Mistyping computer passwords...

I don't have problems with my passwords, but I sometimes have problems with my email username.

I was getting so much spam that I decided to outwit the phishing email programs.  My new username is 2 letters, 2 numbers, 2 letters, 2 numbers, 1 letter, and 4 numbers, followed by the domain.  For example, my email address is something similar to rt88zq01f8593.

I haven't gotten a SINGLE spam since I started using it.  However, sometimes I think about it too much and I end up typing it in wrong.  Just like you, I have to just let my fingers "do the walking."

Oh, and people HATE it when they ask for my email address.  They usually end up saying, "Just email me and I'll save it to my address book." 

-Joel

I had that problem with a password that was created for me.  Can do it on the fly no problem.  Sit there and think about it? No way.

One day, though, I sat there and looked at it and realized that there WAS meaning behind the characters that someone else had selected.

Working in the networking industry and having numerous passwords, I have this problem at least 5 times a day.

Your account lockout policy must be set at 6 or higher.  Watch out for that.  You should know the policy for how long the account is locked out for, too, just in case.

Being from the tech-side, I always flatten my laptop as soon as I get it and rebuild it with the tools I need and none of the "accessory" apps that come as part of the normal image, including disabling the lockout.

I never have a problem, but I set all my passwords to 111111

Sweet!!

Stay tuned in the BT forums for lots of out-of-character ad hominem personal attacks, gross generalizations, flames, and generally libelous posts from firstnet911.

That's the kind of combination an idiot would have on his luggage.

Oh, wait.  That's 1-2-3-4-5. 

Ughh, hua, hua, whats worng wif 1-2-3-4-5 ... momma always said don tri an count higher than how many teef you hav. that way you never get muddled up....

nscrbug - 2008-12-10 6:33 PM

CubeFarmGopher - 2008-12-10 5:54 AM

I have at least one password that I created using a pattern with my fingers (alternating hands, selective caps, etc).  If I just let my fingers go and don't think about it, I can type it perfect every time.  However, if I think about the spelling or the characters I screw it up and that serves to make me more focused on the spelling and characters.  This morning I had to retype it 5 times before I finally got it right.

Anyone else have this problem?

Yup...on my work computer. We are required to change our passwords every 3 months for security reasons, here at work. Without fail, I will type in my password incorrectly at least once a week. We get 3 tries to type it in right...otherwise you get locked out and have to call the network administrator to unlock your login. Needless to say, I think they're getting pretty tired of me calling them. We also have a code we have to enter on a keypad to gain access into my office. My fingers automatically know which numbers to press and in what sequence. But if I had to actually SAY outloud, what the numeric code is...I couldn't do it. LOL

You're not like all the other users with those decorative yellow or orange Post-its on the monitor with your password written on it???

Slugger - 2008-12-11 7:03 AM

1stTimeTri - 2008-12-10 11:09 PM You're not like all the other users with those decorative yellow or orange Post-its on the monitor with your password written on it???

 

This is actually a really good point - most good sysadmins no longer require people to change their passwords regularly (maybe once a year, at most) or have bizarre combos that create un-rememberable gobbledy-gook. It is actually LESS safe, because people simply write down the passwords. Better yet, they email them to themselves. Best are those who do both. Then again, I had friends in one office (before their sysadmin realize the security thing and still made them create new gobbledy-gook every three months) who figured out a pretty decent system. They all had a password buddy - they would put their password post-it on their buddy's computer. Since all of the files were 100% shared (desktop wiped every night), it isn't like anyone was hiding anything anyway within the office. So if someone physically broke in, they'd be mightily confused!

My company went from a 45-day password rotation to a 6-month passPHRASE rotation.  Instead of a minimum 8 character password, you have to create a minimum 15 character passphrase, which also must include a number or a special character.  It has gotten a lot easier to remember.

I thought you were going to say that you wrote your passwords on a post-it using a secret code that only you decrypt.  Of course that would mean that you have to remember the cypher code used to encrypt your post-it note writing, but that's another problem altogether.