# Password Testing Sites. Am I being Paranoid?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-testing-sites-am-i-being-paranoid/633535>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [September 3, 2012, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-testing-sites-am-i-being-paranoid/633535 "2012-09-03T13:19:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Michael63129](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3da27b/32.png) [@Michael63129](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael63129)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2012, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-testing-sites-am-i-being-paranoid/633535/21 "2012-09-05T05:10:45Z")

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For the password I use for the SDMB, it says 6 million years, yet it is actually relatively simple (somebody who knows me well could easily guess it). I also use the same password on other sites (although not everywhere). Also, the displayed time needed to crack it appears instantly as I enter it, so I doubt any information is actually being sent to the server, probably some JavaScript code; if you click on show details, it will show the number of characters and combinations (for letters only, there are 26 combinations per character, so the total is 26^n; including numbers makes it 36^n and so on), which is very easy to use to calculate the time needed, using the assumed speed.

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**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2012, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-testing-sites-am-i-being-paranoid/633535/22 "2012-09-13T05:02:34Z")

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> [@SiXSwordS](#):
>
> I love that XKCD. There are several sites I visit that have password rules (must use one capital, between 6-8 letter must use one $%\*? etc etc.).
> 
> I’ve compared some of my own passwords to the pws I have to come up with for their sites and mine are better.
> 
> I think I picked up my strategy here. Take some phrase or lyric or poem or whatever and use the first letter of each word. I usually add some numbers as well.
> 
> towamfnwdwslhcsihswagahwohcimnwacicfi995610
> 
> …gets a 66 quindecillion years rating from the linked site (I agree that that site is not necessarily a true test of password strength) and its just a common limerick with the number of syllables in each line appended. Easy to remember _and_ you get a chuckle every time you enter it.
> 
> ETA: correctbatteryhorsestaple gets a quintillionyears.

Shoehornbutterhorse?

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