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Writing Down Passwords?

Posted by Cliff on from the would-you-write-down-your-safe's-combination dept.

Atryn wonders: "I was recently checking for the latest firmware for a Netgear router when I decided to click on their Guide to Internet Security where it states: 'Contrary to much 'expert' advice, there is very little risk writing down passwords. In fact, years from now you may discover you need them to access old files.' I'm wondering what Slashdot thinks of Netgear's recommendation." Update: 06/08 21:19 GMT by T : Reader 654043 reminds us of the Microsoft recommendation to write down passwords which ran a few weeks back, and which has some pretty sound reasoning behind it.

9 of 428 comments (clear)

  1. Passwords? Blog 'em! by otisg · · Score: 3, Funny

    Hide them where cr@ck3rz will least expect them - your blog!

    --
    Simpy
  2. Either that, by Scud · · Score: 3, Funny

    Either that, or call the help desk like I do.

    They always seem to know what it is.

    We're on a first name basis.

    --
    I dream in binary.
  3. Re:it's in my wallet by Antonymous+Flower · · Score: 3, Funny

    would your password be 'trojanman' or 'lifestyles', by chance?

  4. Re:recommendations? by rjelks · · Score: 4, Funny

    It's a good idea to hide passwords that you've written on paper - but you don't need a safe. Just stick it to the bottom of the keyboard like I do. No one will every find it there.

    --


    Tech News, Reviews and Tutorials
  5. best password mnemonic ever by circletimessquare · · Score: 3, Funny

    1. pick a number (one to three digits probably)

    2. add 5

    3. multiply by 3

    4. square this number

    5. add the digits over and over until you get only one digit (i.e. 64=6+4=10=1+0=1)

    6. if the number is less than 5 then add five otherwise subtract 4

    7. multiply by 2

    8. subtract 6

    9. use this number to select a letter of the alphabet 1=A, 2=B, 3=C, etc.

    10. pick the name of a country that begins with that letter

    11. take the second letter in the country name and think of an animal that begins with that letter

    but wait...

    there are no elephants in Denmark!

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
  6. Re:recommendations? by bnardone · · Score: 5, Funny

    I thought what he had posted was the Perl script.

  7. Re:recommendations? by Draveed · · Score: 3, Funny

    Amazing! That's the same combination as my luggage!

    --
    Oh, Edmund, can it be true? that I hold here, in my mortal hand, a nugget of purest green?
  8. Coincidentally... by Skjellifetti · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'm sitting here reading /. because I fucking can't remember the fucking root password to a server that I'm supposed to administer as a favor to a friend. I changed it two months ago, haven't needed to get on the fucking machine since and now, when I need to fix it, I can't remember what the fuck I changed it to. And no, I can't just stick a rescue boot disk in because I don't know what fucking city the server is in.

    Note to self: Next time, write down the fucking password and put it in the fucking file cabinet.

    Note to poster: Did you ask this fucking question just to fuck with my mind or was it pure coincidence?

    --
    FreeSpeech.org
  9. Have you tried... by Captain_Chaos · · Score: 3, Funny

    ..."fucking"?