User ID and Password Requirement

[gringoloco]

This is an excellent forum, so please take this comment in the light that it is intended.

In my view, one of the biggest problems on the internet today is the fact that almost every site requires a UserID and password (many if not most of the requirements quite unecessary). This one for example. I have posted to this forum before but could not find one of the userid's that I usually use that would work, so I was forced to reregister thereby cluttering your database. I belong to many forums etc., etc. and the like, and it is impossible to remember the userid and password for all of them. One could use an adware program like Gator to keep track, but I value my privacy more than that. There have been times when I have really wanted to use a forum but have given up in frustration because of difficulties in trying to log in.

With all the bright minds at these forums, someone should come up with a solution rather than being part of the problem! :)

[Horus_Kol]

hi gringoloco,

can we just think about what you wrote for a second - can you imagine a place that let you post without usernames? a thread with 30 "guests" posting to it would get very confusing.


I think that the responsibilty is on the user to remember their names and passwords (although I do forget mine occasionally, but then i use a limited number of passwords - all uniquely personal to me, and keep a note of my various usernames).

There is a forgotten password function on this site, which will then send the password to your registered email address. That wouldn't have helped you, though.

[gringoloco]

You are right. I do not know what the solution is, but undoubtedly it is a big problem. Maybe artificial intelligence (fuzzy logic etc. ) will be able to interpret any hint that a person could give to locate a userid, or maybe some kind of electronic signature could do it automatically.

[leoo24]

I always use the same user name, but i do forget my pass many a time, but i never use it with cookies!

Havent entered my htmlforums nick and pass since i registered!

an example of, in my opinion, as mess would be http://www.htmlhelp.com/bbs

[scoutt]

gringoloco, if you didn't enter a password or username than how would you know that you posted that. somebody can post as you and get you in a lot of trouble. also, if you didn't have usernames and passwords then how do we check whcih one you used recently? info like this has to be kept to protect your privacy.

nobody sees you password as it is encrypted in the database so only you know it. in fact when you have recover it through email the forum makes a new temp passowrd and then you get an email saying what it is and then you have to change it. that is because the password is encrypted and can't be decrypted.

[Jokerman]

I love md5() :-)

[kevin]

this forum used to allow anonymous/guest postings. The "anonymous" posters abused the system enough to make registration mandatory to reduce the problems. So if there is any blame to be dealt out, that is where it belongs, with the people that have no manners and just want to be profane, mean, and a general aLL around nuisance.

[gringoloco]

You all are right. I guess my original message implied that I didn't think it was necessary on this forum. I agree with you that certainly it is. I just become frustrated whenever I have a problem logging in to a site, which happens all too frequently. I do regard this as a major internet problem and I am sure that there will be a solution to it within ten years, but what by who? :-) Incidently, I am in awe of both your generosity and expertise in helping people who have only half a clue such as myself. I would like to help other posters, but everyone on the site seems to know more than I do. Thanks to everyone!

[scoutt]

well thanks gringoloco,

nobody knows everything, so maybe you can teach something to someone at some point in time.

also a few pointers. if you sign on to a lot of a lot of places than I suggest you use 1 username and a psaaword that is dear to you. don't mix and match and have them all different as you can see it will mess you up.

[marker]

I am a member of several forums. I forget passwords and usernames once in a while. Sometimes I don't post for a month or more ( I'm a busy guy:)). I finally had to resort to putting the name & pass to each forum in a word doc. If I forget I can copy & paste......

[giz]

You should use a different password on every single site you visit, otherwise if you visit a site where the owners are dodgy, or some hacker gets the password list from one site, then they can get in to every other site you joined pretending to be you.

[Horus_Kol]

i have three basic usernames and passwords:

one i use on long-term sites like HTMLForums - where I am in every day.

another i use on places where I want to log-in just once.

finally, a third i use for "secure" transactions - places which hold financial details - i know they are safe because i deal with them outside of the internet.