Re: Best explanation why NOT to run as administrator/root

[Tony Chung <tonyc -at- tonychung -dot- ca>]

The other question is: It's a VM. Who cares what happens to it? Why don't
you just keep thrashing it until it gets too tough to work with, then
delete the VM and replace with a backup.

All your working files should be checked into the main repo anyway.

-T


On Tue, Apr 30, 2013 at 11:48 AM, McLauchlan, Kevin <
Kevin -dot- McLauchlan -at- safenet-inc -dot- com> wrote:

> It's a VM, intended for both of us. We are not the admin for the VM
> itself, but we are the admin for the Server OS that is running in it.
>
> I just happened to be the point guy, getting it set up.
> It's not an authority thing.  The other writer is legitimately my backup
> in this VM. If either of us gets hit by a bus... yadda-yadda...
>
>
> From: John Posada [mailto:jposada99 -at- gmail -dot- com]
> Sent: April-30-13 2:01 PM
> To: McLauchlan, Kevin
> Cc: Tech Writers
> Subject: Re: Best explanation why NOT to run as administrator/root
>
>
> Kevin...the mistake you made was passing on a credential that was given TO
> YOU. Unless you ARE the admin, you really had no authority to do so. If the
> other writer needed it, he should have been given it by the authorized
> party like you were.
> On Apr 30, 2013 12:18 PM, "McLauchlan, Kevin" <
> Kevin -dot- McLauchlan -at- safenet-inc -dot- com<mailto:Kevin -dot- McLauchlan -at- safenet-inc -dot- com>>
> wrote:
> All,
>
> Who can recommend the best and most persuasively presented summary of why
> one should NOT log in as Administrator (or root) for every-day, ongoing
> computer use?  To me, it's been a given for as long as I've been using
> networked computers. To my cow-orker, apparently not-so-much.
>
> We were given a VM in which to run our apps (like Flare, GIMP, Visio,
> various other tools, etc.).
> The server owner installed Windows Server 2008 SP2, and handed me the
> location and the Administrator password.
> I created a regular user account for myself, and one for the other local
> techwriter in our office.
> I started using my user account.
> I gave the other guy his credentials AND the Administrator PW, since we
> are each other's backup, and I expected some sense from him.
>
> He soon began logging in as Administrator, as a matter of course.
> I said "stop that".
> He said "Why? I know better than to break things, and besides, I had a
> problem with my username account."
>
> [snip]
>
> The information contained in this electronic mail transmission
> may be privileged and confidential, and therefore, protected
> from disclosure. If you have received this communication in
> error, please notify us immediately by replying to this
> message and deleting it from your computer without copying
> or disclosing it.
>
>
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> From our sponsor Doc-to-Help: Want to see a Doc-To-Help web-based Help
> sample with DISQUS for user commenting?
>
> Learn more: http://bit.ly/13xpg5n
>
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>
> You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as tonyc -at- tonychung -dot- ca -dot- 
>
> To unsubscribe send a blank email to
> techwr-l-leave -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
>
>
> Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-  Visit
> http://www.techwhirl.com/email-discussion-groups/ for more resources and
> info.
>
> Looking for articles on Technical Communications?  Head over to our online
> magazine at http://techwhirl.com
>
> Looking for the archived Techwr-l email discussions?  Search our public
> email archives @ http://techwr-l.com/archives
>
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>From our sponsor Doc-to-Help: Want to see a Doc-To-Help web-based Help sample with DISQUS for user commenting?

Learn more: http://bit.ly/13xpg5n

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- web -dot- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- 

To unsubscribe send a blank email to
techwr-l-leave -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com


Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-  Visit
http://www.techwhirl.com/email-discussion-groups/ for more resources and info.

Looking for articles on Technical Communications?  Head over to our online magazine at http://techwhirl.com

Looking for the archived Techwr-l email discussions?  Search our public email archives @ http://techwr-l.com/archives