In Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 320519 Microsoft details how a user can change their Home Page settings via the registry.  Thus smart users can avoid GP's, IEAK settings or system policies setup by an administrator.  To add an extra smack in the face to network admins they list this as one of the causes:

  • Your administrator configured your home page by using the Microsoft Internet Explorer Administration Kit (IEAK), Group Policy, System Policy, or manual registry settings, for example, through a logon script.

    Come on Billy, this is not the best way to convince me as a network admin to buy and use your products.  Honestly it just makes me wish that I could control as much as I can in AD with a *NIX solution :'(  NIS just doesn't cut it for managing any number of desktops.

    • PS: I want to give credit where credit is due and thank Thom Price for submitting this to NTBUGTRAQ.