I have so many passwords to so many different things its hard to keep track of them. It can really be maddening. When did this start to happen? At some point passwords took over my life.I have about 10 different email accounts. I have passwords to my personal blog, I have a password for another blog that I do for work, I have Amazon.com passwords, eBay passwords, itunes passwords, debit card passwords, and the list just goes on and on!
I even have to remember a password to get into work!
I have a password manager on my computer and that helps a bit. But there are certain passwords I don't want to keep in the password manager for security's sake.
It has gotten to the point where I have password amnesia sometimes. There are occasions when you can find me sitting in front of my computer staring blankly at the screen trying to remember what password goes to what.
Even some online news sites want you to register and make a password. I'm sorry but I refuse to register for those sites anymore. There is no way I can remember additional passwords just to read The Washington Post or the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
I have to find a better way to handle password overload and soon!
Do you have too many passwords?
How do you keep track of them?
19 comments:
Well, what if you would've had 200 websites to log into and aprox. 30 different and complex passwords?
I myself use a password manager, Web Replay - http://www.deskperience.com/webreplay/features.html.
I forgot to mention that your local Web Replay database is protected by a master password. Thus no one but you can have access to your passwords, logins, macros, bookmarks, safe notes (those mentioned above are some of Web Replay's 2.0 new integrated features). http://www.deskperience.com/webreplay/whatsnew20.html
MDC,
Wow, do I feel you on this one - I have two things I do - if possible I always use the same password and if it asks that I have small/caps/# then I have one just for that scenario. This works for me except at work where every 3 months I need a password and I cannot reuse it for 3 1/2 years. So I have come up w/13 passwords - One more to go before I can reuse; however that was so long ago I can't remember but a couple of them (my favorite ones)
I totally should not admit that I use a similar password for most things. It's not an easy one, but it is similar. I switch up my usernames, though.
Where it really counts, like where my money is concerned, I do use different passwords, but for blog stuff, access to newspaper sites, etc., they are the same.
For me, I made it easy. All of my password center around 2 general themes, and I'll make variations of those themes depending on how hard it was to make the password for the site. I wish I could get into it a little more, but someone might find this and steal my password. HA!
Girl, I got the same problem. I must have 40 or 50 passwords or something. I have about 8 email accounts, too. And I always feel like I have to modify passwords and can't use the same ones cuz if someone gets one, they got em all.
I try to make certain patters, i.e. credit card passwords have certain letter/number combinations; blogging passwords have a certain combination, etc.
But still, with so many passwords for so many different things and account numbers and customer numbers.
Jeez!
What I have done is created a word document, tables, and I have all that stuff on there.
I'm too paranoid to try password managers and things.
But what my system means is that I can't move without my document. When I'm home, I always have to have the doc open when I'm on teh computer and when I go to work I gotta bring this document on a flash drive.
Obviously some passwwords and things are memorized but others ain't.
There's gotta be a better way.
I share your pain, Mes Deux. LOL.
i write them all down-though i use 3 different passwords for everything-very long passwords.
but my solution to CRS- is, i write them down.
:D
MDC I understand! I try to used the same password. I read somewhere if you use the @#$*% in your password it's easier for you to remember.
For online stuff I have 3 main passwords that I use for pretty much everything - except banking. I just create variations of those passwords - adding letters or numbers on to the beginning or end of them. I probably have about 4 or 5 different variations I use of each password - so I guess that amounts to about 15 different passwords. But it's not too bad. Usually, I can at least remember the root password I've used for any given site so then I only have to try out the variations of that one. Occasionally I have to go through all of them to get to what I want.
i keep an excel sheet with my passwords on it. you can even set it up so you have to have a password to open it. (crazy huh?)
i have a bunch of passwords but i use the same one for similar sites. so sites where i buy clothes pretty much all have the same password. if sites are associated with an email, i tend to use the same password i do for the email.
but works messes me up b/c we have to change it every 90 days. blah.
e.
i somehow manage with my passwords, might be about ten... i connect them in my mind to the situations i have to use them in... i don't know how to explain better, it's like having pictures in mind connected to certain passwords...
i don't know if i would manage if i had 30 passwords or more...
I have three main passwords: low security (websites, etc), medium security (email), and high security (banking).
For work related passwords that I can not control, I have an online file that is password encrypted with my 'high security' password. It contains all of the usernames, passwords, and locations of all of the passwords in my workplace.
I have over 10 email accounts, heaps of sites that I visit requiring log-ons and online business services too. Funny one is... I have this one military site that needs not only numbers AND letters but it requires a symbol as well. I was really muffed up with that one and am so glad they migrated into another site for ease of use. As for computer stored passwords, I remember a long time ago, one Windows came with a password manager. I do not know where it is today but I did use it back then. Sadly, each time you do a format of the drive, all that gets wiped out as well.
So I use a written system as well and it works wonders. I use an address book that I can alphabetize each place with corresponding password. I just hope I remember to take it on travel if I get out from in front of my PC desk. (laughs) I need to back up the backup I do know this.
Oh, a friend of mine puts them on a CD-RW which I guess could work too. Good Luck MDC with whatever solution you find that works to keep your ass, I mean pass on track. Heeheeeee!!
I keep a WordPad document titled "passwords" and whenever I create a new UserName - password combination, I add it to the list, which I sometimes do need to reference.
Regarding blogs, I just use the same password.
I usually use the same three passwords and the same or similar usernames for different types of accounts. Also, I always try to pick passwords that describe me or someone else significant in my life. Dispite this, I still forget them from time to time.
Insighter,
Thanks for the info, I'll check it out.
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XJ,
Wow that would drive me crazy!
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Tami,
Maybe I ought to make mine more similar,
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Jose,
Lol, Yeah I need to do something like that.
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TBA,
Lmao! Yes there must be a better way. You are worse off than me! :)
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WTM,
I have tried that, writing them down, but I always lose them! Lol
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JJ B,
I'm a little scared to use the same one. If someone gets a hold of it they can access everything.
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FL,
Lol, wow that's a lot!
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e,
An Excel sheet might work pretty well. I may try that.
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Kayoz,
I wish I could do that.
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SheCodes,
Now that's a good idea!
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Lady Di,
I would be afraid of losing a little address book.
Maybe I can find another more secure password manager, but that will probably mean another password to remember! Lol
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Lynn,
Yeah I might have to keep a doc too, maybe on Excel.
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Tasha,
Lol, yep I know what you mean about forgetting!
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i posed the same question on my blog a few months ago. i didn't get these great responses though. i did have a small book i had gotten from a dollar store that was a password manager, but i eventually was only using it for low security sites. i like the table or spreadsheet idea alot. i may try that one myself. that's funny how the computer and internet are supposed to make life simpler, but somehow we manage to make it difficult...
Hi Browngirl,
I agree these are some really good ideas. I think I may try using Excel to keep track of them too.
It is amazing how technology can become so hard to manage.
MDC, it stays near the PC so it won't get lost PLUS it's not little and it's purple. Damn, that might have been TMI, huh? Well, I plan to make a back-up and keep hidden somewhere else. ;)
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