Security Basics: Re: News Item: UN warns on password 'explosion'

[Alexander Klimov <alserkli () inbox ru>]

On Mon, 4 Dec 2006, Saqib Ali wrote:
> My question is why so many online discussion forum require logon to
> post messages? Currently I have 20+ discussion forum account for the
> various vendors that I deal with (e.g. citrix, wise, altiris, active
> batch etc) . Why can't they be like mailing lists where the
> username+password is optional/not-required.
>
> Discussion forums use username+password as mean to
> 1) control access,
> 2) tie the post to a email address; and
> 3) prevent  anonymous spam.
I guess 3 is actually number 1. There is incredible amount of spam
even on not so well known sites.

> Alternatively this can also be achieved by simply requiring  email
> address along with post, and then sending a authorization email to the
> poster before making the post visible on the forum. This will achieve
> the same effect, and the user will not be burdened with remembering
> username+password for each forum where they make posts.
It would not be a good idea: entering password is much simpler than
answering email for each post one makes. You do not need to remember
them all, just use some software to store or derive passwords for each
site.

-- 
Regards,
ASK

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