P A S S W O R D S

Do you remember the game show? It sure had some funny moments. You have passwords with your computer access and it isn't a funny time at all if someone were to guess your password. They can cause all sorts of havoc with your online account, even to the point of identy theft. Do you do online banking? Have you ever responded to a phishing expedition? Those are the spams that aggavate me the most.

How about those passwords that you are required to furnish when logging into a newspaper site or something that you are only slightly interested in? Should they even require you to log in with your email address and a password? I think not.

If I am required to furnish some stupid site with a password, I try to use something silly; like the word "password" if possible. I have used "stupid1" and "ID10T", words that express my disgust with the situation. I have even used "oh-shit" when it allows me to use the dash. I believe too many web sites require us to furnish passwords that allow people to peek inside our lives.

Computers are supposed to be here for our benefit, not the benefit of the spammers. Same with the telephone, they are in my home for my benefit, not for some asshole construction company to call and attempt to sell me something I do not want or need. Now, there is another rant for another time.

To think up a new password every month, as is required by some IS Departments is almost an impossible task. You can not reuse a password from the past nor can you duplicate the password of a fellow worker. Want some suggestions I have seen in use? I have seen "TOBOR" as a backdoor password for a complete series of machines. That is robot spelled backwards. Try using the make of your partner's automobile. Never use your mother's maiden name as I have seen some folks do. Think up a childhood nursery rhyme and use the first letter of each line.

One more suggestion, "MICKEY DUCK". That should give someone a bit of a problem. They know there never was a Mickey Duck. Or, from the Mickey Mouse era, how about "Annette", I kinda liked her. "Bobby" completely rubbed me the wrong way. There is always the cousin to Mickey Mouse, "RICKEY RODENT". Aren't you sorry you read this?