[Computerbank] too many repeated problems

[Tony Joblin]

If forgotten passwords is becoming a serious support problem then we should
seriously consider shipping machines without login passwords. Windows users
seem to get by fine without this.

Alternatively make a really large obvious label with the password on it and
stick it somewhere visible on the monitor, keyboard or box.

What are we trying to protect against ? Other people in the same house ?
People on the net hacking your account ?

I would still keep a password on the root account. If they need this a lot
and can't remember it, make a label as I suggested above.

Tony Joblin,
Convenor - Computerbank Queensland
A Branch of Computerbank Australia Inc.
Box 1423, Coorparoo DC  4151
Tel: 07 3371 1311 (W), Email: cbq-exec at dstc.edu.au
http://www.dstc.edu.au/CBQ/index.html

----- Original Message -----
From: "Shaun Branden" <shaun at pcuse.com>
To: <computerbank at lists.linux.org.au>
Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2002 9:21 PM
Subject: Re: [Computerbank] too many repeated problems


> On Wed, Jan 09, 2002 at 03:13:44AM +1100, Bruce McCubbery wrote:
> >
> > I can't help with hardware or software issues but I have some chance of
> > helping with "human error" ones, including forgetfulness.
> >
> > Please spell out one common "human error" problem and let's try to bowl
it
> > over and then the next ... and the next.
>
> OK, I will give this a shot. Human error number:
> 1. I forgot my user name
> 2. I forgot my password
>
> after we master those, we can move to the next ones
>
> > This may appear to be a quite crazy suggestion at first but: why not
delay
> > the giving of a password until the person is ready for it? (I of course
> > don't know a thing about the password's reason for being) Make it a
> > 'graduation' stage, one beyond doing the introductory (correct term is?)
> > course, when they get home and they prove they're remembering and can
use
> > it all?
> >
>
> Bruce, the recips need the password to log in- that is the machine is
> unusable as a desktop without a password. It is indeed possible to ship
> out machines without passwords, but no-one would suggest doing that.
>
> Shaun
> --
> Shaun Branden, email:  shaun at pcuse.com    It's a damn poor mind
> icq: 10469563, homepage: www.pcuse.com    that can only think of
> public key www.pcuse.com/shaun/key.txt    one way to spell a word
> Computerbank SA:  www.linunix.com/cbsa    -- Andrew Jackson
> _______________________________________________
> computerbank mailing list
> computerbank at lists.linux.org.au
> http://lists.linux.org.au/listinfo/computerbank


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