How many online passwords do you have?

[Dave McClung]

This morning when I went to order a refill for my blood pressure medication I noticed that I had an unusual password. It caused me to reflect on how many passwords are needed to carryon these days. When I counted, I found that I have 174 different sites where I need passwords. Each has a different requirement. It is no wonder I have difficulty remembering which password I use on which site. How many online passwords do you have?

I use use software named "oubielette" to manage mine. Do you have a suggestion of a better way to remember them?

[Dennis M. Scott]

174 passwords? I don't think I even know that many regular words.

[Pete Vecchi]

This morning when I went to order a refill for my blood pressure medication I noticed that I had an unusual password. It caused me to reflect on how many passwords are needed to carryon these days. When I counted, I found that I have 174 different sites where I need passwords. Each has a different requirement. It is no wonder I have difficulty remembering which password I use on which site. How many online passwords do you have?



I have too many. I try to write them down someplace sometimes. Of course then I get the websites that say things such as "Never write your password down."

You know--and I am being totally serious here--I have often wondered if problems such as dimentia and loss of memory may be sometimes accellerated because as we age, we continue to have more information stored into our minds, and as our society progresses, we're asked to remember more and more information all the time. 25 years ago, how many passwords did we have to remember?

How about phone numbers? How about e-mail addresses? The list goes on, and on, and on....

[Hans Deventer]

I use use software named "oubielette" to manage mine. Do you have a suggestion of a better way to remember them?

No. I have a password protected file on my Nokia that contains my passwords. Same idea.

[Brian Hammons]

I generally only use two passwords for everything I need. Sometimes I need to use slight variations on these, and that sometimes gets me in trouble. . . remembering what variation I needed to use. I do the same with my user id. . . only 2 or 3 with slight variations on those.

[Joanne Vergin]

i use variations on a theme. I have a favorite word and a couple of numbers that are meaningful to me. if one does not work than i used the other. Otherwise ugh.

[Cecil Wallace]

On Firefox & Netscape, my ID & passwords come up automatically when I get to the log-in page at a website. They are stored in a password manager on my computer.
This works on at least 95% of the sites I go to.
Also, I keep a file of them on a spreadsheet.
I may not be doing the smart thing, but as noted in another post, I use a main theme of ID's & passwords, with some variations. I've never had a problem.
ZoneAlarm Pro seems to keep hackers, etc. from obtaining access to my computer.

Just another reason that I do not use MSIE as a browser.

[Cindi Hammons]

You know--and I am being totally serious here--I have often wondered if problems such as dimentia and loss of memory may be sometimes accellerated because as we age, we continue to have more information stored into our minds, and as our society progresses, we're asked to remember more and more information all the time. 25 years ago, how many passwords did we have to remember?

Actually, Pete, the opposite is true. Researchers have found that the more the brain is challenged and used, the better it is able to cope when diseases like Dementia or Alzheimer's attack. These diseases block the normal "roads" in the brain and the history of complex thinking allows the brain to know how to solve this new problem by finding another "road."

However, as I have hit 40, it is taking me longer to remember things when I don't have a verbal cue to help. For instance, there are many times I cannot remember a name when I am thinking of someone. Last night we attended a funeral visitation where I saw people (from my childhood church) that I hadn't seen in 25 years. Except for a couple of blanks, I was able to remember names when I saw their faces.

It is an interesting topic, and one that grows more interesting as I age.

[Vivian Cornwell]

I have about 12 or 13 different passwords. Some of them are variations of a couple favorite ones. I have them written down even though I am not "supposed" to do that, but I wouldn't remember the sites that I don't visit very often.

I don't really know what my password is for NazNet because I don't sign out, but I do have it written down in case I need it.

[Cecil Wallace]

I see that you are becoming "one of us!"
By that I mean "age challenged." :basic05
And I do have some news for you. It doesn't get better as the years go by.
At 74, I relate so well to what you are saying.
There are many times when I start to mention someone's name, and I draw a total blank. Oh, a few minutes later, it will suddenly pop up in my mind. I guess that my "computer" is just running a bit slow.

I agree with you about having an active mind. I try to do mental gymnasitcs all the time. I have always been good at remembering numbers.
I can still recall my driver's license #, my social security number (of course that's because I use it so often with medicare), several credit card numbers, and my Selective Service number from when I was in the army in the 50's.

But... what was your name on this post? Oh, yes... Cindi (I think.)

And... what was this thread about in the first place?
Sorry for the digression.

Cecil

However, as I have hit 40, it is taking me longer to remember things when I don't have a verbal cue to help. For instance, there are many times I cannot remember a name when I am thinking of someone.
It is an interesting topic, and one that grows more interesting as I age.

[Dennis M. Scott]

It is an interesting topic, and one that grows more interesting as I age.


What is?

[John Kennedy]

Entirely too many. Have gotten to the point where I try to use the same one for several.
This whole thing reminds me of when I was teaching and they put in a new copy machine. To try to prevent overuse they gave each of us an account number we had to enter. Especially if I was in a hurry, I would find myself entering my ATM number and standing there getting neither cash or copies. And they call it progress.

[Dave McClung]

I used to use the same password for several different sites. Then, I realized that an administrator from one site could use my favorite password to access other sites. A few years ago I adopted a new password policy:

1) If a site has low exposure, like NazNet, I use the same password.
2) If a site has a lot of exposure, like my bank or Ebay, I use a unique password.
3) Each password is made up of two different words. The first comes from a particular category and the second comes from a different, unrelated category.
4) I change passwords at least once a year.
5) I keep a list of all of my passwords in an encrypted file. Only three people know that password for the encrypted file.

[Joel Merrill]

At work, we are required to change passwords every so often depending on the program. I'm not important enough to need very many at work. For a while I just used the month and day I changed the password, like "Dec1206". Then I went down the list of all the cars I've owned, like "66Ford". I've found that there are some very strange names in the Old Testament that make good passwords and Indian names of towns. I get more creative for important passwords like for Paypal.

Joel

[Carsten Schermuly]

On Firefox & Netscape, my ID & passwords come up automatically when I get to the log-in page at a website. They are stored in a password manager on my computer.
This works on at least 95% of the sites I go to.
Also, I keep a file of them on a spreadsheet.
I may not be doing the smart thing, but as noted in another post, I use a main theme of ID's & passwords, with some variations. I've never had a problem.
ZoneAlarm Pro seems to keep hackers, etc. from obtaining access to my computer.

Just another reason that I do not use MSIE as a browser. Exactly what I do. To manage passwords, cookies and other personally datas in FireFox seems me as the best because most simple method.



(About Zone Alarm some words, please
I run Zone Alarm and a permant AntiVir.
I switched in Zone Alarm the option "check eMails for viruses" on "on". But it did not work in all cases good, Zone Alarm does catch viruses, but not all. This do all AntiVirs - they do look for different characterstics - and this is the reason to make mistakes. So it is good to have also in addition to the regular used AntiVir some more AntiVirs installed (but not run! only installed). Once the computer does rest - then let the different AntiVirs scan - one after the other (never two at the same time.
Please, this is just a hint "for all and no one", I do not mean you or you or you personally, I do not like to appear as the not called schoolmaster).