I'm not sure whether I agree or disagree. I guess it makes sense if that's what your used to, and there probably isn't too much wrong with it as a way of operating, else it would have changed a long time ago.

That said, Win32 allows any combination of Read|Write|Exec|Delete|Permission|Ownership rights to be applied on a per file or per directory basis, to either individuals or groups, so if AS or whomever built the particular build of Perl choose to more closely emulate the *nix view of permissions, then they certainly could. At least for files managed completely from Perl scripts.

It wouldn't even be that hard to set up a given machine so that the defaults settings followed the User/Group/World pattern. A few clicks on the permissions tab of the roots of the drives, and allow them to propogate would do it. Not so sure I'd want to relinquish that much control, but it could be done.

T'is a shame that the availablity of a point and click Systems Admin utilities means that SA in the Win32 is often seen as something that "anyone can do". This means that many of those charged with doing the task have no real understanding if the why's and wherefores of security, permissions etc. with the knock on effect that the OS gets the blame for the lack of sensible policies and admin on behalf of the sa's (no caps:).

Then again, if MS didn't insist on shipping the OS with the default permissions set so that every damn machine was and open (e-)book...

"the sins of the progenitor shall be visited upon its offspring"!