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I never understood how it could get to the point where people would actually enter username and password for something on a completely different website... like

by kahawe 15y ago

I never understood how it could get to the point where people would actually enter username and password for something on a completely different website... like e.g. those free SMS websites asking for your yahoo, facebook etc logins to "find friends" and then spam everyone in your address book and countless other sites doing the same thing. Even facebook has a "feature" like that - does no one think about the implications when they do that at all??

dspillett 15y ago
> Even facebook has a "feature" like that - does no one think about the implications when they do that at all?? No, generally people don't and are not encouraged to enough, and I take it as one of the signs that facebook really doesn't care about security any more than it needs to in order to be able to give appropriate sounding lip service when they are asked a question. Handing out your authentication credentials to a third party in exchange for a little convenience is more often than not a ridiculous action, and anyone who encourages such behaviour (by providing such a feature) is simply irresponsible.
- kahawe 15y ago
  > Handing out your authentication credentials to a third party in exchange for a little convenience is more often than not a ridiculous action, and anyone who encourages such behaviour (by providing such a feature) is simply irresponsible. Yes, absolutely, exactly my point! But obviously it has not hindered lots of websites to STILL do that and obviously lots (or enough) people buy into it. THAT I cannot understand...
  - dspillett 15y ago
    People are stupid. Well, at least most of them act it. And not just the "lowest common denominator" either: I've know otherwise well educated people not be cynical enough to understand why it might be a bad idea. Half the time they just follow instructions without thinking ("enter your email and password here...") and sometimes they are easily swayed into following them "for convenience". The only cure for many people is for them to get ripped off or otherwise inconvenienced as a result of such an action at least once. But there are still some who would never learn.

by kahawe 15y ago

dspillett 15y ago

> Even facebook has a "feature" like that - does no one think about the implications when they do that at all?? No, generally people don't and are not encouraged to enough, and I take it as one of the signs that facebook really doesn't care about security any more than it needs to in order to be able to give appropriate sounding lip service when they are asked a question. Handing out your authentication credentials to a third party in exchange for a little convenience is more often than not a ridiculous action, and anyone who encourages such behaviour (by providing such a feature) is simply irresponsible.

kahawe 15y ago
> Handing out your authentication credentials to a third party in exchange for a little convenience is more often than not a ridiculous action, and anyone who encourages such behaviour (by providing such a feature) is simply irresponsible. Yes, absolutely, exactly my point! But obviously it has not hindered lots of websites to STILL do that and obviously lots (or enough) people buy into it. THAT I cannot understand...
- dspillett 15y ago
  People are stupid. Well, at least most of them act it. And not just the "lowest common denominator" either: I've know otherwise well educated people not be cynical enough to understand why it might be a bad idea. Half the time they just follow instructions without thinking ("enter your email and password here...") and sometimes they are easily swayed into following them "for convenience". The only cure for many people is for them to get ripped off or otherwise inconvenienced as a result of such an action at least once. But there are still some who would never learn.