My parents know little about the Internet and using computers in general. I find it amusing how they choose their words to term what I consider well known applications (Eg: Orange Google). It’s almost inevitable to take advantage of their lack of knowledge, on occasion.
However, I do help them. I won’t make up excuses as to why the “volume won’t turn on” just because I don’t want to listen to those badly recorded cooking videos Mom watches. I won’t tell Dad why his Picasa won’t work (because it kept running in the background after he closed it the last time) just because I don’t want him to import those unflattering family photos which he would then send to every relative on his contact list. Mom loves cooking and Dad love his Picasa.
But I don’t offer to help fix the sound on Dad’s laptop because the entire neighborhood does not need to be awake with the rest of us at 5 A.M. by a rooster we can’t murder. We still make our prayers on time regardless.
What I don’t like is how they tap at the keyboard keys again and again in frustration just because the application won’t load or do what they want it to do. There’s only so much a key can take before it gives up and dies on you.
What I do like is that unless someone tells them, they won’t know how to check their (or my) Internet browsing history (not that I have anything to hide), or browse network connections (or know of its existance) to find those folders full of *gasp* American movies (or my own collection of romantic flicks) and geeky T.V. shows. I’m pretty sure they don’t even know of the existence of this blog and if they did they would not remember the URL for long (not that I have revealed family secrets or blogged hate posts about them).
In any case, I like that they don’t know too much – that their questions can be easily answered by skirting around anything that might be incriminating. It gives me a very nice, floaty sense of superio security which I promise I won’t abuse. 
@ Philene: Ah, I can relate. It’s more so about losing the pages they were browsing (that they believe won’t be found again since it was so hard the first time) … mostly with mom though.
@ Skye: Hehe lucky you were smart xP. That sucks, I don’t think anyone would be comfortable with their dad receiving their emails, that’s too much of an invasion of privacy. I’d be paranoid that he’d be reading them.
@ Tammy: I remember the “goggle” =D
It`s only cute when you`re not busy… hahaha and cute when you look back to a degree. I don`t know if it`s really any better with my mom… I guess now with her telling my dad to “goggle” not google, things up is one sign of improvement maybe?
But the downside to their lack of computer knowledge is that should anything go wrong such as the slowness of the computer, the snail speed of the connection… or anything like that… it’s suddenly blamed on me and I cannot handle that every time something like that happens. >__o<
My dad was the opposite. Until I turned 18, he had it setup where my email forwarded to him and my internet cut off at 10pm and wouldn’t start until 8am. So I got my own email online and I figured out the password to turn the block off
At midnight XP That’s too cute. Admittedly, it can be frustrating but they’re actually much better off now than they were 2-3 years ago… which is saying something.
For that I can relate and do feel some similarities. However, at the same time, their ignorance can be frustrating. I must say when you get a call at midnight from your mom just for asking how to access a grocery store`s flyer is frustrating when you`re really tired.