Please be aware that this machine is to some extent a public place, much like a gymnasium. Like a gymnasium, we provide space for your personal use. A gymnasium provides lockers, we provide disk space.
System operators will not normally examine a user's non-public files, however, they may do so for a specific reason such as to investigate excessive disk space consumption, to look for threats to the security or integrity of the system, or while investigating appearent system malfunctions.
Furthur, you should be advised that unless you take deliberate steps, any files you create are likely to be readable by any other user on the system.
If you create non-public files it is still possible that they could be read by others, either through your error or because of a system malfunction.
DSAS: 16 October 1997, DSC