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My Life is becoming one big password...

By
Real Estate Agent with Fathom Realty Washington LLC

At first it was rather novel. It put a little intrigue in our lives. Now, it is a mind test for the feeble. Code is now another four letter word.

Remember the good old days when you took the last 4 digits of your phone number and you used it for the code for everything.

My;

  • Bank has a code...Changes every 3 months
  • Computer has a code...  
  • Alarm system has a code...  
  • Gate has a code...  
  • Office has a code...  
  • Voicemail has a code...  
  • ATM has a code...  
  • E-mail has a code...  
  • Cell phone has a code...  
  • Every website has a code...  
  • MLS has a code... Changes every 3 months
  • Supra key has a code...

What is really frustrating is when your computer auto fills your code for you and you have to try to remember it on your own when at another computer. Some websites give you one try, my bank gives me three, then locks me out for eight hours...

My laptop has a finger print reader that I thought would alleviate my problems, yet for some reason it won't identify me any longer, for my own protection, no doubt.

I started writing down all my usernames and passwords on 3x5 cards and storing them in a safe and secure space. That is probably the dumbest thing to do but at last count I had 40 usernames and password combinations to learn or remember.

How do you address the code dilemma?

Do you have a cure for the common code?

Authored by Paul S. Henderson, Realtor ®, RE/MAX Professionals, Dupont & Lacey, WA.

(http://phenderson.net) or http://www.lacey-washington.com

©2009 Paul S. Henderson, My Life is becoming one big password, All Rights Reserved

Posted by

 and courtesy of 

Paul S. Henderson, Residential Real Estate Broker 

Tacoma Washington 

Realtor ® BPOR, CRS, GRI, CDPE

Fathom Realty WA LLC

Serving

South Puget Sound in Washington State

 

 

 

 

Paul's Service Area


 

 

As a Residential Broker and Relocation Specialist, I sell homes in or around ,Tacoma, Gig Harbor, Lakewood, Steilacoom,  University Place, DuPont and Hartstene Pointe in Washington State.
Please visit my website at http://www.hartstenepointe.com to search for information 
(all information is believed to be accurate but is not guaranteed or warranted in any way)

Referrals are always welcomed and appreciated, Thank-you!

(As a member of the NWMLS, this blog post is intended to comply with NWMLS rules as pertaining to blogging.)

isspfmtysmily

iaa

 

Comments(62)

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Hannah Williams
HomeStarr Realty - Philadelphia, PA
Expertise NE Philadelphia & Bucks 215-820-3376

Paul..I use a word and changeface the last # 1-9 each time ......hope that helps..thanks

 

HelpfulHannah your friend in Philadelphia

May 05, 2009 05:12 AM
Diana Hoyt
Lakes Region Buchanan Group, Ossipee, NH - Ossipee, NH

I store all of my passwords in my computer in Excel.  Thankfully, I also printed out a hard copy because when I saved it for the first time, I gave my document a password and now I CAN'T REMEMBER THAT ONE!  I have not been able to access that document since!  EEERRRRR!!!  So, I have added and added to my hard copy which I have in a folder on my desk with a "secret" word on the file lable - hmmm - I have already forgotten what that word is!!!  I have to go through 25 files to find it!  I used to use the same 4 letter password for all of my password needs.  Now, that isn't possible as many have you change passwords every 3 months or they now require more complexities such as numbers and letters, upper and lower case, more than 6 or 8 characters, etc.  Someday, we will not be able to breath without a password to do so.  Maybe I should consider a tatoo for that one!  if not, I'll be dead in relatively short time!  I think I will have my password put on my headstone!

May 05, 2009 05:24 AM
Daren Krause
Keller Williams Realty - Austin, TX

"What is really frustrating is when your computer auto fills your code for you and you have to try to remember it on your own when at another computer."

This also happens to me when I use a different browser on the same computer.  Regardless, I typically just reset the password and have it emailed to me. 

 

May 05, 2009 05:49 AM
Nancy Conner
Olympia, WA
Olympia/Thurston County WA

Oh, yes - a huge problem remembering all of the passwords, user names etc - my worst was trying to retrieve a forgotten one and my "secret question" prompt was what is your dog's name - yikes - which dog did I use originally???

May 05, 2009 07:18 AM
Dinah Lee Griffey
Windermere Peninsula Properties - Allyn, WA
Managing Broker Windermere Peninsula Properties

Active Rain has a code. I a up to here with codes. I try and keep some of them the same but then they want longer  ones or numbers-Dinah Lee

May 05, 2009 08:55 AM
Jim Cheney
Saint Francis Property Santa Rosa, CA - Santa Rosa, CA
Rincon Valley Realtor 707.494.1055

I keep mine on my PDA as an attachement to a made up name, ph# and address.  I have that name password protected so that if I lose my PDA, hopefully crooks will not be able to get my bank password!

May 05, 2009 09:19 AM
Casey Wright
WingWire - San Diego, CA

A lot of the tools discussed here work well. Quite frankly, I don't understand the obsession with security. I use one password for everything. It's a complex password, consisting of letters, numbers, case changes, etc, so it's impossible to crack with a brute force cracker (the most common used by hackers). Beyond that, the most common way that data is stolen is by theft of the actual hardware (e.g., a company laptop containing all customer records). There is no defense for that. 

May 05, 2009 09:27 AM
Kevin Pierce
Cascade Builder Services - Tacoma, WA
New Construction Warranty Management

Hi Paul, buy this for $11.99 and it has a program on it that stores all of your codes and form fill information.  Plug it into any computer you're using and Presto!

 

P.S. I didn't read all of the comments.  Sorry if it's already been suggested.

May 05, 2009 10:03 AM
Laurie Mindnich
Centennial, CO

When I go to some sites that I've signed up for, it's not possible to access them because the code is completely forgotten. We are in a code world now!

May 05, 2009 11:31 AM
Sandy Childs
Keller Williams Realty - Spartanburg, SC
Realtor - Spartanburg, SC

Wow, with all of these secret codes we need a secret places to keep them, of course, that too, would need to have a secret code.

May 05, 2009 11:53 AM
Kristin Moran
Owner - RE/MAX Access - KristinMoran@Remax.net - San Antonio, TX
San Antonio,TX - Real Estate - 210-313-7397

This is hilarious because I feel I resemble this post.  I log on @ home & then get to work & try to log on I have to ask for my passwor d & then do the same from home!! your idea might not be the most efficient but it works, eh?

May 05, 2009 11:58 AM
Richard Stabile
Re/Max Real Estate Limited - Oradell, NJ
Bergen County New Homes Builder Realtor

Paul:

That was an Andy Rooney post if I ever saw one. Who could not of done it better.

I rotate my passwords continuously.

Richard

May 05, 2009 02:41 PM
Christianne O'Malley
Dickson Realty - Reno, NV
Exceptional Service - Delivering Results in Reno!

I used to have an application on my Treo that stored all my passwords and it worked great until I lost / forgot the password to it...I let my laptop remember my passwords and just pray to God that (a) it nevers gets stolen, (b) it never will die (stupid prayer since it's inevitable at some point) and (c) I won't get hacked...

Any three of these things is highly likely so I'll be up a crappy creek without a paddle but I'll find a way out when I find myself there...

May 05, 2009 03:38 PM
John Cannata
214-728-0449 http://TexasLoanGuy.com - Frisco, TX
Texas Home Mortgage - Purchase or Refinance

Congrats on the feature Paul.  Always nice to have many read your posts.  Personally, I cant stand that we have to change our passwords every so often.  If I had one sign-on, fine... maybe even two.  But the lenders we do business with have their own sign-ons and each makes us change them every so often.  Then we have our sign-on at the office, NAMB, etc.  Gets to be a little much if you do not have it tracked somewhere convenient.

May 05, 2009 03:44 PM
Chris Olsen
Olsen Ziegler Realty - Cleveland, OH
Broker Owner Cleveland Ohio Real Estate

Hi Paul -- I keep mine on paper, not electronically, so in case I get hacked, there is nothing that can be stolen and I can easily rebuild.

May 05, 2009 04:02 PM
Aaron Poling
Long & Foster - Martinsburg, WV
Working to get YOU the BEST Deal!

I had a bunch of numbers i used for everything but i got hacked and now realize the importance of password diversity. So many numbers are hard to keep up with

May 05, 2009 04:44 PM
Roland Woodworth
Benchmark Realty - Clarksville, TN
Benchmark Realty

Codes....Codes.... everywhere there Codes......  What would we do without all our Codes ?

May 05, 2009 04:55 PM
Dawn Maloney
RE/MAX Trinity Northeast Ohio Real Estate Specialist - Hudson, OH
330-990-4236 Hudson & Northeastern Ohio

I have three bank accts that I can't use because I always forget the reset pw...it's my new savings plan.

May 05, 2009 05:06 PM
Chuck Carstensen
RE/MAX Results - Elk River, MN
Minnesota/Wisconsin Real Estate Expert

I dont like when I forget the codes...now are mls has a code that you can only use one time.

May 05, 2009 08:19 PM
Jim Valentine
RE/MAX Realty Affiliates - Gardnerville, NV

Paul - Funny post about our modern times.  Life used to be so simple.

May 08, 2009 02:12 AM
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Paul S. Henderson, REALTOR®, CRS

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