Passwords With Personality
Who knew e-mail passwords were so revealing? Most people choose words that come readily, so Australian psychologist Helen Petrie, a professor of human computer interaction at City University in London, analyzed the passwords of 1200 anonymous computer users and found most fell into the following four genres:
Family Oriented - 47.5%
Occasional computer users with strong family ties pick family oriented words like their pet’s name or child’s birth date. While emotional value dictates the choices of this personality, it should be noted that over half chose some variation of their own name.
Fans - 32%
People who pick theri favourite athletes, musicians, movie stars and cartoon characters want to ally themselves with the lifestyle the celebrity symbolises. That Homer Simpson topped the charts raises more questions about human nature than it answers.
Fantasists - 11%
Self- obsessed and sexually preoccupied, slightly more men than women chose passwords like sexy and stud.
Cryptics - 9.5%
Security-conscious types chose seemingly random series of numbers and letters. Not so interesting, but safe.
