Old Data - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

4 Apr 1998

...
 << This struck a chord with me...

 >protection of data/software contained on the machine or disks. If you  buy a
...
  >camcorder at a consignment or pawn shop  and the
last owners left a  tape of
...
  >their after-hours playtime in the camcorder, is it
my responsibility  to
...
  erase,
 safeguard or return it? I think not. I feel the
same should apply to 
 personal OK, my father's car was stolen once, and
when we got it back, we
found a tape in it (apparently of a counseling session) that wasn't
there before. Is it our responsibility to erase it?
...

i'd  be willing to argue this somewhat. as an example, my brother gave  me a
...
 complete ps2 model 30 that was literally being thrown
in the trash. the
company he worked for was upgrading their computers. when i finally got  a hold
...
 of it, i looked at all the data on the machine. i found
some personal  data
...
 from someone who evidently used it such as resume, job
history, etc in
addition to work specific to that company. there was also a few other  programs
...
 on it, such as xtree, wp51, lotus and procomm. as i
deleted the data  files
...
 keeping the applications, i felt no responsibility to
the previous  user. it
...
 may not be politically correct, but i will save any
applications i find  on the
...
 computers i pick up.  I save my programs too, at
least to check what they are. Once I've
checked, I generally wish never to see the program again (weird games
that have no way to quit them, strange finance programs, etc.)

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