Last Thursday I was using my sneakernet copy of putty on an NT
server at the Texas Workforce Commission to check email of
fencepost. I had been doing this for a number of weeks as I am
job-searching and have included my email address on my resume.
Some young male who refused to identify himdelf came over to me and
asked, "Are you using *telnet*?"
I replied that I was and he went absolutely ballistic! He claimed
that telnet was strictly against the rules and waved his hand at
the posted rules. The posted rules clearly state that these
terminals are to be used for job-search-related functions and no
programs may be installed that do not have direct bearing to one's
job search. I pointed out that I was checking my email for a reply
to a job-feeler I had sent out the day before (this was true - I
*was* actually using it for job-search-related activities that day)
and pointed out that I was not breaking any rules. He became more
agitated and re-iterated that I was brealking all the rules and I
must cease using telnet at once. I asked him why and he
disappeared. I quickly browsed my email and found the reply I had
been looking for, and managed to clumsily (it is m$) cut & paste it
onto my floppy before the young man came back with TWO POLICEMEN
who asked me to come down to the station. Flabbergasted I asked if
I was under arrest at which point they may have blushed a bit (its
hard to tell with blacks) and stammered that no, I was not exactly
under arrest. They explained that I had broken the rules on that
man's (they pointed to the still unnamed system manager) machines.
I pointed out that the machines belonged to the taxpayers of Texas
of which I was one, and also pointed out that I doubed I was
breaking any rules. I explained that it was mostly a technical
issue and if the unnamed manager could explain what danger I was
exposing the machines to by running telnet I would be glad to
stop. The unnamed one muttered something about opening ports, once
again refused to give his name (although by this time I had been
forced to show my drivers licence and give my ss#) and referred me
to his boss, who I will name in another post when I again have
access to a terminal with telnet. For now, I am curious if anyone
can give me a good reason why a sysadmin would not allow telnet to
be used (when the m$ equivalent of a daemon) is not disabled?
Thanks
.Tami
.signature: syntax error at line 1: `(' unexpected
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
(512) 699-7175
Austin, Tx.
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