Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!sdcdcl.span.nasa.gov!fasteddy From: fasteddy@sdcdcl.span.nasa.gov (John McMahon - NASA GSFC ADFTO - 301-286-2045) Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip Subject: BITNET clarifications... Message-ID: <8910261347.AA09691@gemini.arc.nasa.gov> Date: 26 Oct 89 13:47:47 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Organization: The Internet Lines: 34 ***> In article <8910251138.AA11562@alw.nih.gov> RAF@CU.NIH.GOV ("Roger ***> Fajman") writes: ***> ***> >I wish the Internet had BITNET-style sender-initiated file transfer ***> >that did not require the sender to know the receiver's password. It's ***> >very convenient. Sending files as email is not very user friendly. ***> ***> From: Randall Atkinson ***> ***> The ability of some arbitrary user elsewhere on a network I'm connected ***> to to put files in my account without (at least) password protection is ***> a security hole. I'm glad my systems aren't directly connected to ***> BITNET. Hmm... my systems are directly connected to BITNET, and I am pretty happy... But seriously, to clarify about BITNET file transfer... Files sent to a user on BITNET are stored in a "Receive/Spool" area, they are not deposited into a users directory. While in the "Receive/Spool" area, the user has an opportunity to see where the file comes from and examine it before it gets into the users directory. It's a fairly safe system as long as you are careful about what you receive to disk. /-------------------------------------+----------------------------------------\ | John "Fast Eddie" McMahon | Span: SDCDCL::FASTEDDY (Node 6.9) | | Advanced Data Flow Technology Office| Arpa: FASTEDDY@DFTNIC.GSFC.NASA.GOV | | Code 630.4 - Building 28/W255 | Bitnet: FASTEDDY@DFTBIT | | NASA Goddard Space Flight Center |GSFCmail: JMCMAHON | | Greenbelt, Maryland 20771 | Phone: 301-286-2045 (FTS: 888-2045) | +-------------------------------------+----------------------------------------+ | "Living a 9600 Baud Lifestyle in a 1200 Baud World" - R.A.J. | \------------------------------------------------------------------------------/