[brlug-general] Active Directory Mandated at LSU

[B. Estrade]

On Thu, Oct 04, 2007 at 09:29:15AM -0500, Tim Fournet wrote:
> You're right, but the way I understand it, LSU isn't even mandating that 
> users choose a particular product. 

No, I meant to say that LSU as the provider of connectivity (and maybe computers, too) is choosing to buy and implement this particular solution.  The users don't /have/ to use LSU's network if they really don't want to, and if they do then they can use Linux of FreeBSD (not sure about Mac). In this situation, I am advocating LSU's right to chose how to administer their own network.

I am not even bringing Windows into this.  I haven't used it for years and don't know anything about it - certainly not enough to enumerate in detail why it "sucks". 

> All they're saying is "IF you use 
> Windows, it's gotta be part of our Active Directory. Why? Because 
> Windows is so insecure, and viruses run so rampant, that putting them 
> into AD is the only way we can exercise some sort of control over their 
> behavior." Putting a Windows box into AD allows them to set policies 
> pretty much every setting in the OS. It can set Windows Firewall 
> options, it can force installation of AntiVirus software, it can limit 
> users from installing malware, and it can enforce a minimum password 
> complexity, among many many other things. If anything, one can infer 
> from this mandate that Windows is a bad choice, but if you're going to 
> make it, LSU is going to do what it can to minimize the amount of damage 
> it will do to their network.
> 
> To me this statement is in agreement with Will's assertion that Windows 
> is inherently insecure, but it also doesn't fully take that choice away 
> from the people who still want to use Windows.
> 
> B. Estrade wrote:
> > By mandating that a person or orgranization only use software from a 
> > particular source, you are taking away the right to choose - and THAT 
> > is the real evil in this situation. You need to realize that our 
> > economy is based on consumer choice, and you are advocating the 
> > elimination of this choice. You and I may not like the company, their 
> > practices, or the product, but I would rather have the right to choose 
> > (a crappy product) than allow myself to be spoonfed something because 
> > it is someone else's moral imperative.
> 
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