http://qs321.pair.com?node_id=798436

I've just implemented the changes that are necessary to disable your account on this website, should you choose to do so. From now, if your password is set to a false value, you won't be able to log in anymore and your account will display as having been disabled.

A scan of the database showed that no current users of the site will be affected, so the change is active immediately.

  • Comment on False Passwords Void / Method to Disable Your Account

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Re: False Passwords Void / Method to Disable Your Account
by bv (Friar) on Sep 30, 2009 at 21:56 UTC

    Is there a confirmation from the change password node?

    Also, are there any values but "0" that will work for this? Blank shouldn't work, since the password fields get submitted as blank if you change anything but your password on your profile.

    print pack("A25",pack("V*",map{1919242272+$_}(34481450,-49737472,6228,0,-285028276,6979,-1380265972)))
[reply]
[d/l]
Re: False Passwords Void / Method to Disable Your Account
by Limbic~Region (Chancellor) on Oct 01, 2009 at 16:56 UTC
    Co-Rion,
    What happens to a user's real name and email address when they disable their account? I assume this is in response to the break in, in which users raised larger concerns about their information after they abandoned the site than just accessing their account.

    Cheers - L~R

[reply]

      I assume that the users locking their account will have erased their email address.

      I think an appropriate metaphor to setting your password to "0" is "locking up the house and throwing away the key".

[reply]
        Is this just a stop-gap to a better solution in the future? It seems to me that the long term the goal should be to create a "Disable" button that erases that users real name, email address, and password. And maybe that users home node for good measure?

        Elda Taluta; Sarks Sark; Ark Arks
[reply]
Re: False Passwords Void / Method to Disable Your Account
by Anonymous Monk on Sep 30, 2009 at 20:14 UTC
    Note: Using any of these for your password is not recommended.
[reply]

      Why? They are no more false than "sd;kfdfs3", and "sd;kfdfs3" is just as false as them when treated as a number. Are you saying I shouldn't use something like "sd;kfdfs3" either? 

      $ perl -le'
    print "s:", "$ARGV[0]" ? "true" : "false";
    print "n:", 0+$ARGV[0] ? "true" : "false";
' 0.0
s:true
n:false

$ perl -le'
    print "s:", "$ARGV[0]" ? "true" : "false";
    print "n:", 0+$ARGV[0] ? "true" : "false";
' 'sd;kfdfs3'
s:true
n:false

      [download]

      Update: Added code.

[reply]
[d/l]

        Great. Now I have to go change my password. Again. Thanks, ikegami.

        :-P

[reply]

        They're not false, and they are very weak passwords.

        That's a combination that will let random people into your account.
[reply]
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