Looking through other users' (unprotected) files

[Stuart D. Gathman]

In article <1501 at jade.BERKELEY.EDU>, mwm at eris.berkeley.edu (Mike (Don't have strength to leave) Meyer) writes:

> In article <2849 at rsch.WISC.EDU> mcvoy at rsch.WISC.EDU (Lawrence W. McVoy) writes:

> >	If you insist on a real world analogy, try this:  it's as if
> >someone said, "Here, use my house.  There are other people that I let
> >use my house, so here are some keys.  Use them to lock up your stuff.
> >If you don't, anyone else can play with your stuff, just as you may
> >play with anything you find."  See the difference?  It's not *your*
> >house, it's everyones' house.

> Would you rent an apartment under those conditions? I damned well
> wouldn't. Would you get upset if you left your door unlocked while you
> left for a short time, and came back and found your neighbors
> rummaging around in your apartment? How about your landlord?

The answer to the above questions depends on whether we are talking
about strangers or family.  In a family or community setting we have
the situation described by Mr McVoy as typical of a *nix environment.
The assumption is that all users are friendly (non-hostile).  This is
not a good assumption for a public time sharing service.  It is hopefully
a good assumption for a company computer. 

In a formal setting such as landlord and tenant, we are much more 
private and not so trusting.  This is the better approach for public systems.
-- 
Stuart D. Gathman	<..!seismo!{vrdxhq|dgis}!BMS-AT!stuart>