Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!mailrus!ncar!asuvax!hrc!gtephx!reesd
From: reesd@gtephx.UUCP (David Rees)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: Ten Commandments of Personal Computing
Summary: If the SO wants it...
Message-ID: <44cb85b1.f9df@gtephx.UUCP>
Date: 2 Aug 89 21:29:50 GMT
References: <66667@yale-celray.yale.UUCP> <1393@helios.mmsac.UUCP> <26833@agate.BERKELEY.EDU>
Organization: AG Communication Systems, Phoenix, Arizona
Lines: 28

In article <26833@agate.BERKELEY.EDU>, mwm@eris.berkeley.edu (Mike (I'll think of something yet) Meyer) writes:
> In article <1393@helios.mmsac.UUCP> eben@mmsac.UUCP (Eben R.S. Visher) writes:
> <I work with professional software people, and Scott's approach is our
> <rule of thumb among ourselves:  if you don't want it seen, then RSA or
> <DES it (of course, if you simply crypt(1) it, you're inviting someone
> <to spend 7 minutes with Crypt Breaker's Workbench).
> 
> This is a perfectly reasonable rule for a group to adopt. However,
> that doesn't mean that it's universal, or that it should be. There are
> places where that attitude will get you into trouble.
> 
> And that's the whole point: unless you know what the house rules are,
> and _know_ that everyone else understands those rules, then randomly
> browsing someones files is wrong.

The first thing I do when using a new system is to browse other user's files. It is
simply the fastest, and easiest way to get information about how the system is set
up. I agree with Eben's point of view... if the file has read access to the world,
or to your group, or just to you then you can browse it. If the user does not
want you to view it he can simply change the protections (or mark it personal).
If the system standard is for people not to be able to view each others files,
then files should be set with the read priority off automatically when created.
(I know of very few systems where this is not possible).

Of course, if the file (or directory) is named 'personal' that is something
different...

                                     -David