure you can find some way to punish him that will actully mean something to him. Good luck.

 

[twoodcc]

The only person you can really expect more from is yourself. Tell him what you discovered and how it made you feel. Maybe he has a good explanation. If not, and he's still not repentant, then kick his a**.(reasonably, of course) I'm sure you can find some way to punish him that will actully mean something to him. Good luck.

thanks. i'm sure i'll end up doing something. i see what he says about it. i can't do anything to him physically (he'd scream like a little girl)

 

[jive]

d) Stab.

 

[MultiM]

I find the more effective punishments are not physical anyway. Pain only hurts for a little while, but other forms of punishment can last for days and days! HAHAHAHA