Looking through other users' (unprotected) files

[Lawrence W. McVoy]

In article <3561 at mit-eddie.MIT.EDU> jbs at mit-eddie.UUCP (Jeff Siegal) writes:
>>In article <810 at aimmi.UUCP> gilbert at aimmi.UUCP (Gilbert Cockton) writes:
>>The first things a new user should be taught include:
>>	- how to use "chmod" to make a "personal" (safe) directory and
>>	- how to use "chmod" to protect an individual file.
>>Not using "chmod", then screaming about someone reading your files, is like
>>not locking your house and complaining when a burglar walks in.
>
>Does someone's home being unlocked give you the right to violate it
>without permission?  Does someone's desk being unlocked, or in an
>unlocked office give you the right to look through it?  Does someone's
>files being in a world-readable directory, or set world-readable give
>you the right to read them.  I think not.  

>Jeff Siegal

Well, Jeff, you are 100% wrong here.  The analogy between a home and a
computer is not in any way shape or form a valid one.  Unless that disk 
that is spinning around belongs to you personally, you can't tell me 
which bytes I can and cannot look at by suggesting that it is immoral
for me to look at bytes without my name on them.  You have been given
a means by which you may deny me access.  If you choose not use this
mechanism, then you have given me implicit permission to look at your
files.  

	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.

-- 
Larry McVoy 	        mcvoy at rsch.wisc.edu, 
      		        {seismo, topaz, harvard, ihnp4, etc}!uwvax!mcvoy

"They're coming soon!  Quad-stated guru-gates!"