Item belongs_to :user attr_accessible :user is this safe? Item.user_id is still protected, and Item.user can''t be set by mass assignment from a web request because the parameters are all strings - trying to assign a string to Item.user raises AssociationTypeMismatch. Even setting params[''item''][''user''] to an empty string would raise an error. The benefit of this approach is that I can still use mass assignment of associations in my own code. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ruby on Rails: Talk" group. To post to this group, send email to rubyonrails-talk-/JYPxA39Uh5TLH3MbocFF+G/Ez6ZCGd0@public.gmane.org To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rubyonrails-talk+unsubscribe-/JYPxA39Uh5TLH3MbocFF+G/Ez6ZCGd0@public.gmane.org For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-talk?hl=en.