Looking through other users' (unprotected) files

[Susan Richter]

In article <1759 at tektools.UUCP> jerryp at tektools.UUCP (Jerry Peek) writes:
>In article <810 at aimmi.UUCP> gilbert at aimmi.UUCP (Gilbert Cockton) writes:
>> ...UNIX books and lecturers encourage the
>> reading of files in other people's bin directories and up in the /usr
                    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^        ^^^^^^^^^^^
		    		these are very different cases!!
>> partition. It's a good way of learning your way around UNIX.
>
>Not using "chmod", then screaming about someone reading your files, is like
>not locking your house and complaining when a burglar walks in.
>
I couldn't complain if a burglar (read "malicious user") walked in.
Burglars have no compunction about going where they know they're not
supposed to be;  in fact, that's their job :-).

If I knew that burglars were in the neighborhood, I would be sure to
take the necessary precautions to make it at least inconvenient for them.
However, I *certainly* wouldn't expect any average, law-abiding citizen
(user) to take the liberty of walking into my house uninvited.  In fact,
I wouldn't expect said citizen to even try the door to *see* whether it's
unlocked.  

People (read "normal, non-criminal types") follow a certain ethic of respect
for others' real property;  why does there seem to be a suspension of that
ethic when we're talking about information stored in files and directories?
I mean, "access to the UNIX file system" is remarkably analogous to
"access to buildings in the real world".

In the real world, there are "public" or corporately owned areas, which may
or may not be actually accessible to the public:  for example, libraries have
large stacks for browsing, but many also have areas that either require
special permission to go into, or contain materials that librarians must
handle on your behalf.  People are *expected* to walk into public libraries
and browse around;  no one accuses them of "snooping" or "breaking and
entering".  The restricted areas are clearly marked, and most people (at
least, the sort of people you find in public libraries) wouldn't think of
trying to break into them.

In the real world, people don't go around trying the doors on strange
houses to "look around and see what they can find".  No one says, "Hmm,
the door is unlocked -- it must be OK to come in here."

    ==>  Public places have different rules than private places. <==

				- Susan
				trwrb!randvax!richter