Category: Let's talk
Hey all. Some of the topics I've read today drove me to post this one. For you jaws users or any screen reader user do you like your monitor on or off? I usually leave my monitor off. Also if someone is around me and the monitors on and I don't want them to see what I'm doing I turn it off. For example if I'm at work and I'm sending an email and I don't want other co-workers seeing what I'm doing I also turn my monitor off.
Troy
On my laptop, the monitor is left on, but set to deactivate after one minute of inactivity. I don't have a monitor connected to my DAW.
This is the good thing with pcs. With laptops unfortunately screen is always on or at least i don't know how to tern it off.
But if i had a pc probaply i would have it off because i wouldn't need it.
Interesting question.
lmfao, bauer! do you think many people here know what a DAW is? anyways, i keep my old CRT monitor off, unless i need help with something in the bios, or if there's something wrong with jaws. i have light perception, and can tell when i move the focus to something else.
Digital audio workstation, right?
yes cort, but you don't count. i expect you to know a thing or two. lol
I usually have my PC monitor off. Not sure whether it saves even a little bit of electricity that way, but if so, that's why I do it; if not, I wouldn't see the point of having it on anyway. *smile*
I usually leave mine off both at home and at work. I'm a "speed listener" which adds an extra level o security at work. My office cubeical is on the lab flor where our clinical computers are, and if I don't want a client or staffmember peering over my shoulder, between killing the monitor and speed listening, its a great way to maintain confidentiality of client information.
Lou
I don't even have a monitor connected at home. Work, however, is a different story. For over a decade I mostly kept my monitor off at work and it wasn't an issue. A couple of years ago, though, it suddenly became one, and I was told to keep it on at all times. the stated reason was so so supervisory staff could readily determine when help was needed, but that's as transparent as a window. The only reason they want it on is so they can look over my shoulder any time they want. Don't even get me started.
KL, that's amazing. I don't know what you do, but to assume you're incapable of asking for help is insulting.
Lou
usually since I use a laptop I use an external keyboard. This is because I can put my screen down and wear headphones.
Oo! Not a good idea to put the screen down while the laptop is in use. unless for one reason or another I can't wear headphones, I turn my flatscreen off on my PC at home where I'm currently sitting, but if I'm not using headphones, I turn it on. It has built-in stereo speakers at the bottom, one either side of the control buttons, two of which are volume up and down buttons, so I can have the speech and sound as low or as high as I need it.
Lol yeah I turn mine off at work especially if I'm doing something that I'm not suppose to, or gosiping with other co-workers via email about supervisors or other people. Lol I don't gosip I just do what a typical employee does. Also we arn't suppose to send personal email only if it's work related so monitor also goes off when it's time to send a non work related email.
Troy
DAW = digital audio workstation - san = station audio numérique. LOL And my monitor is generally off, just don't see the sense of turning the thing on.
mine's usually off, unless i need help with something.
i never know if mine if off or on, lol. i guess the only time it gets turned off is when the power goes out, lol
My monitor is off and unplugged, i don't see the need to use it. i plug it in if someone is helping with something, but otherwise, off it goes.
My monitor's always off, unless I want someone to look at something I'm doing. I find the glare very hard to tolerate
CRT's stay off most of the time, LCD's stay on! Actually, the two computers I have now don't allow for deactivating the monitor. The laptop's is always on, and the other is an iMac, hich has the cpu and all built into the monitor.
I've always felt that it's more obvious that I'm doing something I shouldn't be if I have the monitor off, just because of how odd it looks to a sighted world where looks are everything.
I usually have mine on, but when I'm doing something I don't want others to see I turn it off.
I wish I could turn mine off on the laptop. Or, now it doesn'T matter anymore, but I wish I could have done when I sneaked into MSN or the zone secretly during lessons why I was still in school. Lol. But usually I keep it turned on, jusat a matter of being used to.
My monitor is off, and stays off. I don't want others to see what I do on the computer.
I keep my monitor off as well I only turn it on when I need assistance.
Unfortunately the screen on my laptop has to stay on because I don't know how to turn it off, but if I'm working on a PC, I just turn it off most of the time. On the old screens, there's a big round button that you press to turn it off, but on the new flatscreen things, there's no buttons that are different from the others, so last night when I wanted to turn the screen of the pc off, I just pressed all the buttons because they all felt the same and I might have broken the screen, but it went off anyway. Oh well, te next person to use the computer managed to turn the thing back on.
My computer monitor stays on all the time. I'm usually left alone when I'm in here, and as the dog can't read the computer screen, there's no point in turning it off.
On all the time, but when I go to sleep, it gos off.
Why is it that we should be able to get that much privacy as turning off the screen when the sited cmmunity can't?
I think it's just because we can. I personally almost always have my monitor off at home anyway, reguardless of what I'm doing, because hopefully it will save at least a little electricity and because I obviously am not using it anyway. But at work or in another public place, I would agree with you there. I just couldn't see myself having the monitor off at a public place and doing something I know I shouldn't be doing at that place anyway.
Well, at a public place, the monitor stays on, but at home, for privacy sake, it stays off. You never know who will be in your room at any given moment, so keep the monitor off, would really help.
When I'm in my room, I don't bother wearing headphones, unless I'm at home and jaws annoys everyone. I can't turn the screen off on my laptop, but it gets turned of every time I use the computer. There's no point in having it on if I can't see it, apart from the fact that it's quite bright sometimes. I wear headphones at college and if I can find the off button, the monitor ges straight off, but on some of the flat screens, the buttons all fell the same, so I can't find it.
Damn Download!! If you can't trust anyone in your house, why do you live there? What is it you're doing that is so private? And, wth my other post, I merely was trying to make the point that if sighted people can't get away with doing something they're not supposed to be doing, why should we get the exception?
Well, It's no fair for the blind to be able to hide things on the computer, when a sighted person can't. Well, for your information, I hide quicknotes, instant messages, email, and even my private diary. I don't want my family to get a hold of this stuff, and spread emails and send my private files to others. My life is private, meaning that my family don't need to know everything I say in a phone call, email, or on messenger.
Um, Do your family really look at all that stuff? If it's your own computer you shouldn't worry about them getting on it and maybe setting a password might help.
Jesus girl, you need some serious help. PS Seriously!
You do. I don't understand why you're so worried. And, I never said you couldn't have your privacy, I merely stated that sighted people can't really use the computer, or don't know how to use the computer with the screen off. So, if they can't turn their screen off, why should you cheat and use your computer "privately" with the screen off? And, for a lot of you people using your computers with the screens off at work, many employers have keyloggers on their machines tracking everything you do, especially if you're in a government workplace. And, there are programs that allow another screen to display everything on your machine.
Well, It's my computer,but my mom uses it almost as much as i do, and she's gotten into my email before. Like I stated in other posts, I can't change my password. My mom even has messenger. She won't let me create a password for my files.
I ment a password for your computer. The kind you set up in user accounts.
If sited people want to have privacy they can learn to use a screen reader as well.
If they all learn that trick and start buying them, maybe we'll see a price reduction.
When using a desktop I do keep my monitor off, not only for privacy but it does save electricity and from what I hear they use a lot of it.
And what is wrong with having the screen shut on a laptop?
We can't see what sighted people do on the computer so we have the right to turn off our monitors.
We can't see what sighted people are doing on their monitor, but employers _can see what they're doing, so why should we any different?
Then don't do anything your not supposed to. That is hard not to do though.
I agree. Yes, it's a power saver, however, sighted people aren't allowed to do anything they're not supposed to, and it is easy for blind people to getaway with it.
Hi. I keep mine off as well. Ifyou want to protect a file like a journal or something, use axcrypt. It encrypts singtle files nd stuff. That's just in case some one trys to look at that file.
Any program with encryption has a backdoor for decryption.
That's to bad. how can you access a file that's password protected. I don't know.
My monitor stayed off in school, at home, and wherever I was (barring my laptop). My eyes were fickle creatures and hated any direct bright light, thus keeping a monitor on was imposible unless I wanted to spend the rest of the day in a dark room and a cold compress over my face.
I understand about the eyes problem. I don't understand doing it just to do it. And, as for you download, you accewss a password protected file or user account by typing in the damn password.
my monitor stays of most o the time but when I need help with something it goess on then right back off when the help is finished. Inorder to protect my personlal documets I put hem on to floppy disksand password protect thm
I never even bothered to hook up my monitor. It's tutally useless to me.
There isn't even a monitor connected to my everyday desktop. There is a monitor connected to the desktop that serves as a recording studio, however, and it stays off unless someone sighted either has questions or wishes to gain access. I'm not gonna listen to CRT noise if I don't have to. LOL
What I've described here is my home computing environment. Were I at work, the monitor would stay active indefinitely, if for no other reason than that kind of thing looks strange to people with functional eyes. Plus, you're more likely to be a suspect for some misdeed in that type of a situation. LOL
I'm getting a computer soon. I personally don't even want a monitor. It's a waste of space. I don't even ask someone sighted to help me with computer problems. I just solve them on my own.
That's all well and good providing your not having any issues with you're screen reader not talking.
And, Download, I thought you already had a computer.
I do, but I need windows vista for my college class, and I need a computer that can work with it. Also, if jaws is not talking, then that's just tough.
Why do you need Vista for college?
I wonder that as well. I have Windows XP, and I think that will serve my purpose for at least the next few years. Far as I know, there aren't many applications that don't support XP at this point.
I love xp. I'm only going to vista because my computer concepts class will be learning how to use vista, and I'll need it to do the homework assignments.
Wow! Computer concepts should teach you theunderlying parts of an operating system, dos, and not how to use thelatest OS.
Someone told me that our college might be windows Vista soon. My laptop is windows xp. Does a laptop still work with the screen closed? I use an external keyboard now, anyway. I've got a copy of JAWS and Window Eyes on my laptop now, so if one stopped talking I could use the other one.
Yes it does.
Go to the power options, advanced tab, and tab to where it says, "when I close the lid of my portable computer."
Change it to do nothing, hit OK, and there you go!!
Is that good for the computer? What happens if if you forget to put it on standby.
It can be quite bad for your laptop (especially if it's poorly vented, aside from that, it's not a good idea, really. A few screens have melted into the unit themselves so… your choice, I wouldn't want to risk paying another $800 for a laptop.
I agree. it isn't that great. It can heat up the screen and overheat the laptop.
I thought so.
Aw dang! I'm glad I don't have a laptop.
the monitor on my mother's computer stays on, I have nothing to hide. and on my laptop, well obveously it stays on. as for my mother reading my diary and other private things, she doesn't even atimpt it.
Don't have a monitor hooked up to this computer, but when I did, kept it off except for the times I needed sighted help with something.
Download, don't make what you've heard about laptops on this boards turn you away from them. there are other ways of turning off or dimming the screen than just closing them.
I'm not sure if dimming the screen would do any good. My parents can see quite well, and they could use a magnifier or something like that to see the screen. Correct me if I'm wrong.
If you buy a desktop cmputer, do you have to buy the monitor as well?
Probably but it's better to have one anyways.
You only have to by a monitor if you want one.
I think the only things Desktops come with are power cords and a keyboard.
Monitors from what I remember can be on the expensive side though notas expensive as the computer.
A computer with a keyboard is all I'd need and a paair of speakers. A computer minus a mouse and monitor would be a bit less expensive if I was to buy one. Haha! Mind you, the people in the shop would probably say "why do you want it without the monitor and the mouse?" Hahaha!
I just asked my mother about her computer, and she says, that the monitor came with hers.
Yes, they come with most of them.
DL87, it doesn't matter if your parents have really good vision. If the screen is dim, they won't be able to see much because there's not enough light. and wouldn't turning on a light in the room only create a glare on the screen?
I usually have it on (except of course if I write my diary). I just enjoy seing what colour s ome sites are and I like to see sometimes if I can see very big print.
I can't see the color or anything on the screen, but I think the computer screens can be bright someties.
Well, I have no need for a monitor, and thanksfor the advice about dimming the screen. There's no way I'd want to have a monitor or a mouse. All I need is computer, keyboard, printer, scanner, and headphones, and I'll be fine.
My screen is always off, even though this is my computer, and no-one else uses it. I've got a monitor only for the times when I need sighted help. I'm just to lazy to remember to turn it off when I've finished with it, so, it just doesn't go on. lol
I don't need a monitor, and I don't need sighted help.
You never know. What if you have to do something in safe mode. From what i heard, you can't use jaws in safe mode. There's some other system configurations you might need sighted help for.
Well, I wouldn't do anything in safe mode. What would you have to do in safe mode, and what things would sighted help be needed. If something needs to be done in safe mode or something like that, I won't do it at all. None of the sighted people I know know anything about a computer to help out.
So then you let your computer self distruct? If there's a problem and you can't fix it then what are you going to do.
My poor, poor dear sweet, er a uhumm a hmm, "monitor."
Don't know if "it,the monitor," KNOWS IF, it is...
Comming or going, Standing still or going back-wards ..
On, on and on, AND on again ~
ONLY to be turned off, well, hmmm
Not really off,
Just more so er ummm ..
Well, Resting {smiles}...for just a little while ~
Anywhiles.
~*TMN*~
6:30 PM {spprox.}SUNday, ~
OCTober 21st, 2007**
~*~*MICHIGAN Time Zone~*~*
Today my computer's sound randomly got muted so mom had to help me with the volume control. I knew how to get to it but I was tabbing around not knowing what I was doing.
A monitor may be a good thing to have, unless you memorized everything about your computer and don't need a screen reader or a sighted person.
Safe mode is something your computer can go into if something gets cerrupted.
Jaws it not usuable.
I've been able to figure out how to unmute myself if it happens accidently.
But it is still nice to have a monitor just in case.
If there's a problem with my computer and I can't fix it, then I'll do nothing at all. Even if it is unmuting the sound. I'll just make do if the sound is muted or use my braille display.
I also think memorizing every dialog box, every program, and every command will do me some good. One thing I worry about if my family attempts to help me with a computer problem, they'd attempt to hack into my files without me knowing. My mom has used my computer without my permission.
Is it your computer, or do you guys share it?
I have 2 screen readers in case one doesn't work and turning the monitor off means I can sneak into the zone when I'm in lectures and boed! Hahahahaha!
For the desktop, the monitor stays on most of the time. My laptop, I tend to dim the screen as far as I can. Haven't found a way to turn it off.
The monitor on my laptop is dimmed
It's my computer, but my mom and dad use it.
Hello,
When our family had a desktop computer, our monitor would mostly be turned on. However, when I was alone, I would turn it off. I have a laptop now and it always stays on--I'm not sure how to turn it off or dim it, and I'd leave it on anyway, in case I needed help with something.
BTW, we have our desktop back. I'm not sure what was wrong with it - but it's fixed. That's good.