Rant: Why I still write down passwords in a notebook sometimes...

I remember when we all used simple stuff like our favorite movie for logins... it felt easier but was pretty unsafe. My hot take is that jotting passwords in a real notebook isn't as crazy as people make it out to be. I've kept one for years, stashed in a locked drawer at home, and no one's ever gotten into it. On the flip side, I've helped pals who got locked out after their password app messed up or they forgot the main code. It's just paper and pen, no updates or bugs to worry about. I get that it sounds risky, but for my own use, it's been solid... way less headache than keeping track of a dozen app logins. Maybe I'm stuck in the past, but this old habit has saved me more times than I can count.

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3 Comments

river_lane916mo ago

You keep it in a LOCKED drawer? That's the part that gets me. A little drawer lock feels so easy to get past if someone really wanted to. A guest, a break in, anything. You're putting all your trust in that one physical thing not failing. Just seems wild when the other option is your whole digital life getting emptied out.

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reed.vera6mo ago

Drawer locks can be picked, no doubt. But digital systems get hacked all the time. Why trust one over the other?

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the_abby6mo ago

Actually, a security blog I follow pointed out that a notebook avoids online hacks completely. In my experience, it works fine if you keep it in a safe spot at home. Just don't lose the book, obviously.

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