Highly Visible Password: Difference between revisions
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When passwords are being entered, they're ''always'' displayed on screen in plain text, rather than asterisked out. Why? So you can see how ''clever'' either the characters or the writers are being; often it being some kind of reference or pun. |
When passwords are being entered, they're ''always'' displayed on screen in plain text, rather than asterisked out. Why? So you can see how ''clever'' either the characters or the writers are being; often it being some kind of reference or pun. |
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Part of the office-variety [[Viewer |
Part of the office-variety [[Viewer-Friendly Interface]]. |
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In a futuristic setting, the password may even be spoken to the computer. In the future, nobody minds if the [[Bridge Bunnies]] know [[The Captain]]'s security codes, [[Fridge Brilliance|especially since computers at that point will be smart enough to also make sure the code is spoken by the correct voice.]] |
In a futuristic setting, the password may even be spoken to the computer. In the future, nobody minds if the [[Bridge Bunnies]] know [[The Captain]]'s security codes, [[Fridge Brilliance|especially since computers at that point will be smart enough to also make sure the code is spoken by the correct voice.]] |
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Compare [[The Password Is Always Swordfish]], [[Password Slot Machine]]. Often lends itself to [[Override Command]]. Not to be confused with the popularity of [[Password|a certain game show]]. |
Compare [[The Password Is Always Swordfish]], [[Password Slot Machine]]. Often lends itself to [[Override Command]]. Not to be confused with the popularity of [[Password|a certain game show]]. |
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{{examples |
{{examples}} |
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== Comedy == |
== Comedy == |
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* The "remember my password on this computer" function can have a similar effect. [[Hilarity Ensues]] whenever someone uses this for something critical without bothering to set a login password for their PC, and it gets stolen. |
* The "remember my password on this computer" function can have a similar effect. [[Hilarity Ensues]] whenever someone uses this for something critical without bothering to set a login password for their PC, and it gets stolen. |
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* And then there's folks who think that [http://www.useit.com/alertbox/passwords.html passwords should not be masked by default anyway]. |
* And then there's folks who think that [http://www.useit.com/alertbox/passwords.html passwords should not be masked by default anyway]. |
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** The first computer hackers, mostly found at MIT in the late 50s / early 60s, believed there shouldn't be passwords at all -- everybody should have access to everybody's files -- yes, even write access! They managed to keep that ideology in place in university computers for a surprisingly long time. Read all about those folks in [ |
** The first computer hackers, mostly found at MIT in the late 50s / early 60s, believed there shouldn't be passwords at all -- everybody should have access to everybody's files -- yes, even write access! They managed to keep that ideology in place in university computers for a surprisingly long time. Read all about those folks in [[wikipedia:Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution|this book]]. |
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* Some command line programs (like the [[My SQL]] client) still have ways of entering the password in the clear. |
* Some command line programs (like the [[My SQL]] client) still have ways of entering the password in the clear. |
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* In one of the more boneheaded examples of this trope, a recent update to a popular VPN program requires the user to enter the password by clicking on a ''huge on-screen keyboard''. With the positions of the keys randomized, to slow you down while you search for where the A key is ''this'' time so that the person sitting next to you has plenty of time to jot down your password. The password itself ''is'' masked, presumably because it makes the joke funnier that way. |
* In one of the more boneheaded examples of this trope, a recent update to a popular VPN program requires the user to enter the password by clicking on a ''huge on-screen keyboard''. With the positions of the keys randomized, to slow you down while you search for where the A key is ''this'' time so that the person sitting next to you has plenty of time to jot down your password. The password itself ''is'' masked, presumably because it makes the joke funnier that way. |
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[[Category:Magical Computer]] |
[[Category:Magical Computer]] |
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[[Category:Highly Visible Password]] |
[[Category:Highly Visible Password]] |
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[[Category:Trope]] |
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