non-superuser chown(2)s considered harmful

[Sean Eric Fagan]

In article <660809780.21869 at mindcraft.com> karish at mindcraft.com (Chuck Karish) writes:
>Anyway, changing a file's ownership isn't necessary for sharing.
>Changing its ownership handicaps the previous owner's access just
>as it enhances the new owner's access.  Group access is the
>right way to share files.

Ok. I create a file, for the sole purpose of giving to a friend of mine, who
doesn't happen to be in my group.  Without making the file world-readable
(which I don't want to do for various reasons), how do I let my friend read
it?

Given the ability to do chown(), I would just chown() the file over to him.
If I thought I might want to read or write it later, I might leave it group
readable/writable.

Not being able to do a chown() means that, when I find a file I like in a
directory I own (it happens!), I have to copy it, remove it, and then rename
it back.  Oh, boy.  Such ease.

-- 
Sean Eric Fagan  | "I made the universe, but please don't blame me for it;
sef at kithrup.COM  |  I had a bellyache at the time."
-----------------+           -- The Turtle (Stephen King, _It_)
Any opinions expressed are my own, and generally unpopular with others.