[techtalk] Re: techtalk digest, Vol 1 #454 - 3 msgs

[James Sutherland]

On Sun, 13 May 2001, Linda MacPhee-Cobb wrote:

> >I beg to differ. You are running Windows, using Outlook Express, I'm
> >not certain that you're any sort of authority on Linux operating
> >standards. Linda currently has her box configured in the following
> >manner:
> >I think she has far greater things to worry about than Linux single-
> >user mode. When posting to a list requesting help or suggestion, it's
> >expected that one will at least make an attempt to understand what is
> >being offered or suggested by said list-members. (Read: When acting
> >like a troll, expect to be treated as such).
>
>
> ************************************************************
> You are correct, clearly linux mandrake 7.2 out of the box set to medium
> security is neither safe on a network or off.

Err... you opt for a *partially secure* configuration, then start
complaining that it's not quite as paranoid as you want it to be?! If you
want an ultra-paranoid configuration, ask for it - and read the
instructions on how to secure a system!

> You have probably scared off many new users who might have read this
> list and thought seriously about trying linux.
>
> If you wish for linux to become a mainstream operating system you must
> convince people that they do not have to spend hours a day pouring through
> manuals.

Unlikely to be an issue: even you admit that Windows 95/98/ME has much
weaker security in every respect, yet it is certainly mainstream! For 99%
of the population, the "major problem" you "discovered" just isn't an
issue!

> Most people have other interests, say physics, programming, families,
> hobbies to do and so on.

Most people outside government agencies don't care about "securing" the
system against physical access!

> as to the handle 'prettyphysicslady' 'physicslady' was taken.  I had hoped,
> as my female professors had encouraged us to do, that we let young women
> know that girls do do physics, science and computers.  Adding 'pretty' was a
> way to help dispell the stereotype that only fat, ugly women went into
> science.  I am not sure why professors at the college/university you went to
> did not encourage this?  It is done commonly here in the US.

I'd rather dispell the idea that appearance is a factor online... Those
who opt for usernames like yours often do so to provoke a response of a
sort not wanted on this mailing list!

> As for not believing that a female can be pretty/do physics/do computers/  I
> am very sorry for you.

I don't think anyone here has any doubt of that: there are plenty of
attractive female physicists and computer people around. They rarely bring
their physical appearance up in communications the way you do, though...

> I do not know which part of the world you grew up in, I can only be
> very thankful I did not grow up there.  You have made clear this is a
> stereotype that clearly needs to be dispelled.
>
> As for the troll reference I do not understand it?

Trolling is, in essence, what you appear to be doing here: being
argumentative for the sake of it, on spurious issues. You find a "security
hole" - the same "security hole" EVERYONE here found when they first
started out in Linux, which is documented all over the place. When we tell
you it's a configuration issue, and explain in detail what it involves and
how to disable it, you ignore that - instead, persisting in complaining
that Linux will "never gain mainstream acceptance" while it is so
"insecure".

> If I do not agree with you I am a troll?  Personal attacks weaken your
> aguments and show others that your point can not stand on its own
> merits.

It isn't a personal attack: your recent posts DO look like trolling. We've
explained to you why this is NOT a security issue, and how to secure your
system in the way you want - what more can we do, short of coming round
and configuring your system ourselves?!


James.
-- 
"Our attitude with TCP/IP is, `Hey, we'll do it, but don't make a big
system, because we can't fix it if it breaks -- nobody can.'"

"TCP/IP is OK if you've got a little informal club, and it doesn't make
any difference if it takes a while to fix it."
		-- Ken Olson, in Digital News, 1988