In message <199709081751.LAA10345@mars.aros.net>, matthew green writes:
>
>finger when it calls it, and finger will not show non-realname
>gecos information if called with the `-g' switch.

I hate to bring this up just after you've commited it-- this
sounds like a useful feature, but...

>my reasoning for this is as follows:
>	- local users may want other local users to know about
>	  themselves.
>	- local users may want _non_ local users _not_ to know
>	  about themselves.

If this is really a policy for local users to determine, as 
these reasons seem to imply, wouldn't it make more sense to
make it controllable on a per user basis?  Maybe something
similar to the -N flag to identd(8) checking for '$HOME/.noident',
though I'd prefer to see the default be to NOT show the non-realname
gecos info, though.

>	- the administrator may want to provide finger service
>	  for various reasons.

It might be more useful if users can make the determination for
providing non-realname gecos info on an individial basis rather than
as a blanket effect, if so configured by the administrator. 

Any other thoughts?

:: Mike ::