Talk:Public computer

System requirements
we need to know if there are special machine requirements for these computers. How is it secure not for the user but for the machine itself to be exposed in a public place. are there any different options in order to chose different machines? (talk) 07:14, 18 April 2008 (UTC))

Historical perspective
Some more historical perspective is needed here. Not all public access computer centers depended on 'locking down' the PC or workstation, since not all PC operating systems have a common vulnerability set. A 'guest' account on a modern Linux system is typically more secure than a regular user login on a Windows XP Home system, for example.

In the old days of public access computer networks with terminals (the 1970s), there was no need to lock down the access devices, they were dumb terminals.

Other networks take a decidedly activist view against security as the central concept, since it's easy to wipe and reinstall a PC device.

Athena workstations at MIT, for example, published the root password, since it had little bearing on network security, and to remove the challenge of obtaining it.

(ref not working - ref details follow cite web|url=www.usenix.org/event/lisa98/full_papers/bushnell/bushnell.pdf|title=Anatomy of an Athena Workstation|last=Bushnell|first=Thomas |coauthors=Ramm|date=12/6/1998|pages=4|language=english|accessdate=2008-12-07