Socially Reclusive

You know that contract-like document you may have to sign before using a college / universitys computer network? I’ve just fully read mine.

The College reserves the right to monitor any
data stored on its equipment or transmitted to
or from its site. Users should not attempt to
password-protect or encrypt any data as it will
be assumed to be suspect.

Hang on, theres plenty of usage for that sort of thing. Company documents, surprise parties, “personal” photos. If its encrypted, then there is no reason you should be reading it. You don’t let use have full access to your documents so why should we let you into ours?

Send or receive encrypted messages
(except for secure transactions) without
written permission from the Director
of IT.

Like above, its so the “Director” can have a perverse sense of control.

Students must not download programs without
explicit staff permission.

Yet we have full access to a copy of Microsoft C++ Studio, it says nothing about the source code. So you can’t download programs but you can access the source code to programs and compile them on the system.

Streaming of video or audio material that is not
curriculum-related is prohibited as it may slow
down Internet access for all other users of the
system.

Except the media server, and the college radio station, and iPlayer and blah blah blah.

Although these restrictions are done for “our own good”, the network is full of holes easily accessable to anyone who knows basic command line options or the Search tool. Don’t worry kids, your admins here to protect you!

Trust your sysad kids!