in other random annoyances...

[deird1]

Apple has just succumbed to the "security question" thing. Which is totally fine.

What is not fine is that, like 90% of the security-question-using world, they are setting the questions for you.


Pre-set question that I'll know the answer too: "What is your mother's maiden name?" That one I could answer in my sleep. Absolutely no problem with that. And I'd also be fine if they'd let me write my own questions. I have several things that I know the answer to that would UTTERLY BAFFLE anyone who isn't me.

But no. They're all intent on having questions like:
- What was your least favourite car?
- Where were you on January 1, 2000?
- What is your favourite song?
- Who was your first school teacher?

...and other things that I can't possibly answer. Seriously - how should I know where I was on a New Years Day 12 years ago? And my favourite song changes approximately once a day.

And yet, somehow, I have to pick a security question... and hope desperately that I'll never have to remember the answer to it.

Comments

[velvetwhip]

I hate, hate, hate pre-set security questions.


Gabrielle

[smurasaki]

Who the what now? Can anyone answer some of those questions? *boggles*

[(Anonymous)]

Ugh. I hate questions that there are more than one answer to, or no answer to. My mom was lately complaining about this. One of her security questions on a site was "What was your high school mascot?" Well, she couldn't remember whether she said "tiger" or "tigers."

[deird1]

...and then there's those of us that didn't HAVE high school mascots, and would be totally stuck.

[goldenusagi]

Also, that was me.

[unjapanologist]

Ugh, those are bad bad questions. How about picking just the country you were in on Jan 1, 2000?

[lizbee]

Yes, I had the same problem!

At least my mother's maiden name isn't going to change!

[loquat.myid.net]

I object to the "mother's maiden name" question on the grounds that my mother has never taken any other name, so it's a rather less secure question than one would like.

I'd bet money a substantial proportion of Apple's customers will put something like "home" or "a party" as the answer to that New Year's question.

[(Anonymous)]

I remember the name of my first school teacher. My husband was in the same grade and he confirms it, but no matter how I try to spell it now, Facebook tells me I'm wrong! - and they have no way to fix the problem. It's a hassle if I try to log on from anywhere else in the world.

[curiouswombat]

Me too. in the end the only way to deal with them is to put your mother's maiden name as the answer to any or all of them...

What was your least favourite car? Smith
- Where were you on January 1, 2000? Smith
- What is your favourite song? Smith
- Who was your first school teacher? Smith

:)

[curiouswombat]

Make one up - they aren't going to check... and its even more secure! as long as you use it every time you'll know the answer.

[velvetwhip]

I want one of the questions to be: What is the frequency?


Gabrielle

[curiouswombat]

To which the answer would, of course, be your mother's maiden name....

[velvetwhip]

Thanks, Kenneth!


Gabrielle

[loquat.myid.net]

Ah, but there's the rub! I'm only called upon to answer a security question once every few months, and it's only one randomly selected from the five I originally picked, which means there's an excellent chance that I'd pick a fake maiden name and then not be asked about it again for a year or more.

[bruttimabuoni]

I object to the "mother's maiden name" question on the grounds that my mother has never taken any other name, so it's a rather less secure question than one would like.

Word. Plus I have no kids, pets or partners, so most of the other questions don't work either...

[dr_carrot]

You should start answering ALL security questions with the answer to the question you want to be asked, instead of their silly questions... If you made it the same for all your stuff it just might work...