h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Basically, the way I pick my passwords is by using characters or places found in the literature I read. This helps me remember it and it means that to break into my files or accounts, the perpetrator would have to know me and my reading list, not just luck onto my family tree and history. Example, since we're all H2G2 fans I obiviously wouldn't use these here: Dent, Zaphod, Miliways, you get the idea. It would be too easy for someone to randomly figure out. Someone would have to know me. Which would narrow down the suspects.

You're saying that you can accept security breaches better if the breachers are your close family and friends!! Come to think of it, it's kinda true.

I find that the big divide, looking through these posts, is between passwords needed at work places, for unfunny, work-related reasons versus the more light-hearted passwords we all use to get in and out of websites, where we're not really worrying about keeping the Earth safe from Martian attacks.

I guess you trust your Librarian ...Magnolia

I use passwords from whatever I'm reading at the moment. These work best at work, where my reading material never shows up, and my peers would never guess what I'm reading. My home passwords are different, and I try to keep them simple, so I can remember them.

Me, too generally. Though you have to be careful what you say about old passwords: a few years ago, after the usual forced change of passwords, I told a colleague that the previous password had been "Petunias". He turned round, back to his computer, and logged in as me correctly first time - my new password was, of couse, "Whale".

Phil

That sounds near miraculous -- how did he guess? I haven't caught the reference ... maybe your colleague is telepathic? *sounds hopeful*

Not as miraculous as you may think... In the original H2G2, when Heart of Gold is under attack by two nuclear missiles and switches on the Infinite Improbability drive unshielded, the missiles were turned into a bowl of petunias and a (very surprised) sperm whale.

Phil

... a vague memory stirs ... the image of the surprised sperm whale finally produces a weak beeping sound somewhere in the central mass of brain ... but of the petunias, there is no trace. Obviously it is time that I reread H2G2. Thanks for enlightening me! Magnolia

> ... but of the petunias, there is no trace
Shh... don't let everybody know the extent of your lack of knowledge

The petunias also feature as one of the reincarnations of Agrajag (who turns up at a different point in book/radio series and it always confuses me) who gets killed by AD in each incarnation. Hence the only thing to go through the petunias' mind was "Oh, no. Not again!" as it fell to earth (I say earth, I mean Magrathea. Of course)

Phil
A hopelessly pedantic H2G2 reader

The meeting of Arthur and Agrajag: The eternally re-incarnated, in the cathedral of hate is possibly one of my favourite parts of the entire Trilogy HHGTTG, featuring as it does the immortal line:

"Here was a mind that was not only twisted but actually sprained."

Agrajag was also the rather cut little bunny rabbit that Arthur had brained with a rock and was still wearing, rather shamlessly , as a pouch around his waist.

"you are also staggteringly tactless!", cried Agrajag before the inevitable happemed again.

Ditto on the pedanticism.

Clive

This so cool! The Agrajag episodes of the HHGTTG are a favourite of mine too except that I've never managed to remember Agrajag's name! Uptil now, I've had to refer to him/it in my mind as the "whatsit who keeps getting reincarnated" -- thanks! Now that I've seen it again, I realize there's a simple mnemonic (Agra is where the Taj Mahal lives, -- reincarnation is associated with India and so is the Taj. And "jag" -- well, he's on a reincarnation 'n' retribution jag).

Thanks! Magnolia
PS I now owe you TWO dessert recipes! But I think I have atleast one good one ...

I was just thinking how odd words do passwords best when i remembered DNA's seminal and oft overlooked classic "The deeper meaning of Liff"

The words in that are not easily guessed nor recognisable and ought to make excellent passwords all except that in reality they are actuall placenames and thuis open to recognition.

Clive

Yes -- I remember the Deeper Meaning of Liff! It was hilarious in the way of a subterranean earthquake -- the kind of laughter that didn't quite make it to the surface but caused internal vibrations ... Thanks for reminding me of it!Magnolia