Open Port Indicator?

[Peter Whittaker]

On Tue, 2007-20-03 at 14:15 +0100, Laurent wrote:
> > In Fritz's case, it is common in training groups to enable a classroom
> > using crash-and-burn all-access-allowed machines: You image the machines
>
>     It joins the preceding discussion about education to security : I 
> think that it is better to make students used to type passwords. You can 

There is an assumption in these statements that the students are taking
a computer course, or a computer related course.

If they are taking a computer-assisted course on forest management, the
"computer stuff" can get in their way... ...and see comments below re no
need for authentication in certain cases.

>     If passwordless account are bad in "real" live, then there are bad 
> in education live. That seems clear for me, no ?

Authentication has its place. But authentication is not always necessary
or desirable.

When was the last time you authenticated to a public web site?

We authenticate ourselves to our computers because we have confidential
information we wish to limit to approved users, and information the
unauthorized modification or deletion of which could impact our lives.

Likewise why our employers have us authenticate to their machines.

But when there is no confidential information available to the
unauthenticated user, and when the unauthenticated user cannot affect
the integrity or availability of the computer and the information it
contains, then authentication is unnecessary.

(Comments re cracking aside, as the authenticated user can crack too.)

I think we are in danger of spinning wildly off-topic. :->

I can live with the suggestion that this be settable via gconf, as was
suggested for UC4. I'd prefer something more managed (disable until
reboot/sessionRestart), but settable otherwise is OK.

pww

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