Security Basics: Re: Password variation scheme a plus in security?

["Stefan Schmidt" <Stefan.Schmidt () gmx net>]

> If you don't want to use the same password for all sites, save the
> passwords in an encrypted vault (e.g. KeePass [1]) and look them up
> whenever needed.
I am using one of these password managers currently, but I find it rather inconvinient. A web-based open source 
solution would be nice, but I haven't found one.

> DO NOT USE PASSWORDS DERIVED THROUGH DETERMINISTIC ALGORITHMS. EVER.
>
> Kerckhoff's Principle explains why that is a bad thing.
Yes, security by obscurity is certainly a bad thing and if wanted a 100% secure solution I' certainly use a separate 
secure password for every single site, but I was looking for an alternative to grant me a 90% secure solution without 
the hassle. So my question was not "Is this secure ?" but rather "How likely is it for hackers to test for password 
schemes".

Stefan