topher

Web browsers these days have a “feature” to allow someone to remember passwords they may have to enter to access protected websites. The theory is that this is a convenience, so that people don’t have to type in their password every time.

As someone who has to help pretty much all of these people at some point or another, I’d like to put forth that this is the worst idea since running all scripts unquestioned in your email upon opening the email.

Why, you ask?

Because when the time comes that they need to access that area from another computer, or I need to access it, or anyone else needs to access it for any reason, they will have forgotten the password. ALWAYS.

How hard is it to type in your password?

Additionally, I cringe every time I see someone enter our database, which holds pretty much ALL of the content for ALL of our websites, and SAVE the password, so that any slob who wants to can just walk up to the computer, double click the icon on the desktop, and edit anything in the site. Sure, right NOW I (almost) trust (almost) everyone who works here. But there have been some that I did NOT trust, and certainly will be again.

As with any powerful tool, I’m not opposed to a competant computer user using it. Using it to remember your password for your Userfriendly settings (as long as you too remember it) is different from using it to remember the password to your bank.

Please, use it wisely and carefully.

One thought on “Save Password?

  1. i would never save a password unless it is on my own computer that I only have access to. I do it on my laptop, but in order to wake the thing from a screen saver or to turn it on, i requirea password that I type in. you are just asking to have your private information messed wiht if people can just walk up and get into protected sites without typing in a password.

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