# Password strength + special characters

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-strength-special-characters/675251>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 2, 2013, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-strength-special-characters/675251 "2013-12-02T00:31:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 5

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**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\
**Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-strength-special-characters/675251/81 "2013-12-11T19:07:54Z")

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> [@barnhardt999](#):
>
> Hard to remember = likely to written down or saved in a text/doc file = why crack passwords when you only need to find them?
> 
> In my humble opinion, complex passwords are the least secure.

That all depends. For example, if my complex password is written in a .txt file, you still need to break into my specific shit to read the file, which is somewhat harder than just guessing my Gmail password just from my login name (or worse, the random IP number you’re trying to mess with because why not).

And if my complex password is written on a Post-It glued to my screen or tucked inside a desk drawer, then you need physical access to my box to find it. If you have physical access to my apartment, I either implicitly trust you or you have a huge fuckoff knife in my face. In either case, should you decide to fuck with me, well, I’m kinda fucked regardless of my password choices :).

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