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Principles of privilege of access to SUMEX=AIM, —~

The SUMEX@AIM facility is fully funded by the NIH@BRB as a means to
further Pesearchs researcherelated education, and scefally beneficial
applications, im the field of computersaided intelligence as applied te
Realth, The SUMEX staff and SUMEX@AIM Users share an ebligation to the
taxpayers who previde the means to support this facilitys

1, To meet the setentifie ebjectives of the project,

2, To help build both a facility and a cooperative community that wil!
be ah even more effective instrument for such objectives,

3, To do these things im a way that reflects creditably on the valve
and Seriousness of our purposes, and om OUP Sense of responsibility te
the Sponsors, . ;

In the administration of the SUMEX=AIM grant we have been afforded a
Femarkable degree of flexibility and local responsibility im order to
Pursue these objectives with a minimum of bureaveratic interference and
Ped tape, If wa continue te operate and work om the system with a high
Sense of Prudence and responsibility, we may continue to enjay that
Peivileges conversely, we can see many instances where abuses by a
mingeity have led to the imposition of irksome restrictions and fussy
detail) of accountability om the many,

It (a the responsibility of the SUMEX staff to organize the system in
a way that optimizes these goals, and I believe we ean be proud ef aue
Performance with respect both to our sponsors and te our yvsers, We hope
thet users will comtinue to be cooperative and understanding about the
Reed for accountability, and that the reporting that is being asked is
at a mindmum credible level,

Im this note I will address some issues of USER respensibility in this
enterprise (never forgetting that efficient and imaginative science is
the superordinate aim), You will a1) have submitted scientific
Proposals that frame the Justification for your access to the machine,
Needless to say, experimentation with related frontiers of imaquiry is
o}so always to be emcourageds and al! of us will be making further
contributions to the general operation of the system as well as to
apecific projects, I hope that every yse of the system is such as to be
Juaelfiable against potentially adverse and eritical serutinys, for
reasons I have already stated,

Since recognized users are already wellainformed, and im a responsible
Poles the most likely source of misunderstanding may be in the area of
the delegation of SUMEX#AIM privileges to others, Project leaders of
COURSE mMUSt assume persomal rasconsiblliity for the instruction of thelr
ealleagues and essistants im the ethical yse of the system as
surrogates for themselves =» this is implicit «m the Projecteleader!s
Peqguest to establish new directories and userenames on his behal?, We
Will be posting bulletins from time to time to point out areas of
cOncerAl for example the careless and expensive preemption of
Phonesi{nes by imactive terminals or the neglect to logout Jobs before
disconnecting, (Vigilant conscience is our main alternative te a
cumbersome feeraccounting system,) We hope that users will indeed
aoeutinize the <BULLETINS> directory from time to time for file names
that Point to mews of this kind,
Besides the ‘official! delegation to a group member which is invelved
im setting Up a mew directory, users may have valid, perhaps even
VPgent reason to extend the yse of thelr own software ==to students and
Collaborators, to potential usera of mew subsystems, to petential
PecPultss and im other demonstrations, Such activity whem under the
9 “LEDERBERGaLTR,SUMEX;4 WED {2eMAR@7S 320GPM

user's immediate supervision pases mo special problems, and is an
sovieus extension of the project!s primary purpose,

More careful attention must be given to the delegation of usage that
iavelves tlending! one's password to enable independant login, This
Pracedure ie so Prone to abuse that ft must be generally diseouraged)
and if 1¢ {8 dener (¢ must be on the premise that the passwordeowner is
Personally responsible for the usage, (Or, a8 a special case, that a
group is funetioning as a collective usepaname sharing one directory,)

We tecognize the importance of giving many people the opportunity to
try SUMEX im an informal ways, and we pose minimum barriers to setting
up nilot accounts, Rather than lend their own passwords in a way that
ther defies further accountability, users should refer friends and
Preapects to me .

(e,0, by SNDMSG to LEDERBERG, or by maildwith requests for that
artvitege, We have so far refused no one who had any legitimate reason
to be jogged in,

Special arrangements have already been made with some projects like
«2x0 ENDRAL> and <MYCIN>) and these may be refined further im the
spirit of this memorandum== those projects are invited te comment on
thedr special needs prior to further discussion, In addition, we are
Pleaming te dealgn a special route for GUEST leagins that will previde
us with the appropriate contral and information pertinent to that kind
Of Usage, Meanwhile, the heapitality of SUMEX@AIM should be exereised
by Pecogmized Pilot accounts,

There i8 ome category of usage that may be calied

pecreationalseducational that poses some problems, It can be Justified
a8 9 way Of introducing young people to computing, and of offering play
te imagination in brie? surcease from arduous intellectual effort, I
would be happy if we had some Aleoriented games or gameelike dialogues
thet could better meid the recreational and investigative functions,
ar demonstrate a higher order of intelligence than a
paeudo=randomenyumber generator in competing with a user,
(Suggestions would be welcome,) This application ebviously must be set
at ea priority that assures that it cannot consume otherwise useful ery
cycles, Consefentious users might set the command @PER { while (nm that
made, and avoid tt altogether during prime=time hours,

J. Lede bers