[ale] OT: password gripe

[lists at serioustechnology.com (Geoffrey)]

Chris Fowler wrote:
> My belief is that the password restriction needs to be just enough so
> that the user does not write down the password.  If you make it hard to
> remember and they write it down it can be found.

I always tell people to take a sentence that makes sense to them and use 
the first character of each word to generate a password.  That's what I 
do, and it's easy to remember.  I then throw in punctuation and/or 
numeric substitution where it makes sense:

I graduated from Williamsville North high school in 1974!

IgfWNhsi1974!

I personally don't think you should restrict the character set at all.

-- 
Until later, Geoffrey

"I predict future happiness for America if they can prevent
the government from wasting the labors of the people under
the pretense of taking care of them."
- Thomas Jefferson