Friday, July 30, 2004
Password chaos
It's finally happened. All the passwords, usernames, and security questions that I have tried to keep manageable have all merged into one big Login in my head. I'm trying to get into my T-Mobile email account, which is a different login to my T-Mobile phone account (why, T-Mobile?). I think the username is my mobile number, but I can't remember my password. it's not any of my standard ones, which means they probably forced to have another one. so I clicked on "I forgot my password", and I'm told that I have set-up a security password that will allow them to email my details to me. did I? now, if I can't remember my original password, what's the chances I'll remember this special one? why can't it be a nice security question like "what's the name of your cat?" I think I can just about remember that one.
And while I'm moaning, let's hope that when I finally get my password from them they don't email it to me in plain text, which has happened 4 times in the past 2 weeks. when I sign up for something I try to choose a reasonably decent password which they then send straight back to in unencrypted format. fantastic. some places warn that this will happen, most don't.
all these passwords and usernames are a real pain. what happens is that everyone uses the same passwords for everything, and the sites that demand different ones or impose their own usernames become unusable. there's got to be a better system, and if I could devise it then I would be very happy (and rich, hopefully). Apple's KeyChain is nice, but oddly enough not available under XP, and it doesn't work on basic web form logins...
It's finally happened. All the passwords, usernames, and security questions that I have tried to keep manageable have all merged into one big Login in my head. I'm trying to get into my T-Mobile email account, which is a different login to my T-Mobile phone account (why, T-Mobile?). I think the username is my mobile number, but I can't remember my password. it's not any of my standard ones, which means they probably forced to have another one. so I clicked on "I forgot my password", and I'm told that I have set-up a security password that will allow them to email my details to me. did I? now, if I can't remember my original password, what's the chances I'll remember this special one? why can't it be a nice security question like "what's the name of your cat?" I think I can just about remember that one.
And while I'm moaning, let's hope that when I finally get my password from them they don't email it to me in plain text, which has happened 4 times in the past 2 weeks. when I sign up for something I try to choose a reasonably decent password which they then send straight back to in unencrypted format. fantastic. some places warn that this will happen, most don't.
all these passwords and usernames are a real pain. what happens is that everyone uses the same passwords for everything, and the sites that demand different ones or impose their own usernames become unusable. there's got to be a better system, and if I could devise it then I would be very happy (and rich, hopefully). Apple's KeyChain is nice, but oddly enough not available under XP, and it doesn't work on basic web form logins...
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(c) 2003-2005 Russell Beale
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