Is there a lock on your trading room door?

Finished trading fairly early today, but left the PC on so I could keep an eye on things every now and again. A few people round, kids playing, a few glasses of wine...

Came upstairs just now to find my four-year old had just been 'playing' with the mouse and keyboard - managed to get the IB screen up, had orders in the system, had managed to close positions, had managed to trash the excel sheets I keep all my records in (but thank god had not managed to 'save'). 'Kin 'ell, talk about a panic. Have just spent twenty minutes sorting everything out and reckon she's cost me a couple of hundred quid but could have been much, much worse! Tomorrow, a lock goes on the study door!!

Mind you, maybe she's just showing early promise as a trader!

...door???

actually a password on the PC would be as effective - but the point remains, until it happens, do people bother about it?

...much like pc backups: do you do it before the 'accident', or after when all data is gone???

free4440273 said:

...much like pc backups: do you do it before the 'accident', or after when all data is gone???

Click to expand...

er, that reminds me....


btw, have just downloaded this:

http://www.maxa-tools.com/maxa-lock/indexe.htm

unless anyone knows of a better solution?


EDIT: Have subsequently discovered that you can set various levels of password protection through Windows anyway...doh!

Being a paranoid person anyway, I've got everything covered twice!

I thankfully have no kids running around to get on my PC's but still protect for 'accidents' at a party or something. It actually helps me not make drunken mistakes as its that much hassle to remember all the passwords sober!

I've got the house security rigged up like fort know anyhow and once past all the cameras, you'd need to get through 3 passwords to open any trading related work to start with!

I back up and clean the PC's daily with various software but then use dirlock (download.com search it) and then windows passwords too so all files are hidden and locked.

Just looked at the MAXA one JOC and it looks good, may have to add it too.

Jack o'Clubs said:

er, that reminds me....


btw, have just downloaded this:

http://www.maxa-tools.com/maxa-lock/indexe.htm

unless anyone knows of a better solution?


EDIT: Have subsequently discovered that you can set various levels of password protection through Windows anyway...doh!

Click to expand...

what would happen if you just pulled out the mouse and keyboard USB plugs from the back of the PC, and re-plugged them when you returned ?
(that would stop any kids from accidentally triggering trades, no matter how they played with the keyboard or mouse)
would you be required to re-boot?

Had exactly the same thing happen to me friday just gone. Left comp running with just the t2w game and a few charts minused to the task bar. Luckily no real accounts open.

I'm out around midday, (don't normally trade around nfp) and wife allows little nephew (read Brat) to 'play' on the computer. Get back in the afternoon and the game is down around 350 pips with some weird trades gone through. (All 4 currencies traded the same way at one point).

Lesson learnt and will make sure nothing is left running on comp if I have to go out and people are round. Little brat has received the promise of having hands separated from wrists if he ever does anything like that again. Have also told him that his pocket money is coming to me for the next 30 years as I told him it was real money and he owes me.

Kids cry at the slightest thing nowadays.

I bet you nearly had to visit the bathroom in a rush. Only one thing can save you from this type of disaster in the future...... Show your children how to trade... My little girl (5yrs) watches me chart a pretends to do the same with her drawing pad and crayons. Looking at the charts and trend lines she draws, I don't know if I should find it funny or get worried she will clean out my account in a few years.

I use password protection and will log out (but not shut down) when away from my screen.

I've also created a separate log in for my niece and nephew when they want to play online games etc (well, it's better than using administrator log in )

Moxy9 said:

I bet you nearly had to visit the bathroom in a rush. Only one thing can save you from this type of disaster in the future...... Show your children how to trade... My little girl (5yrs) watches me chart a pretends to do the same with her drawing pad and crayons. Looking at the charts and trend lines she draws, I don't know if I should find it funny or get worried she will clean out my account in a few years.

Click to expand...

Or her hubby's. Or both!! My advice? Keep the door locked.

Split

Can never be too careful

I record market data for analysis and I leave my PC on and logged into my trading account so recording can continue whilst I go out and do some shopping. I have now password protected Windows because I was worried that someone will break into my flat and make some unauthorised trades whilst I'm gone.