🚀 go-pugleaf

In another article, Elizabeth Schwartz writes:
>In article <1992Jul23.215931.13522@menudo.uh.edu> sears@tree.egr.uh.edu (Paul S. Sears) writes:
>
>>Today we have a very interesting and sensitive situation arise -- a user  
>>passed away and now the user's parents would like access to the user's  
>>account.
>
>>4) The current policy of Academic Computing is that the only person who can  
>>*legally* access an account is the one who signed the account application,  
>>which means that the parents cannot be given access.

>In essence I agree, but I don't think that will hold up. Look at it the
>other way. What gives the computer center the right to decide, for the
>family, that they cannot have access to this particular subset of the
>deceased person's possesions?  I think that is for the executor of the will
>to decide. 
>[...]

I disagree.  The account, consisting of the files (not necessarily the
contents), and the resources upon which they are located are property of the
site, not the account holder.  The site still has the right to deny access
to anyone but the account holder.  In my opinion, in all cases where the
designated holder of an account is unable to take responsibility for the
account, system management implicitly assumes ownership[1].

I see three possible solutions:

A)  Waive the restriction and allow the relatives access to the system.
    Perhaps additional restrictions could be placed on the account (limiting
    privileges, resources, time, et cetera).

B)  Transfer ownership of the account to the relatives.  Because the relatives
    may not be part of the university or college, a fee of some sort might
    be imposed.

C)  As suggested by the previous poster, provide the contents to the family,
    either through transferable media (floppy disk, tape, or whathaveyou),
    or through hard-copy.

[1] (footnote from above) Note that "ownership" in the context used in this
    posting denotes the rights and responsibilities of the account holder,
    as established by the system's administration, and not ownership in the
    legal sense.

 Steve "Stevers!" Coile                    scoile@gmuvax[{.BITNET|[2].gmu.edu}]
   disclaimer:  opinions are my own and not necessarily those of my employer.
            "Maturity is knowing when and where to act immature"