Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!rutgers!ll-xn!mit-eddie!genrad!decvax!decwrl!labrea!glacier!mips!mash From: mash@mips.UUCP Newsgroups: net.unix Subject: Re: Looking through other users' (unprotected) files Message-ID: <733@mips.UUCP> Date: Sun, 26-Oct-86 13:15:30 EST Article-I.D.: mips.733 Posted: Sun Oct 26 13:15:30 1986 Date-Received: Mon, 27-Oct-86 01:52:11 EST References: <1332@mit-trillian.MIT.EDU> Reply-To: mash@mips.UUCP (John Mashey) Organization: MIPS Computer Systems, Sunnyvale, CA Lines: 42 I missed the early stages of this, so let me add just a few terse facts to the discussion: a) In early years in UNIX, it was explicitly assumed by everybody that files left readable could be looked at by everybody, and that you would keep files not to be desired so under unreadable directories. On many machines, default file creation mode was 0666, and in fact, many people left most files writable, as well as readable. b) New people were often explicitly told to rummage around; often the most interesting stuff was not yet placed into the public source directories. Thus, this style was a generally approved part of UNIX culture/folklore. c) As there got to be more UNIX systems living in computer centers [as opposed to serving small tight-knit groups), it was less clear that a) and b) were uniformly desired by everybody. d) After a lot of wrangling around amongst groups with differing philosophies, umask(2) was added specifically to allow the "open-ness level" of system to be controlled at the system, group, and user level, because it was CLEAR that people disagreed, quite legitimately, about the appropriate levels needed. Thus, this issue comes down to cultural expectations, which reasonably differ. There is no right or wrong answer, only the need for people to understand the local rules and deal with them appropriately. A good analogy, since people have been talking about doors, and burglars, etc, is the following: What does it mean if somebody has their office door closed? In some places, it means "Absolutely do not disturb". In some, it means "Probably don't bother me, but since I don't have my "DO NOT DISTURB" sign up, it's OK." In some, it doesn't mean anything: everyone always has their door closed. (I've heard that this is more the style in Germany, for example. See Edward T. Hall, "The Hidden Dimension", 1969, Doubleday Anchor, Garden City, NY, for example, on the use and meaning of space. Especially interesting are the sections dealing with the problems when people's unconscious assumptions clash due to different cultural backgrounds.) -- -john mashey DISCLAIMER: UUCP: {decvax,ucbvax,ihnp4}!decwrl!mips!mash, DDD: 408-720-1700, x253 USPS: MIPS Computer Systems, 930 E. Arques, Sunnyvale, CA 94086