On Thu, Oct 04, 2007 at 09:29:15AM -0500, Tim Fournet wrote: > You're right, but the way I understand it, LSU isn't even mandating that > users choose a particular product.
No, I meant to say that LSU as the provider of connectivity (and maybe computers, too) is choosing to buy and implement this particular solution. The users don't /have/ to use LSU's network if they really don't want to, and if they do then they can use Linux of FreeBSD (not sure about Mac). In this situation, I am advocating LSU's right to chose how to administer their own network. I am not even bringing Windows into this. I haven't used it for years and don't know anything about it - certainly not enough to enumerate in detail why it "sucks". > All they're saying is "IF you use > Windows, it's gotta be part of our Active Directory. Why? Because > Windows is so insecure, and viruses run so rampant, that putting them > into AD is the only way we can exercise some sort of control over their > behavior." Putting a Windows box into AD allows them to set policies > pretty much every setting in the OS. It can set Windows Firewall > options, it can force installation of AntiVirus software, it can limit > users from installing malware, and it can enforce a minimum password > complexity, among many many other things. If anything, one can infer > from this mandate that Windows is a bad choice, but if you're going to > make it, LSU is going to do what it can to minimize the amount of damage > it will do to their network. > > To me this statement is in agreement with Will's assertion that Windows > is inherently insecure, but it also doesn't fully take that choice away > from the people who still want to use Windows. > > B. Estrade wrote: > > By mandating that a person or orgranization only use software from a > > particular source, you are taking away the right to choose - and THAT > > is the real evil in this situation. You need to realize that our > > economy is based on consumer choice, and you are advocating the > > elimination of this choice. You and I may not like the company, their > > practices, or the product, but I would rather have the right to choose > > (a crappy product) than allow myself to be spoonfed something because > > it is someone else's moral imperative. > > _______________________________________________ > General mailing list > General at brlug.net > http://mail.brlug.net/mailman/listinfo/general_brlug.net -- HPC Enablement Group Louisiana Optical Network Initiative http://www.loni.org 225-578-1920
