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  From: Andrew Reid <andrew.reid@plug.cx>
  To  : Jason Tan <jason@rebel.rebel.net.au>
  Date: 24 Apr 2001 12:12:09 +0930

RE: MS Curriculum at schools and TAFEs ...

On 24 Apr 2001 11:56:42 +0930, Jason Tan wrote:

> This point is very debatable even eperienced unix administratorts make
> mistakes as root.

Depends how experienced. It's not often that you 'accidently' type 
rm -rf /

> And the mistakes can be very catastrophic.

If you don't really know what you're doing, you shouldn't be accessing a
terminal as root.

> Without clmaing to be an experiecned unix sys admin, my worst was killing
> job %1, but oops I forgot the percent. Night night init. doh!.
> 
> I would very much argure that adminstrator privilidge on any system is
> dangerous regardless, in inexperienced hands.

Dangerous is the wrong word. Potential to be catastrophic is more
fitting. There's also potential that I'll accidently put a Windows boot
disk with format c: in the autoexec.bat.

> I migt also argue that with gui systems _soemtimes_ there is a more wordy
> explanationof what you are about to do, assuign you read it, which is nto
> there for clis.

I think the line under sometimes needs to be darker. GUI tools are
generally very inflexible. They're designed to do one or two things
only. If you try to extend them too far, nasty things start to happen
behind your back.

   - andrew

-- 
Andrew Reid                   email: andrew.reid@plug.cx
                              www:   http://www.plug.cx
"If ignorance is bliss        phone: +61 401 946 813
 why aren't there more 
 happy people?"


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