Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wuarchive!uwm.edu!uwvax!tank!sophist!goer
From: goer@sophist.uucp (Richard Goerwitz)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.xenix
Subject: Re: SCO Unix 3.2 passwords
Message-ID: <5529@tank.uchicago.edu>
Date: 25 Sep 89 17:27:40 GMT
References: <1989Sep21.151325.8827@ddsw1.MCS.COM> <656@fiver.UUCP> <479@crdos1.crd.ge.COM>
Sender: news@tank.uchicago.edu
Reply-To: goer@sophist.UUCP (Richard Goerwitz)
Organization: University of Chicago
Lines: 20

A recent exchange:

>|  P.S. An annoying feature of unix 3.2 is password ageing. I don't know
>|       if its the same on the C2 version of SCO's unix but to turn it off:
>|       'passwd -x -1 login_name'
>
>  A good tip, but what may be annoying to a hobbiest is a useful secuity
>feature in some uses.

This comment is indicative of what is, sadly, a widespread fallacy:  That
anyone who uses a 2-user system without a need for password security is,
by implication, a hobbyist.  Many of us use personal Xenix systems for
serious work, but do all news-reading, mailing, etc. from a different ma-
chine.  I say this, not out of annoyance at the posting, but out of a
wish (naive?) that the Unix world not make the simplistic equation, single
or double-user system = (dumb or unimportant) "hobbyist."

                                       -Richard L. Goerwitz
                                       goer@sophist.uchicago.edu
                                       rutgers!oddjob!gide!sophist!goer