Monday, January 29, 2007

Passwords

I am really tired of forgetting my passwords. Who knew that along with globalization and the internet would come such a problem of trying to remember our passwords? I shop at dozens of stores and have signed up for hundreds of internet sites. Yahoo, Google, Hotmail, Penneys, LL Bean, a dozen online bead stores, Ebay-- all of them have passwords. And even reading the NY Times online, or writing a blog or posting a picture requires a password. I can just hear Mike and George say, "Why don't you use one password and then you won't forget it." Ha! Well, I do have one password that is a favorite and I use it most of the time. But you can't use that same generic password for anything important like online banking, or Paypal or anyplace that has your real money!

Every time I sign on to something new they want me to create a password. The chances of me remembering that password are almost nil. Some want you to use numbers, some won't allow spaces, some have other obscure parameters like a certain number of characters...just to make life a little more difficult.

I must have about 20 favorite passwords that I keep track of. Today I signed up online for the Mass/Gov/Jobsearch hotline, and...they would not let me use my real name (a favorite trick of mine)...I had to add a number. So, without wanting to, I have another username AND another password to remember.

Even George forgot a password the other day too, so I have company I know. This can't just be a problem for me!

I have not found a solution. "They" won't let you use one password for everything--not going to happen. If you write down your passwords in a little book, you always fear that the robbers to come will find your little book and...pffft, there goes all your passwords. If you give up and just try to log on to something using a new password, that will not work either, because they still have your email on the account. Ok, ok, email it to me once again.

I really don't have the answer. I just try to keep the list of active passwords to about 10. That way, by going the list and trying them all, it should take a half hour or so to get into a site. Just long enough to drive me crazy!!

Have a great day.