# Password burnout **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 21, 2004, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-burnout/225457 "2004-01-21T14:08:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-burnout/225457/1 "2004-01-21T14:08:25Z")
The point has finally been reached–I can no longer remember all my passwords. Does everyone use (as is stronglly suggested) a different password for each website, bank account, computer login, e-mail account, and six zillion other things? How do you cope? Do you carry in your wallet a list of all your passwords? Do you encode that list, in case your wallet is stolen? Do you just say screw it, I’m using the same password everywhere? How about places that insist you use letters AND numbers, or just numbers, or more than six digits, or fewer than four? What systems do you use to keep the passwords secure and easily available? ---
**Author:** ![acrossthesea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@acrossthesea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/acrossthesea)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-burnout/225457/2 "2004-01-21T14:13:44Z")
If I told you my methods, they wouldn’t be as safe and secure anymore. : ) Cool user name by the way. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-burnout/225457/3 "2004-01-21T14:13:56Z")
A friend of mine has a flash drive he carries on his keychain. Just plugs into the USB port of any computer (that has a USB port…), and it keeps track of your online passwords. I imagine you can encode it so that your stuff is safe if your keychain is stolen. Seems like a great idea. It has tons of storage, so you can stash tons of photos and documents on it as well. Said it only cost him ~$30. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-burnout/225457/4 "2004-01-21T14:16:51Z")
Looking online, looks like that $30 may have been a brain fart. They’re quite a bit more, anywhere from $70-$200. He works in the industry, and probably got a deal. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-burnout/225457/5 "2004-01-21T14:21:45Z")
My method has served me well for many years. No actual passwords of mine will be used in this post. I use a word and a serial number. Then I can keep a list by number alone. For example, let’s say my word is _bedbug_, and let’s say I have six accounts: 1 - hotmail 2 - bank 3 - SDMB 4 - chat room 5 - amazon 6 - IM I might use _bedbug1_ for hotmail, _bedbug2_ for the bank account, etc. Or I might use _bed1bug_, or _1bedbug_. Anyway, all I’d have to remember is my word. The list of numbers tied to my accounts would be meaningless without the word. Feel free to use the patented **FCM Method[sup]TM[/sup]**. ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-burnout/225457/6 "2004-01-21T15:56:22Z")
I think it’s best to have a good un-guessable password and re-use it. Don’t write it down or use it anywhere it’s not encrypted. [soap-box] It pisses me off when admin force you to regularly change your password 'coz your pretty much forced to use crap like passwd1, passwd2, passwd3. [/soap-box] They tried that with the phone system at work (you have to login to receive calls) every week you had to change the 4 number password (you also have a 4 number PIN), and it had a history so it had to be different from the previous 4 PINS, _and_ numbers like 1234, 1111, 4321 were invalid. This policy was abandonded when the system instructed the MD that he had to enter a new password. I use one password for not-so-secure stuff (like the SDMB) which is a non-word with numbers. And for secure stuff I have another non-word with punctuation characters - that’s used for all my computer accounts (lots) there’s no way I could remember a different login/password for each box. ---
**Author:** ![Frank\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Frank\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank_2)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-burnout/225457/7 "2004-01-21T16:27:23Z")
For my online sites, I have 3 main passwords that I use. This way, even if I forget which one I used I know it’s one of those 3. For PINs, I try to keep it the same digits. (How often does one use the PIN on their credit card?) **Munch** , the USB flash drives are pretty cheap. A 256MB costs around $70-$80. You just have to shop around. ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-burnout/225457/8 "2004-01-21T16:56:26Z")
I have three or four passwords ranging from “one that I tell people” to “for money stuff only” that I reuse (with some appropriate suffix if possible) and change every so often. Any further details I store in an encrypted text file so it’s only a temporary problem if I forget something. ---
**Author:** ![mailman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8491ac/32.png) [@mailman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mailman)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-burnout/225457/9 "2004-01-21T17:01:40Z")
At work, where they force me to change passwords every three months I use John, Paul, George and Ringo. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-burnout/225457/10 "2004-01-21T17:05:55Z")
I usually create passwords based on the site I’m at. Example: If I wanted to access my [Monkeys.com](http://Monkeys.com) account, I might use something like 4monkeys. ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-burnout/225457/11 "2004-01-21T18:50:28Z")
For non-vital personal stuff (sorry SDMB counts here) I have 1 signon/password that I use. It’s not going to really affect my life if someone gets to all these, and who is really going to try. For work related software (again, non-vital) I have a second signon/password. I swear, I want to get paid by the number of times I sign on to stuff at work. For the critical stuff (bank, credit card, …) I keep seperate signon/passwords. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-burnout/225457/12 "2004-01-21T19:04:57Z")
Total password burnout. I’m currently juggling about 6 passwords in my head, and unless I use them at least once a week, they’re gone. Of course I have everything written down on scraps of paper that are littered about my room. 😛 I need a Palm Pilot. \ ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-burnout/225457/13 "2004-01-21T19:08:41Z")
I use the same password for _everything_ and I have for many years. I’m too lazy to try to remember a ton of them. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-burnout/225457/14 "2004-01-21T19:18:18Z")
I’m with you . . . We need three different passwords at work to get into various programs, and we have to change them every 30 days. Oh, and the passwords have to have exactly 8 characters and two of them have to be numbers but not in a row and you can’t use X or Y except on alternating months and you have to enter them in Pig Latin. Result is, we have all our passwords scribbled on Post-It notes on our desks, so anyone passing by can copy 'em. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-burnout/225457/15 "2004-01-21T19:29:39Z")
Let’s see… the password for my e-mail and the Allmans site are the same, haven’t changed either in years… different password for the SD, though I’ve been meaning to make that the same one as well… have to change my school e-mail password every 90 days… there’s my New York Times password, and number combinations for two different bank accounts. You know, I thought I had a pretty streamlined system because of the common password, but actually I don’t. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![VenusProbe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e495f1/32.png) [@VenusProbe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VenusProbe)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-burnout/225457/16 "2004-01-21T20:15:05Z")
I thought this thread was going to be about having to relogin to SDMB all the time lately. whats up with that? I have over a dozen different logins that I use for work, all but three of that requie you to change that on a 60-90 day cycle and of course none of them share the same cycle. :rolleyes: They all require 8+ characters mixed case and numbers/special characters. :eek: So I just write them on a post-it and stick it under my keyboard. I’m sure no one is going to look there. :dubious: I have a special way of encoding the application and server name into the password so I can remember which one is which. I just have to remember to throw out the old post-it when the password changes. actually I can remember most of them because the logic behind the creation of it makes me think real hard! 😃 I just realised, I am such a geek. :smack: (for those keeping track, smily count == 5) ---
**Author:** ![Erika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/47e85d/32.png) [@Erika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erika)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-burnout/225457/17 "2004-01-21T21:03:34Z")
I’ve got about 6, that I use with varying levels of publicness, and occasionally one falls out of use / gets introduced. It’s not perfect, but I even if I forget which one, there are only really six or so choices, and I’ve yet to run into trouble. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2004, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-burnout/225457/18 "2004-01-22T02:02:51Z")
I used to regularly use [KeyWallet](http://www.keywallet.com/) and found it quite useful, easy and user-friendly. Best of all, it’s free! I think I should get it again. At least until my divorce is final. ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2004, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-burnout/225457/19 "2004-01-22T02:41:05Z")
> [@pseudotriton ruber ruber](#): > > What systems do you use to keep the passwords secure and easily available? I use a random number generator and write them down on a piece of paper which I subesquently loose. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2004, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-burnout/225457/20 "2004-01-22T04:31:07Z")
There’s not too many that have to travel with me, so I just remember those two or three. For the online stuff like message boards, I maintain a cleverly disguised ASCII file that lists them all. If you’re determined enough, I suppose you could crack my system and eventually find that file. Then you could: 1.) Go over to UnaBoard and post as me. 2.) 3.) Profits. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-burnout/225457.md?page=2)