From: S_TITZ@iravcl.ira.uka.de (Olaf Titz)
Subject: Re: New Princeton Policy
Organization: Fachschaft Informatik, Uni Karlsruhe
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 09:42:46 GMT
X-News-Reader: VMS NEWS 1.23

In <1992Sep8.193517.12597@eff.org> kadie@eff.org writes:

>...
>  	1.  If you have any computer account, you are
>  	responsible for the use made of that account. You
>  	should set a password which will protect your
>  	account from unauthorized use, and which will not
>  	be guessed easily.  If you discover that someone
>  	has made unauthorized use of your account, you
>  	should change the password and report the intrusion
>  	to a CIT Information Center. You should change your
>  	password on a regular basis, to assure continued
>  	security of your account.

Why only 'should' in that place?

>  	2.  You must not intentionally seek information
>  	about, browse, obtain copies of, or modify files,
>  	passwords, or tapes belonging to other people,
>  	whether at Princeton or elsewhere, unless
>  	specifically authorized to do so by those
>  	individuals. (Note: if an individual has explicitly
>  	and intentionally established a public server, or
>  	clearly designated a set of files as being for
>  	shared public use, others may assume
>  	authorization.)

Note especially that this explicitly PERMITS users to set up public
servers. Very good!

>...
>  	7.  You must avoid tying up computing resources for
>  	excessive game playing or other trivial
>  	applications;  sending frivolous or excessive mail
>  	or messages locally or over an affiliated network;
>  	printing excessive copies of documents, files,
>  	images or data. You must refrain from using
>  	unwarranted or excessive amounts of storage;
>  	printing documents or files numerous times because
>  	you have not checked thoroughly for all errors and
>  	corrections; or running grossly inefficient
>  	programs when efficient ones are available. You
>  	must be sensitive to special need for software and
>  	services available in only one location, and cede
>  	place to those whose work requires the special
>  	items.

This sounds good. But who is it to determine the border between
reasonable use and misuse? The whole policy does not state any means
of dealing with conflicts.

>  	8.  You must not prevent others from using shared
>  	resources by running unattended processes or
>  	placing signs on devices to "reserve" them without
>  	authorization. Your absence from a public computer
>  	or workstation should be no longer than warranted
>  	by a visit to the nearest restroom. A device
>  	unattended for more than ten minutes may be assumed
>  	to be available for use, and any process running on
>  	that device terminated. You must not lock a
>  	workstation or computer which is in a public
>  	facility. You must also be sensitive to performance

This means: 'If you must go to the restroom you HAVE to leave the
terminal open, so that other users can terminate your session if they
need the machine.' This is IMO simply unacceptable. Other policies
would REQUIRE to lock the terminal to prevent tampering with your
account.

>  	effects of remote login to shared workstations:
>  	when there is a conflict, priority for use of the
>  	device must go to the person seated at the keyboard
>  	rather than to someone logged on remotely.

Questionable. Which 'devices' are there to be conflicted about? CPU
and memory gets usually equally divided between users.

Just a few thoughts.

MfG,
        Olaf
-- 
    o     Olaf Titz - comp.sc.student - univ of karlsruhe - germany
 _ /<_    s_titz@iravcl.ira.uka.de - uknf@dkauni2.bitnet - praetorius@irc
(_)>(_)   +49-721-60439 - did i forget something?
What high-level language should one use for system programming? The only
 reasonable candidate today is PL/I. - Fred Brooks (1975)
Newsgroups: comp.admin.policy,alt.comp.acad-freedom.talk,misc.legal.computing