Major Complaint About Website Log Ins: "Your PW OR Your User Name Are Incorrect"......WHICH Is It????

Sorry to start off Christmas Day with a complaint [Merry Christmas and Happy Hannukah!], but the whole business of web page log ins has gotten waaaay out of hand.

I understand that spammers are primarily to blame for this but, nonetheless, the whole situation with websites which require setting up an account to log in has really become a pain in the ass, for several reasons:

--you must set up a User Account with a Password AND a User Name AND: enter 'security information' such as your pet's name and fill in what's called a 'Captcha' image of nonesense letters, like: LNYEW to prove you're not a spammer.

--OK: as I just said above, I understand the need to foil spammers, but:

--after about the 27th webite, you realize that you're never going to remember all those damn passwords, and, against your better judgment, you start using the same PWs and UNs over and over, simply because no one can remember them all!

--now, here is my MAJOR GRIPE: so, you've got your 27 favorite websites, all of which require you to log in with a User Name and PW, which you're not sure you can remember.

--you log in and you get an error message which says: "Your Password or Username are incorrect, please try again."

Your Password OR your Username?

Why can't they tell you which one?

Let's say you have NOT been using the same UN and PW from site to site.

--Don't they realize how many permutations there could be between the possible number of UN combinations and the possible number of PW combinations in your head?

WEBSITES NEED TO TELL YOU WHICH ARE INCORRECT: THE PASSWORD OR THE USERNAME, BECAUSE OTHERWISE, YOU'LL BE THERE ALL DAY, TRYING ALL THE VARIOUS COMBINATIONS OF THE TWO.....

AND: many website log ins do NOT remind you that your User Name is your email address, so you sit there entering all these fancy UN combinations, not realizing it was your EMAIL ADDRESS the WHOLE time!

And, guess what else?

Some websites LOCK YOU OUT AFTER 5 ATTEMPTS!

I cannot believe that I am the only person who has run into this irritating situation........

Lemme me know if you've experienced something similar.

Thanks,

More Info on Windows Beta 7 Testing [Don't Get Your Hopes Up]

Here's some more information on becoming a beta tester for Windows 7.

Basically, don't get your hopes up.

While there are many web links, like the one below, basically, unless you know a Windows Developer or have actually been a beta tester for Microsoft before, your chances of being selected are slim to none--which really begs the question of how you become one--answer: have been one before. Not much help, right?

Microsoft has a couple sites which sort of get your hope up with links like: "Click here to sign up to become a beta tester for Windows 7, " but then you click on them and see something like:

"Thank you for your interest in becoming a Window Beta Tester, but the program is closed at this time [meaning: we've selected all the same people we hired last time and you weren't one of them then and you won't be one of them now] and we are not taking any more applicants."

Your other option [the really expensive one ] is to pay $300-$600 for a MSDN developer's membership, and maybe, just maybe, they'll send you some beta DVDs as part of your membership.

But, anyway, here's a link to artificially get your hopes up:

http://community.winsupersite.com/blogs/paul/archive/2008/12/16/windows-7-beta-testing.aspx

An even more depressing link is this one, which I also gave on the right side of this blog earlier last month:

https://connect.microsoft.com/Connect/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=371972

from the Microsoft Connect web site, devoted exclusively, near as I can tell, to getting your hopes up that you may have a slim chance [which you don't] that mentions the Beta Testing Program, says it's closed and then shows all the 1,234,9546 other would-be beta testers' fawning 'OH, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, LET ME BECOME A BETA TESTER!' begging pleas.

You can almost hear Microsoft saying "HA, HA! YOU CAN'T!" followed by evil cackling in the background....

I hate to say it, but, ACTUALLY, you're best bet is to type in 'download Windows 7 Beta' into Google and go download one of the many leaked beta versions floating around, illegally, of course, and at your own risk.

But, I would NEVER recommend such a thing. :)