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Author Topic: Passwords  (Read 273 times)

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Offline Matthew

  • Mod
Passwords
« on: May 30, 2026, 10:44:37 AM »
It's a perennial problem; if your passwords are secure, you have to write them down (in a text file, etc.), and then you lose much of that security.

Let's take a hypothetical example. You used to use the password "password". Your favorite website forces you to implement various "rules" to make it more secure.

YOU MUST USE A CAPITAL LETTER
Password

YOU MUST USE AT LEAST ONE NUMBER
Passw0rd

YOU MUST USE AT LEAST ONE SPECIAL CHARACTER
Pa$$w0rd

YOUR PASSWORD MUST BE AT LEAST 9 CHARACTERS
Pa$$w0rd!

See how you follow all the rules, but still end up with a pretty crappy password?
You can't beat human nature. People always find away around embracing the SPIRIT of various rules. "Malicious compliance" and such.

No meat on Friday? I'll have an Impossible Burger (or seasoned, deep fried catfish that basically tastes as good as fried chicken).
No snacking between meals, but liquids are OK? I'll just drink a milkshake between meals.

Humans are so good at doing this.

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Offline Seraphina

Re: Passwords
« Reply #1 on: May 30, 2026, 11:07:03 AM »
I keep a mental list of passwords that follow an ordered pattern, up to 25 of them that can be known only by me. If I’m unsure of my password, it has to be one of the 25. Most are used infrequently, so I’ll run through them in chronological order. If I must change a password, I’ll swap it out for a less commonly used password. Unless you lived my life and and can read my mind, they are nothing a normal person will figure out. I do not write them down. There’s no need for that. 
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Offline Austin01

Re: Passwords
« Reply #2 on: May 30, 2026, 11:16:01 AM »
Quote from: Matthew on May 30, 2026, 10:44:37 AM
It's a perennial problem; if your passwords are secure, you have to write them down (in a text file, etc.), and then you lose much of that security.

Let's take a hypothetical example. You used to use the password "password". Your favorite website forces you to implement various "rules" to make it more secure.

YOU MUST USE A CAPITAL LETTER
Password

YOU MUST USE AT LEAST ONE NUMBER
Passw0rd

YOU MUST USE AT LEAST ONE SPECIAL CHARACTER
Pa$$w0rd

YOUR PASSWORD MUST BE AT LEAST 9 CHARACTERS
Pa$$w0rd!

See how you follow all the rules, but still end up with a pretty crappy password?
You can't beat human nature. People always find away around embracing the SPIRIT of various rules. "Malicious compliance" and such.

No meat on Friday? I'll have an Impossible Burger (or seasoned, deep fried catfish that basically tastes as good as fried chicken).
No snacking between meals, but liquids are OK? I'll just drink a milkshake between meals.

Humans are so good at doing this.

People tend to disregard the spirit of the law, when you only have consequences from breaking the letter. Applies to everything whether it's passwords, games, the law, or religion.

Because at the end of the day people's actions are decided by what maximises pleasure and minimises suffering, not the law or moral principles, that's how our dopamine wired brains are. 

If the pains of hell were removed from the Sunday obligation, even trad chapels would slowly dwindle in numbers...
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