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From: leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)
Newsgroups: comp.admin.policy
Subject: Re: excuses for violating people's rights
Message-ID: <1991Jun10.055342.4472@qiclab.scn.rain.com>
Date: 10 Jun 91 05:53:42 GMT
Article-I.D.: qiclab.1991Jun10.055342.4472
References: <1991Jun8.025350.10510@mailer.cc.fsu.edu>
Reply-To: 70465.203@compuserve.com
Organization: SCN Research/Qic Laboratories of Tigard, Oregon.
Lines: 32

otto@fsu1.cc.fsu.edu (John Otto) writes:

>That's what I keep reading here.  Administrators keep saying, "Well, I 
>never get into people's files.... unless I really feel like it would be 
>more convenient to do so than the alternatives available."  Then there's 
>"People have a right to free speech, except when they say something I don't 
>like."

Well, sorry if you don't like it, but there *are* legitimate reasons for
going file prowling. I just spent *hours* prowling thru people's files.
We upgraded a server, and the volume names got consolidated. So I had
to grep thru BAT & PRG files to find all references to the old names. Then
I took the result list and examined *those* files to see if they really
needed changing. 

Nothing else was touched. But Monday morning, 99% of the *work* related 
applications that are the whole reason for the server will work correctly.
And we'll be able to spare the time to help with the stuff that slipped
by us.

A more "questionable" "search" will be when we get the policy published
regarding pirated software. The we *will* be searching every directory
on every machine and server for illegal copies of software. Sounds draconian, 
doesn't it? Well, the court cases show that the *company* will be held
liable if we don't.

But normally, I only see a user's directory if they ask me for help with
something.
-- 
Leonard Erickson			leonard@qiclab.uucp
personal:	CIS: [70465,203]	70465.203@compuserve.com
business:	CIS: [76376,1107]	76376.1107@compuserve.com