Passwords That Stick

A lot of times, our inexperienced volunteers ask us whether this is even something we can control or if it is a lost cause, but we think it isn't. We aim to allow seniors to create a password they won't forget. More on this later, but the idea is that once you forget a password, you often have to go through more complex procedures to change it, so we try to minimize this by helping you create an easy, memorable password.

First off, we briefly go over when and when not to give someone/something the password. We try to be decently broad, but stay on the safe side. Then we help them develop a password by asking different prompts to help them find something they will never forget. Then we tell them that once they have their basis, they should make a small, but predictable change to the password every time they make a change. New account somewhere. Keep the pattern stable so there is less to relearn each time, and keep the language concrete so instructions feel doable.

In this approach, we treat password creation like a puzzle. We say that once you have your baseline down, see what tweaks you would make to your basis, and that's your password. We like to say that this takes the pressure off, in a way. A shared pattern also makes it easier to give and accept help, because teachers and learners are using the same terms and steps across different apps or websites.

We like to start our sessions with the idea of a moment in life that you will never forget. This gets everyone talking and helps spark some initial thinking. We then pause for a moment to introduce the password and discuss the general security that comes with it. We like to stay general here, but remain on the safe side. As we move into the actual password creation, we use the idea that each password should be different for each website to introduce our password creation suggestion. We emphasize that it should be a system that follows a clear, simple pattern, or that you take note of that pattern somewhere safe.

While being one of the scariest topics at first, we try to go down the path that stays serious about the topic, but relieves some of the pressure through metaphors or activities.