rsk@pucc-h (Rich Kulawiec) (09/06/84)
(This seems as good a newsgroup as any...)
The recent posting of game sources and paths to game sources has
caused a bit of a dilemna...what do those sites which do not permit users
to play games do about this?
For example, here at Purdue, we (the computing center) do not allow
games on any of our systems; we simply don't have the spare cycles for it.
[BTW, before flames about "fascist policies" flow in: not my decision.]
The engineering net (ECN), across campus, allows games at certain times,
provided the load average is low enough.
Now, I'm not against folks sending out their game sources; after all,
the folks at ECN may want to install a game like "mazewar" and put it under
their games-watching administration; but here at PUCC, we're going to be faced
with multiple copies of these things that we'll have to hunt down...
Has anyone got any ideas on how we can spread fun software like this
around, but keep it out of the hands of folks who really shouldn't be running
it?
--
---Rsk
UUCP: { decvax, icalqa, ihnp4, inuxc, sequent, uiucdcs } !pur-ee!rsk
{ decwrl, hplabs, icase, psuvax1, siemens, ucbvax } !purdue!rsk
And the thing that you're hearing is only the sound
Of the low spark of high-heeled boys...dan@digi-g.UUCP (Dan Messinger) (09/11/84)
> Has anyone got any ideas on how we can spread fun software like this >around, but keep it out of the hands of folks who really shouldn't be running >it? How about a net.sources.games, or a net.games.sources group. Those sites that do not allow games could select not to receive that group.
eric@milo.UUCP (09/13/84)
The problem has never been just game software. Other examples of such problems were the list of Unix "holes" posted some time ago. One obvous solution is to limit access to net.sources. But this does not stop some of the damaging material that flows through unix-wizards and the rest. I think we just have to accept this as one of the risks of the network. Just think what could happen if someone posts an AT&T credit card number to net.general - given some recent court decisions, we might all be considered liable. For game software, I would recommend setting up some kind of "delay" in the net.sources group to let you catch the games as they come by. For the larger question, we will have to continue to rely on peer pressure, and threats of death by flame. -- eric ...!seismo!umcp-cs!aplvax!eric