Miss Cellane
6-28-14, 4:39pm
Am I the only one who has problems with the list of security questions some web sites have? They'll list 8 or 9 questions, and I'm pulling my hair out to find a single one that I have an answer to. An answer that is so clear-cut that I won't forget it or use another, equally plausible, answer.
For example, I ran into this list today:
What was the first concert you attended? I have no idea. Some classical concert for children.
What was the name of your favorite cartoon series as a child? That was 40 years ago. I can remember wondering why my parents would choose to sleep in on Saturday mornings when there were all those great cartoons on, but a favorite? I can't remember the names of most of them, let alone which ones I liked and which ones I watched because my brothers outnumbered me.
What is the name of a college you applied to but didn’t attend? There were 6 of them. No way to reliably chose one that I will remember for a couple of years until I need it.
What is the name of the place where your wedding reception was held? Oops, I forgot to get married.
When did you first meet your spouse? See above.
What was your oldest sibling’s nickname as a child? He didn't have one.
What was the name of your first pet? Which first pet? The first pet the family had, which wasn't mine? The cat that every one said was mine, but which was really my brother's, although I had to scoop the litter box? My first pet as an adult? If so, her "real" name, or the nickname that was really used? How to remember which one?
In what city or town did your parents meet? This one I actually know.
What is your maternal grandmother’s nickname? Augusta Grace did not stoop to nicknames.
What street did you live on in third grade? In third grade, I was living on an Army base. The street had no name. There was a name for the cluster of houses, which I've forgotten, but no street name.
What was the name of your first supervisor? If it was my first ever paying job, I can remember his face, but his name is consigned to the darkness of forgotten memory. If a later supervisor, how could I remember which one I picked?
So, 9 questions. I have a good, solid answer for exactly one of them.
Some lists are worse than this, in terms of usable questions. I don't know if it's because I'm in my 50s and I've just forgotten some of these details or what, but I've come to dread having to pick one of these security questions. And don't even mention the sites that want you to answer two or three of them!
For example, I ran into this list today:
What was the first concert you attended? I have no idea. Some classical concert for children.
What was the name of your favorite cartoon series as a child? That was 40 years ago. I can remember wondering why my parents would choose to sleep in on Saturday mornings when there were all those great cartoons on, but a favorite? I can't remember the names of most of them, let alone which ones I liked and which ones I watched because my brothers outnumbered me.
What is the name of a college you applied to but didn’t attend? There were 6 of them. No way to reliably chose one that I will remember for a couple of years until I need it.
What is the name of the place where your wedding reception was held? Oops, I forgot to get married.
When did you first meet your spouse? See above.
What was your oldest sibling’s nickname as a child? He didn't have one.
What was the name of your first pet? Which first pet? The first pet the family had, which wasn't mine? The cat that every one said was mine, but which was really my brother's, although I had to scoop the litter box? My first pet as an adult? If so, her "real" name, or the nickname that was really used? How to remember which one?
In what city or town did your parents meet? This one I actually know.
What is your maternal grandmother’s nickname? Augusta Grace did not stoop to nicknames.
What street did you live on in third grade? In third grade, I was living on an Army base. The street had no name. There was a name for the cluster of houses, which I've forgotten, but no street name.
What was the name of your first supervisor? If it was my first ever paying job, I can remember his face, but his name is consigned to the darkness of forgotten memory. If a later supervisor, how could I remember which one I picked?
So, 9 questions. I have a good, solid answer for exactly one of them.
Some lists are worse than this, in terms of usable questions. I don't know if it's because I'm in my 50s and I've just forgotten some of these details or what, but I've come to dread having to pick one of these security questions. And don't even mention the sites that want you to answer two or three of them!