[K12OSN] finding user passwords

[Will Hatch]

this is a sex offender program.  We reserve the right to have access to all student passwords, folders, history. I didn't mention this earlier.  Sorry about that.
> 
> From: Jim Hays <haysja at sages.us>
> Date: 2004/11/11 Thu AM 08:46:27 EST
> To: "Support list for opensource software in schools." <k12osn at redhat.com>
> Subject: Re: [K12OSN] finding user passwords
> 
> Quoting Gary Frederick <gary.frederick at jsoft.com>:
> 
> > Howdy,
> > 
> > Would it be better to just change the password as root?
> > 
> > I would not be comfortable with cracking someone's password.
> > 
> > Gary
> 
> I would not try to crack the password.  I would resest the password to a default.
> 
> A better question is "Why do the teachers need to know the password?".  Give the
> teachers rights to student folders.  This eliminates the teacher's need to know
> the password, unless, of course, the teacher is on a power trip and wants to
> control everything.  The only reason that I can see for a teacher needing to
> know the passwords would be for very young students where you expect the
> students to forget passwords and have login problems.  There are other ways to
> solve this that to have a manufactured fight between teacher and student.
> 
> Reset the password.  Tell the student that he/she needs to share his/her
> password with the teacher if asked.
> 
> The problem here seems to run much deeper that a technology issue.  Technology
> can't solve problems of insubordination, power plays, etc.  
> 
> If you want, you can take the previous suggestion of changing permission
> settings on passwd and not allowing students to change passwords, but this can
> be handled at the policy level by implementing a school policy that students
> must share passwords with teachers if asked.  (If that is a direction your
> school wants to go.)
> 
> Too often we try to come up with technological solutions for social problems.  I
> do not view a student not being willing to share a password with a teacher as a
> technological problem.  This is a student who is being insubordinate.  Steps
> need to be taken outside the realm of technology to deal with this.  
> 
> If you don't have a policy regarding student passwords and teacher's access to
> student folders, you shoule write one and get it approved quickly.
> 
> -----------------------------------------
> Jim Hays
> Technology Director
> Monticello CUSD#25
> Monticello, IL  61856
> -----------------------------------------
> 
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