Can’t cope with tech and the endlessth checks and passwords. I’m 55 but feel 105!!!

[HeBeaverandSheBeaver]

Trying to do some paperwork for a new job and it’s impossible. Download this app. My pc won’t accept the app. Try on my phone. Make an account. Change password. Try to open training doc. Enter password. Oops password not accepted. Try to change password. Now not being sent new link. This is toooooooo hard. No support as all remote. I hate tech I hate tech I hate tech.

I've found my people. If I get told to "download our app" one more time I'm going to scream. Tried to park on holiday and had to download yet another app which of course wouldn't open when we got to the barrier so the impatient arsehole behind us marched up and pressed the button for a ticket.

Yes the phone saves the password until you need it, then it says nope, haven't got that one.

Had to update something on the phone yesterday and there wasn't enough space so I'm stuck wondering what is safe to delete. I don't want to do this.

I knew someone would say don't do that :-)

It works for me though. And I have a lot of passwords from having to download data sheets and CAD models from manufacturers sites and so on.

And most of the sites have a random password generator when setting up an account.

Its all bloody ridiculous when it comes to tech.

I bought a new tv a while back and I could not figure out how to set it up. It wanted accounts and all sorts. Download this, download that, a remote that looks more complicated than the computers at nasa.

I had to get my kids to take over in the end before i stuck my boot through it.

I agree. Computers were not a thing when I was at school. And nobody taught older people how to use them. You have to self teach. Or go to a class. Or be married to one that knows all about them. Many younger people are lucky to be taught. And forget older people weren’t.
The thing I find irritating is that the information is written by techs and is appalling for assuming you have this or that knowledge. Their ability to communicate in Plain English as it is known is dire.
Even books designed to help are often the same.
And if you buy an expensive piece of kit don’t expect any advisory to automatically go with it. That is all under ‘help’ or their website.
They do need to up their game because more and more people get older, more and more new developments will come along. But they continue to aim all their literature to the younger market. Who we are told have no money.

these days, you have to use a password manager. no human can manage and remember all the passwords.

if you live entirely in the apple universe, then apple can do a decent job of managing passwords. similarly, google can within Chrome / Android.

if you swap between them (like me), then you can pay for a proper password manager like 1Password that sorts everything out.

once the system is set up, it really does work for 99% of things. I have 1 master password that I type often enough to remember it, and everthing else happens automatically.

But if you want to go low tech, writing your passwords down ON PAPER is safe. writing them in a file inside your computer - not so safe.

Also, the best way to make secure memorable passwords is still to read XKCD

https://xkcd.com/936/

and there are now password generators that work according to this principle

https://www.xkpasswd.net/

As I said I’m 31, so we did have computers at school and smart phones as late teens. It doesn’t matter… the tech has moved so fast and far and become so convoluted that it doesn’t work how I was taught, it also isn’t logical or linear or user friendly anymore. It’s become a web of security so tight that it’s failing at the user-interface.

I shoved all my passwords into a password manager and hope for the best. My last look I think it had somewhere between 150 - 200. I'm dyslexic as well and it drives me nuts, but usually I just use my fingerprint lock on my phone for sign in most of the time nowadays.

It's just not safe though although I do agree the amount of passwords and MFA is ridiculous

Best thing I did was leave an organisation and start my own business.
I now have 2 passwords !
But I need to get my Amazon password updated and am ready to throw all my tech across the room !
I know it’s for security but Jesus who cares that I’ve ordered 3 tubes of silicon gel for tound the bath and a cooling eye mask!

the security these days doesn't work anyway, I had my microsoft account hacked despite having the added authentication of my laptop passkey.

I’m a millennial so I was brought up with a bit of both. However, I was pretty much brought up with computers from the age of 16 so I was considered ‘computer literate’. However it’s gone from simply just being able to use technology and knowing how to work it… to now having to create accounts for everything and download apps. So it’s not that I don’t know what to do… it’s the constant having to piss about creating accounts, creating a password then having to create some other shit as a 2/ 3 step authentication method I think even the younger generation probably find all this infuriating so I’m not sure it’s about not being brought up around computers and not having a clue about using technology, but more to do with all the tons of extra shit we never used to have to put up with.

I’ve just got a new phone and the constant logging in etc has driven me to distraction!!

me: types in password
them: incorrect user name or password
me: which is it?
them: forgotten your username?
me: reset user name.
them: your username name is <what I just typed in >
me: so it’s my password then?
them: autofill password with passkey?
me: yes please
them: incorrect password
me:,but I though the passkey remembered it!
Them: forgotten your password?
me: yes
then: enter your user name to reset password
me: the one you just said I had wrong?
them: we have sent a password reset to your email. This may take half an hour several minutes
me: clicks reset password link
them: for your security we have sent a link to your phone
me: enters that link
them:please enter your new password. It must have 37 letters, 12 upper case, a cidilla, one special character, an emoji and a smell.
me: FGurxjkf/;GhkkgdgjVJGDB😬
them: your new password cannot be your existing password

ARGGGGGGHHHHHH!

For every. Single. App.

@HeBeaverandSheBeaver There should (or could) be tech support from your workplace even though you are working remotely. Have you not been given any details of who to contact in case of difficulties? Are they expecting you to use your own PC rather than a work-provided one?

Why did you change the password when you just created account?

Have you seriously never been forced to do this by an app or website before? It’s ridiculously common and people aren’t doing it by choice.

No, generally when I create an account it normally keeps you logged in, or failing that i log in with the password I just created?

It shouldn't matter if the OP changed the password straightaway, the software she's using should be able to cope with that. And as the PP says, some programs will ask you to change a temporary password straightaway on signing up.

I never create an account and then have to change the password? The password manager saves it if it’s not memorable

If I haven’t logged in for a while or lock myself out then I change my password but I can’t say I have ever created an account and then immediately change the password

@stillhiding1990 your personal experience is not relevant though. The OP did change her password, which should be absolutely fine. You have no idea if she's using a password manager as you are using.

Well if discussing the ease of use then I don’t see how changing password once account created and not using a password manager wouldnt be relevant in that discussion?

Oh another one I’ve just thought of!

Where you go to create an account for something so the site asks you to check your emails for a link to the page where you can create the account. Go to your email and click the link for it to bring up a page within your email inbox. You spend about 10 mins filling in all your details etc. For it to then tell you they’ve sent you an email with a verification code. But you already have your emails open with the page you’re filling in. So the only way to get the verification code is to cross off the form you have filled in, get the verification code from a separate email they have sent, then go back to the original link you were sent in the first email only for it not to have saved the page you were filling in! And the whole fucking cycle starts again!!!

i was answering when someone asked if I had
never had to change password immediately after creating account? I couldn’t answer that without using my personal experience

@Flyingintotheunknown if you're using email that's in a browser, like gmail, then you can just open another window or tab and open another instance of your email there to access the code.