Getting Parents To Get Broadband
 

My parents aren't very technologically savvy, and they don't really trust me as the computer administrator (even though I'm 16 and am fully confident in my computing skills, and can even code in a few languages). They are paying 21 dollars a month for MSN dialup access, and I really kind of feel bad for them, because it's completely unnecessary to pay that much for nothing but a 56k connection. I've tried to persuade them to get a DSL connection for around 40 dollars a month from Earthlink, and since I get in trouble for large phone bills they could then get Vonage for 25 dollars a month (Voip phone access), which would be about 65 dollars a month for the same services that we currently pay 200 dollars for (with a conventional phone company). It's really quite annoying though, because they don't trust me at all with the system, so they don't trust me for advice. They won't get a high-speed connection because they were told when they almost got one by the computer guy at work that they were exceedingly insecure. My mother does a lot of private government work online and so she was scared by this, so they stick to dialup. I keep telling them that it's easy to install a firewall and keep it up to date, and that I could do this, but they don't think I'm too young to know how to admin a system without breaking something on accident, and well, I'm sure you get the picture. How should I go about persuading them to get a broadband connection?

take them to howstuffworks.com and let them see how a router works,firewall and stuff like that. And just to be nosey, why would you want a DSL connection with vonage (phone on top of a phone)?

I had the same experiance for a while. If I remember correctly(it was 2 years ago, I was 15, come on :D), it took my computer savvy uncle to show my parents that I was competent. Keep in mind however, that it's a mixed blessing, you become IT support for everything.

As for the internet, dial-up is just as insecure as dsl, or something else that's high speed, except that it's not always on.

NOT that I'm condoning this, but parents will eventually give way, so just keep dropping hints, any chance you get. My parents still get mad at me for doing that, so be prepared. It's a long haul, especially getting your parents to recognize your skills, but it'll happen eventually, I know it did for me, I did start about a year earlier than you(trying to get my parents to see it), and I'm 17 now. But then again, if you can wait it out for 2 years, then you go to college.

You CANNOT convince them. They won't trust you regardless of you compentence.

1. They either don't believe much in you technical skills and rather listen to the co-worker.
2. They do believe in your technical skills and think you are just trying to steer them for your own benefit.

Regardless its a loose/loose situation. Parents don't want their own kids telling them what to do. Your only hope is to give up until you're 18.(about the time I finally got the internet, at which time I was basically paying for it) You CANNOT reason with parents. Don't try it. If you're lucky, some other external source will convince them.
Otherwise save yourself the effort and frustration. In fact, consider yourself lucky. I did'nt have the internet at all when I was your age. A few years younger and I would've been just receiving my first computer. Then to top things off I had just about a 2 year dry spell with no computer at all, after having my brain teased with the first one. People have no idea how I can be good at computers with basically only 5 years of experience, 90% of which has been spent gaming, but I guess thats just the way the cookie crumbles sometimes. Frankly I'm ashamed of myself for having taken that long to discover linux, but it could be worse. Atleast I know what a computer is right?

:)

There's always good arguments to bring up outside of the 'i know what i'm doing' scope. I'd hate to have to do research for school projects on a dialup, in fact it'd make me want to bang my head in the wall repeatedly. Sure parents do not want their own kids telling them what to do, but when it comes to education... it's generally another story. When I was your age, all there was was dialup, and school was the reason I used to convince my folks that we needed internet access, bbs access just wasn't cutting it. I was lucky to have my first computer when I was 7 or 8, I can't remember (I'm 26 now)

You could always look around, see if there isn't a friend of the family that knows about computers and would help you convince them, or offer to make sure things are secure after you get highspeed. I'm sure your mother would get her work done faster on highspeed than on a dialup, I had to revisit the wonders of dialups last weekend at my mom's place, to surf the web for clothes, it's irritating, you spend 2 hours looking for stuff when it'd normally take you 30 minutes.

Don't Listen
 

Don't listen to him. They can be convinced. The howstuffworks is a great idea. Make sure to address the security concerns by showing how the router works. Most ISPs also offer anti-virus and firewall software to their subscribers. Don't forget to play up the money angle and point to that they'll now be able to use the phone while online - with or without VOIP.

Tell them if you dont get broadband your head will explode....

Get a job, buy and build your own system, then pay for your own broadband.
The do-it-yourself approach works in almost any situation.
It worked for me when I was sixteen :)

Also my parents eventually realized how useful having broadband was and took over the monthly payments for me.

Try doing $50.00 a month worth of useful things to help around the house and show you really want it. Then cut back on your high phone bills enough to offset the extra expense. Contrary to popular belief parents don't have an endless supply of money. Then "show" them the research you have done on securing an always on connection, don't just tell them you are a wizard. They need a reason to believe you and not there "trusted" source of info. If you want it bad enough these are not untolerable things to do. With some effort on your part you should be able to show them not just convince them that you are fully capable of doing what you say, and handling all the security and admin tasks. Good luck.

Get a job and pay for it yourself

The main factor that got my parents to switch to ADSL was a reduction in phone bills. At 25c per internet connection, we were clocking up > $25 a month on internet phone calls alone. We were paying $40 for dial-up, and got ADSL with the same company for $50.

Also, play the "Elderly grandparents" trick. While on dial-up, if anything happens and they need to get throuh ASAP, they can't because the phone is engaged for long periods. With ADSL, this is no longer a problem.

--Ian

Mention Verizon Online DSL. 15 bucks a month with a free modem.

I don't know...
I've since been more or less banned from our computer because my parents said that programming was dangerous, my mother said she needs it for work and can't afford to have me break it... I don't know what to say though really to get them to understand how computer programming actually works, they just don't get that it's to create applications. My mother said, "wouldn't youprogramming on the computer get rid of the programming that's already there??"
:rolleyes:
Also when I said that our apps were running slowly because there wasn't enough memory, they don't know the difference between system memory and hard drive memory and thought that what I meant was that the hard drive didn't have enough space left, they yelled at me to stop installing stuff.
:rolleyes:
Any ideas?? There has to be a way to explain this perfectly well to a completely clueless computer user...

ok, sounds like you need your own computer first and foremost. I would also have them read a "basic computing" article or book or something. But be polite about it. Don't be flip at all, be as respectful as you can. I tend to be flip w/ out trying to, and it just ticks my parents off more.

As an owner of my own computer, yeah I wouldn't people touch it- hardrive != memory but programs can eat memory!

Computers aren't expensive, save up...

and what ms/linux says is true- it seriously was silly how I pestered my parents for stuff- then I moved out before I could enjoy it.

but years are longer when you are younger! (0_o I'm only 18- cripes!)
Just don't make them kill you, ok? I second the techy uncle suggestion. You need to get someone to rave about broadband and how it really saved them money and time.
And the elderly grandparents is good- just don't harp on that one too much or they'll restrict your dialup time.

titanium_geek