• (disco)

    The especially pointless question aside, I really hate those kinds of security questions. Who the heck remembers the name of their third grade teacher, the first album they purchased, or the first politician they refused to vote for? (With a little effort, I could figure out who I voted for in the first presidential election that I voted in, but you could say I refused to vote for all the people running against him. Which of those was the first?) I'm sure I had several favorite toys at various stages of childhood; which one did I pick when I filled out this stupid form? Likewise the other answers that may depend on your mood when you answered the question. :rage:

  • (disco) in reply to HardwareGeek

    I've never liked "security" questions like that, especially since people could find out the answers without you knowing, or you might just say it in natural conversation without even remembering that you're supposed to keep it secret.

  • (disco) in reply to HardwareGeek

    I tend to put just some more random passwords into those fields because my password manager software can store it. The only way that'd backfire is if I ever needed support by phone, but so far I've never had the urge as it's mostly "foreign" websites that do it.

  • (disco) in reply to JBert
    JBert:
    The only way that'd backfire is if I ever needed support by phone

    Or if you somehow lose access to your password manager, but yeah, I have a few of those in KeePass, too. As far as my insurance company knows, I was born in SUsDyuUWVhjhdcRgDjLKxd. I would probably do that for this form, because I don't have an answer for any of those questions that is both memorable and secure.

  • (disco) in reply to LB_
    LB_:
    I've never liked "security" questions like that

    Nor did the one who coded the selection for the third screenshot ...

  • (disco)

    Updating 2 of 1

    Was the second update Windows 10 by any chance?

  • (disco) in reply to HardwareGeek
    HardwareGeek:
    The especially pointless question aside, I really hate those kinds of security questions. Who the heck remembers the name of their third grade teacher, the first album they purchased, or the first politician they refused to vote for? (With a little effort, I could figure out who I voted for in the first presidential election that I voted in, but you could say I refused to vote for all the people running against him. Which of those was the first?) I'm sure I had several favorite toys at various stages of childhood; which one did I pick when I filled out this stupid form? Likewise the other answers that may depend on your mood when you answered the question. :rage:

    I'm okay, nobody knows about my continued affection for Dark Side of the Moon, and I'm fairly sure that there aren't many people left in the world who remembers my membership in Mrs. Leach's class when I was 6. (To stave off confusion: school started earlier in a child's life in the UK back then than it does in the US now.) As for "the furthest I've travelled", is this as the crow flies or by route? And am I now expected not to travel subsequently?

    But anyway, I think I'll take the question whose answer is very far from obvious, and my answer "Absolutely none" will never be guessed by a hacker.

    Fortunately this is not a public forum, so I have breached no security considerations.

    Mind, I have to confess I was surprised that one of the questions wasn't "Have you ever drunk whisky straight from the bottle?".

  • (disco)
  • (disco) in reply to Quite
    Quite:
    "Have you ever drunk whisky straight from the bottle?"
    • Yes
    • No
    • FILEBOTTLE_NOT_FOUND
    • If only I could remember
  • (disco) in reply to HardwareGeek
    HardwareGeek:
    With a little effort, I could figure out who I voted for in the first presidential election

    But that's a matter of public record.

  • (disco) in reply to LB_

    Nobody says your answer actually has to answer the question. Just make every answer "correcthorsebatterystaple" . Tho' I did run across some idiot site where, e.g. the answer to "what year were you born" had to be a 4-digit number.

    Meanwhile: how many people still know what it means to "buy an album" ?

  • (disco) in reply to cellocgw
    cellocgw:
    Tho' I did run across some idiot site where, e.g. the answer to "what year were you born" had to be a 4-digit number.
    That must suck for the people born before the year 1000
  • (disco)

    My magical power would be knowing the point of these security questions!

  • (disco)

    Having to sit in a boring meeting, so.... here's the only security questions you ever need to ask/answer:

    1. What is your name?
    2. What is your quest?
    3. What is your favorite col-- err, I mean what is the mean airspeed of a fully laden swallow?
  • (disco)

    When given the chance, I write a custom question like: "Security questions considered harmful?" or "Security question 1?" but sometimes that will just disapear and I end up having to choose one of the regular questions. The answer is just another password.

  • (disco) in reply to cellocgw
    cellocgw:
    Meanwhile: how many people still know what it means to "buy an album" ?

    Online music stores still sell music in albums, even if that album isn't on physical media.

    Even music streaming services generally have albums, though these probably aren't purchased individually.

  • (disco) in reply to cellocgw
    cellocgw:
    buy an album

    One of these perhaps?

  • (disco) in reply to cellocgw
    cellocgw:
    Meanwhile: how many people still know what it means to "buy an album" ?

    Quite a large number. There are a few stores around here that are selling new records. Vinyl is making a comeback.

  • (disco) in reply to RaceProUK
    RaceProUK:
    cellocgw:
    Tho' I did run across some idiot site where, e.g. the answer to "what year were you born" had to be a 4-digit number.
    That must suck for the people born before the year 1000

    That's easy as long as leading zeroes are allowed. But we should put that on the agenda of the preparations for the Y10K problem.

    People like Julius Cæsar otoh...

  • (disco) in reply to PWolff
    PWolff:
    Tho' I did run across some idiot site where, e.g. the answer to "what year were you born" had to be a 4-digit number.That must suck for the people born before the year 1000

    That's easy as long as leading zeroes are allowed. But we should put that on the agenda of the preparations for the Y10K problem.

    People like Julius Cæsar otoh...

    Straightforward: he just needs to answer the question "Which of your friends is most likely to backstab you?" instead.

  • (disco) in reply to rc4
    rc4:
    But that's a matter of public record.

    Where do you live that you don't have anonymous ballots?

  • (disco) in reply to reverendryan
    reverendryan:
    Where do you live that you don't have anonymous ballots?

    If it's in the US, it'll just be a matter of guessing the election and guessing the candidate. It's a really rather small set.

  • (disco) in reply to Quite
    Quite:
    Straightforward: he just needs to answer the question "Which of your friends is most likely to backstab you?" instead.

    Spy. of course.

    Actually, speaking of the questions... one of my coworkers mentioned something about a third grade teacher as a security question, which makes me wonder what site that capture is from...

  • (disco) in reply to Quite
    HardwareGeek:
    Who the heck remembers the name of their third grade teacher, the first album they purchased, or the first politician they refused to vote for?

    Well, whatever you pick for these, just be sure you remember them five years from now. :rolleyes:

    These questions have a...flavor. As I read them, I was thinking, "These were created by someone in witness protection."

    Quite:
    my answer "Absolutely none"

    :rofl: I bet you never guess it again, either.

    cellocgw:
    Tho' I did run across some idiot site where, e.g. the answer to "what year were you born" had to be a 4-digit number.

    :facepalm: There's security for you.

    Quite:
    Straightforward: he just needs to answer the question "Which of your friends is most likely to backstab you?" instead.
    See? I told you these were written by someone in witness protection! :smile:
  • (disco)

    Any site that uses "security questions" is likely terrible at security.

  • (disco) in reply to dkf
    dkf:
    reverendryan:
    Where do you live that you don't have anonymous ballots?

    If it's in the US, it'll just be a matter of guessing the election and guessing the candidate. It's a really rather small set.

    Sure sure sure, but did I enter it as:

    • Hayes
    • Rutherford Hayes
    • Ruth
    • RB Hayes
    • Rutherford B Hayes
  • (disco)

    Obviously, the answer to the first question is "text". :smile:

  • (disco) in reply to dkf
    dkf:
    reverendryan:
    Where do you live that you don't have anonymous ballots?

    If it's in the US, it'll just be a matter of guessing the election and guessing the candidate. It's a really rather small set.

    Exactly. Which presidential election was the first one that I was old enough to vote in, who were the candidates that year (No, it wasn't George Washington :P ), and which of them would I have voted for? The second of those is a matter of public record, of course. Given my real name, my age is also a matter public record, sort of; although it is nominally somewhat protected (only certain people can get official copies of my birth certificate), it is found in a myriad of unprotected public and private records — even people here have guessed my age with sufficient accuracy to work out which presidential election would have been my first. Having established those, anyone who knows me at all would have little difficulty figuring out which candidate I would have voted for.

    All that, though, is quite different from my actual vote being a matter of public record — in principle, if not in effect.

  • (disco) in reply to CoyneTheDup
    CoyneTheDup:
    Well, whatever you pick for these, just be sure you remember them five years from now.

    Yes. That is the thing that makes "What is your favorite ______?" questions especially bad. My favorites tend to change over time; which one did I pick when I answered the question? (Not to mention typing it again in exactly the same form. Did I use capital letters, or all lower case? If the answer is a number, did I use digits or spell it out? ...)

  • (disco) in reply to HardwareGeek
    HardwareGeek:
    The especially pointless question aside, I really hate those kinds of security questions. Who the heck remembers the name of their third grade teacher, the first album they purchased, or the first politician they refused to vote for? (With a little effort, I could figure out who I voted for in the first presidential election that I voted in, but you could say I refused to vote for all the people running against him. Which of those was the first?) I'm sure I had several favorite toys at various stages of childhood; which one did I pick when I filled out this stupid form? Likewise the other answers that may depend on your mood when you answered the question. :rage:

    To me, the questions read like they were written by a pissed-off dev who knew that security questions aren't, but was ordered to add them. At least they're better than "what was your grandmother's maiden name" and shit like that which is probably information that is already known by a bunch of people and may be easily googleable to anyone else.

    HardwareGeek:
    As far as my insurance company knows, I was born in SUsDyuUWVhjhdcRgDjLKxd.

    I do that too, but then one time I had to read the security question answer to a telephone support rep, and spelling it out letter by letter took like an hour...

    dkf:
    If it's in the US, it'll just be a matter of guessing the election and guessing the candidate.

    It doesn't say presidential candidate... could've been one of thousands of different candidates running for congress or even a state or local government role. 'Course, the average user will probably assume you meant presidential candidate, so it's effectively not much different.

  • (disco)

    Has no one noticed that the ERROR: SUCCESS one is for a dropdown?

  • (disco) in reply to anotherusername
    anotherusername:
    could've been one of thousands of different candidates running for congress or even a state or local government role.

    True. The first election I voted in was definitely not a presidential election. However, I don't even remember without looking up who was running that year who I voted for in the first presidential election that I voted in. I don't remember at all the first non-presidential election I voted in; there isn't a chance in $place_of_eternal_punishment of my remembering who I voted for or against.

  • (disco) in reply to HardwareGeek
    HardwareGeek:
    $place_of_eternal_punishment

    Of course hell uses PHP (or Perl).

    Or maybe PHPerl I swear I thought that was a joke.

    ... Or Powershell.

  • (disco) in reply to HardwareGeek

    I remember my 3rd grade teacher, who doesn't? :smile:

  • (disco) in reply to cellocgw
    cellocgw:
    Nobody says your answer actually has to answer the question.

    I know that, but does the average user know that? My point is, it's incredibly dishonest to call them "security" questions when it's actually making people less secure.

  • (disco) in reply to TheGreatLobachevsky

    I have zero memories of your third grade teacher.

  • (disco) in reply to TheGreatLobachevsky
    TheGreatLobachevsky:
    I remember my 3rd grade teacher, who doesn't?

    From K through 6, I had between six and eight different teachers. I think I remember the names of two of those teachers, and I am only certain about one of them. I don't think either of them were for 3rd grade.

    Oh, I just remembered, at least one year we had an additional teacher who only taught music, so that makes as many as nine teachers. I am associating a name with this teacher, but my confidence in this memory is only about 20%, at best. So at the very most, I remember 3 of 7, and perhaps as few as 1 of 9, names.

  • (disco) in reply to NTW
    NTW:
    Or maybe PHPerl I swear I thought that was a joke.

    Well it's a good thing I read that post sitting on the toilet.

  • (disco) in reply to HardwareGeek
    HardwareGeek:
    there isn't a chance in `$place_of_eternal_punishment` of my remembering who I voted for or against

    Yeah, but "the first politician you refused to vote for" can be interpreted more than one way.

    You could interpret it to mean "whichever politician was running against the person you voted for, the first time you ever voted". Few, if any, people will remember that.

    Or, the more sensible way to interpret it, "the first politician you remember learning enough about that you made an informed decision to vote against him/her". "Refused" implies that there was a conscious decision on your part to not vote for that person. That's going to be a lot more memorable.

  • (disco) in reply to anotherusername
    anotherusername:
    a conscious decision on your part to not vote for that person. That's going to be a lot more memorable.

    YMMV. While I have certainly made such decisions, I cannot even begin to guess who the first one was.

  • (disco) in reply to HardwareGeek
    HardwareGeek:
    the name of their third grade teacher

    :wave:

    HardwareGeek:
    the first album they purchased
    :wave:
    HardwareGeek:
    or the first politician they refused to vote for? (With a little effort, I could figure out who I voted for in the first presidential election that I voted in, but you could say I refused to vote for all the people running against him. Which of those was the first?)

    :wave:

  • (disco) in reply to anotherusername
    anotherusername:
    You could interpret it to mean "whichever politician was running against the person you voted for, the first time you ever voted". Few, if any, people will remember that.

    Or, the more sensible way to interpret it, "the first politician you remember learning enough about that you made an informed decision to vote against him/her". "Refused" implies that there was a conscious decision on your part to not vote for that person. That's going to be a lot more memorable.

    In my case, both interpretations are the same person.

  • (disco) in reply to Fox
    Fox:
    :wave:
    Sure, but for you those all happened in the last week.
  • (disco) in reply to HardwareGeek
    HardwareGeek:
    I remember my 3rd grade teacher, who doesn't?

    From K through 6, I had between six and eight different teachers. I think I remember the names of two of those teachers, and I am only certain about one of them. I don't think either of them were for 3rd grade.

    I remember my third-grade teacher mainly for the fact that she wasn't my kindergarten, first-, or second-grade teacher, who were all the same person (every year I got promoted, so did Miss Peurling).

    I don't remember my fourth-grade teacher because I was only there for six days before they bumped me up to fifth.

  • (disco) in reply to NTW

    PHP stands for Personal Hell Pit, didn't you get the memo?

  • (disco) in reply to HardwareGeek
    HardwareGeek:
    it is found in a myriad of unprotected public and private records

    Why do I feel like this is grammatically incorrect and should have been written as:

    it is found in myriad unprotected public and private records

    Or is "myriad" somehow a noun over in America when it isn't here (except by people who make it one when it isn't)?

  • (disco) in reply to Arantor
    Arantor:
    Why do I feel like this is grammatically incorrect
    I don't know why you feel like that, but you're wrong. Grammar pendantry denied.
    Arantor:
    is "myriad" somehow a noun over in America when it isn't here

    If you google "myriad," the first result is the definition (from Google's own dictionary, I guess; the source isn't identified). Two definitions are presented: The first is as a noun; the second is as an adjective, so both usages are correct.

    If you don't believe Google's dictionary, dictionary.reference.com, merriam-webster.com, dictionary.cambridge.org, and — last, but certainly not least — oed.com all present definitions as a noun, and all before also defining it as an adjective. Merriam-Webster gives this usage note:

    Recent criticism of the use of myriad as a noun, both in the plural form myriads and in the phrase a myriad of, seems to reflect a mistaken belief that the word was originally and is still properly only an adjective. As the entries here show, however, the noun is in fact the older form, dating to the 16th century. The noun myriad has appeared in the works of such writers as Milton (plural myriads) and Thoreau (a myriad of), and it continues to occur frequently in reputable English. There is no reason to avoid it.

  • (disco) in reply to cellocgw

    But is it an European or an African swallow???

  • (disco) in reply to TheGreatLobachevsky
    TheGreatLobachevsky:
    I remember my 3rd grade teacher, who doesn't? :smile:

    I remember mine, but that was because she was the scariest teacher in the school.

    These security questions need a [Trigger Warning] on them…

  • (disco) in reply to cellocgw
    cellocgw:
    fully laden swallow

    :giggity:

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