Re: Sites requiring registration to post a comment

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From: Michael G Schwern
Subject: Re: Sites requiring registration to post a comment
Date: 18:59 on 22 Mar 2005
On Tue, Mar 22, 2005 at 08:24:37AM -0600, Peter da Silva wrote:
> 	[Click here] if you forgot your password.
> 
> 	...
> 
> 	Enter your account name: [        ]
> 
> 	...
> 
> 	Your question was... WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COLOR? [        ]
> 
> Arse. What did I say for this one? Let's check my email... huh, they didn't
> send the answer in the link. Of course. OK, let's see... "bluenogreen".

I've got one better.  Calling up Telerama (Pittsburgh ISP) to cancel my
account as I had moved.  I give them my username and account number.  The
fellow on the other end asks for my password, I don't know it.  I've never
needed it.  That's fine, what did I answer for the security question?

Well, what's the security question?

He can't access that information.

!

He knows my answer but not what question I picked.  Had I been
quicker on my feet I'd have said "42" but I was too busy sputtering in
amazement.  Am I the first person to use this procedure?  What the hell?

So we walk through each of the possible questions and I give him what my
answer would have been, or if I'd have picked that one at all.  Turns out
none of them are right and we just wind up cobbling together my 
authentication through random bits of personal info.

There's stuff above here

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