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

I'm relieved to be back in.

paul; me too!; although I'm busy tomorrow, then Wednesday too, and, I'm.... otherwise occupied then for a while, so probably won't be online at all much until after, err... Monday or Tuesday next week now which, as Baron just rmeinded us, is, afterall, my fault

Icy, since the techs have announced that the ability to use the user id is now permanent, can you email them and tell them why it is a security risk?

If they need to consult me on it, then they can e-mail me at my stored address.

It might be a security risk, as someone could just look up the U number and plug it in, however they'd also need to know the password. Another option might be to use the email address, as few people would know that..

If that's the extent of this suspected security risk, that "hackers" would know user's sign-in but not the password, that's the level of just about every forum on the internet. All the other forums I'm on do not use nicknames or screen names that differ from the sign on name.

When worrying about security, it's important to consider what is actually at risk. I'm livid with one of my financial institutions as they limit the number and type of characters I can use for my password. What the hell is wrong with them? Of all the sites, my least "secure" password is on a financial site.

But that level is more than OK for a site like this for me. There just isn't a serious threat to me here. Everything I have here is open to the public and the only thing a hacker could do to me here is impersonate me and that is just not a realistic threat.

Hackers do want my money. They don't want to post here in place of me.

My bank only allows 5-figure passwords, too. I was shocked when I saw that.

At least nobody asks for my Social Insecurity Number any more.

I wish I could say the same.

I find the idea of someone wanting* to log in and impersonate me.... slightly.... reassuring. extremely unlikely, but reassuring none the less.

2Legs, you are inimitable. If they ever discover a planet where everyone is like you, the universe is likely to blow up.

Wait, that seems to be what it is doing .