The flip side to that question is "Who is the owner of that computer?" If you own the computer, naturally you should have root acccess. If somebody else owns t

The flip side to that question is "Who is the owner of that computer?" If you own the computer, naturally you should have root acccess. If somebody else owns the computer, then that's their prerogative as to whether or not you get root access. There are hundreds of reasons for you not to get root access ranging from industrial espionage, to reading porn at work, or to stop you from installing malware. Build a better relationship with your IT department (or whomever that matters) so you can get more leeway and/or that root access you want.