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List:       kde-devel
Subject:    Re: Knowing when a screensaver is active
From:       Bo Thorsen <gobo () imada ! sdu ! dk>
Date:       1999-05-21 7:21:50
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On Thu, 20 May 1999, Kurt Granroth wrote:

> Andreas Pour wrote:
> > How would a generic message that says "You have new mail" reveal anything
> > private?  I guess one could genericize it even more by having a box that
> > says "An application seeks your attention" (with a "Dismiss" button) float
> > across the screen on top of the normal screensaver . . . .
> 
> I think there is an implicit pact with a screensaver when it is activated (at
> least when it is in "lock" mode) that it will keep your desktop hidden from
> unknown eyes.  Were a screensaver to somehow display personal information like
> this, then the pact is broken.
> 
> This is probably a subtle (or even non-existant) issue for most users, I'll
> admit.  For business users, though, this becomes a very real issue.

I agree that some users will consider this hostile, but the majority of
people using kde on stand-alone machines at home or in their office would
not mind that people could see this. In fact I REALLY would like to have
this, but I can't speak for anyone else, so could comments please start
coming in about this? If it is a feature people want, then I will
volunteer to do something about it.

> There is something called POPI (Protection Of Proprietary Information) at
> Motorola that is taken *very* seriously.  Three POPI violations are grounds
> for immediate dismissal.  Allowing an arbitrary user to access your account in
> ANY way while you are not there is a serious POPI violation.  Notification of
> the sort that you suggest would be considered "accessing a user's account".
> Really.

I fully agree and I could never dream of implementing something like this
if it wasn't optional.

--

Bo Thorsen
gobo@imada.sdu.dk
Lahnsgade 31, st.
DK-5000 Odense C
Tlf: +45 66 11 83 85

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