I had been working for the Bank of Brazil for about 18 years when, after passing through a very difficult process, I started working at the department of technology.
The journey had begun a few months earlier, getting classification in a national contest, followed by a difficult selection in São Paulo, the capital of the State, in which phase half of the contestants would fail. Afterwards, I had travelled to the capital of Brazil (500 miles far from my home city), to spend two months studying, in an eliminatory process with 100 co-workers from all the country, where the tests performance would determine the city where I would live and work, or if I would return home with nothing!!. After all, before starting the new job, I would have to spend three months being examined by selected people, having to convince them that I would be able to do the job.
It really was a very difficult but rewarding process.
It was the year of 1996. (I’m lucky because I learned a lot about mainframe computer system then.)
First and exciting day, we were four apprentices. We were given instructions to pick a password. I remember well how carefully I chose my first password. I combined two words that meant a lot to me, and was proud of the clever code I had created!!!! Then, what I wasn’t expecting happens. My instructor liked to make jokes. He changed the connections behind our computer stations. So, when we tried to enter into the system on a second time with our passwords, the system wouldn’t accept. After three attempts the system would refuse and cancel our accesses. We couldn’t understand anything, until André (our instructor) laughing told us about the joke.
I still feel the loss of my first well-chosen password!!!!!!! Worst: I remember it!!!! :)
It was a new world. Amazing world!! Now, after so many years, I use several different passwords in daily basis, some of them I must change monthly or even more frequently.
What I do to choose my passwords nowadays is:
- as the passwords have so important place in my day, I choose words or sentences that amuse me, or make me feel better. Some years ago, I would make compliments to myself: “you are nice/beautiful/good” .. or “I love you” .. sometimes I laugh at my choice while typing the absurd words.
I can tell that just writing this kind of messages make me feel much better!!!