History Main / HighlyVisiblePassword

In a futuristic setting, the password may even be spoken to the computer. In the future, nobody minds if the BridgeBunnies know TheCaptain's security codes, especially since computers at that point will be smart enough to also make sure the code is spoken by the correct voice.

*** Yep. Highly trained science types sometimes have a thin grasp on reality, as demonstrated by the current push to give away ones talents via open source software. Even artsy types know you don't give away the very thing that makes you valuable.
*** It's funny. You might think that that's an insane way to do things...until you realize this site basically operates the exact same way.
**** True enough, but I wager most tropers have full time jobs to pay their bills.

** Also with Alfred's disc in ''BatmanAndRobin''...well, it would have [[DisContinuity if that movie had happened]].

* There's a Firefox extension called "Show my Password" that does this, for people who are sick and tired of their passwords being hidden on computers located in their own homes where no one could possibly be spying on them.
** [[ParanoiaFuel That's exactly what they want you to think!]]

* Averted in ''{{Garfield}}'', but Jon, looking over Garfield's shoulder, easily guesses the password ("[[spoiler:LASAGNA]]") anyway.

* Justified and Subverted in ''[[{{Ptitlelpt9xvh0}} GoldenEye]]'', with one password being put in asterisks because it would be a key point later on. The other times weren't, however.

** Considering how hard it is to get to the computer, I don't think Buddy was that worried about password protection.
*** Then why bother with a password in the first place?
**** Because obviously he couldn't trust Mirage with "everything".
***** Mirage was seen exiting the computer room earlier in the film, negating any reason for the password.
***** Syndrome was also inviting ''superheroes'' to the island on a regular basis...
*** In which case password encryption would be useful.
**** You also have to think about what we know about Buddy/Syndrome. Egomaniacal? Yes. So he needs a GIGANTIC screen because of Rule of Cool. Paranoid? You bet your ass. So he needs a password.
* Averted in the ''SexAndTheCity'' movie. The password to the folder with Big's emails is asterisked on the computer screen. Instead, we get a shot of Carrie typing out L-O-V-E on the keyboard.

* Strange almost-subversion in the movie ''RealGenius''. Lazlo is seen trying to brute-force hack into a military computer. At each attempt, the terminal masks the password while it's typed, but then immediately reports the contents once enter is hit. The result looks like PASSWORD: ###### (trying "AAAAAD")

* This goes for verbal password as well. In ''StarTrek'', the various ships' self destruct codes are not inputted on a keyboard, but rather spoken out loud.
** I really hope that's working off of voice recognition, since the first ''Enterprise'' had self-destruct "sequences" akin to the combination for the air shield from ''Spaceballs''.
*** IIRC, the computer refused Picard's password because his voiceprint didn't match in the episode where he had been turned into a child.
*** In another instance, while suffering from an OverrideCommand, Data had to mimic Picard's voice for the captain's passwords to work.
*** In ST:TNG, the computer required voice recognition of two senior officers before initiating the self destruct- in ST:TOS and in ST:III on Enterprise 1701, it required three senior officers.
*** This changed in ST:Voyager, the computer only required voice recognition of one senior officer (Janeway in one example).
**** The ST:Voyager example may be justified in that with access to the regular fleet cut off, you might just want to amend security protocols just a bit.
**** It still needed the passwords of two officers (Janeway and Chakotay's) but only needed to recognize Janeway's voice. Chakotay just entered his on the console.
* Partly averted in the ''{{Torchwood}}'' story ''Children of Earth'' - the password was asterisked out, but could be found on a post-it on the monitor.
* Played for laughs on ''BabylonFive'' in one episode. Captain [[TheCaptain Sheridan]], Commander [[TheLancer Ivonova]], and Security Chief [[BaldOfAwesome Garibaldi]] all have to give their spoken passwords to reset the computer. Sheridan and Ivonova have obscure or cryptic passwords. The highly [[strike:paranoid]] [[ProperlyParanoid security-concious]] Garibaldi has ''[[CrowningMomentOfFunny Peekaboo]]''. When called out on this, his defense was ''Would '''you''' have thought of it?''.
** In ''War Without End'', Garibaldi receives a password-locked message from the station's [[PutOnABus previous Commander]], Commander Sinclair. Not knowing ''what'' the password is supposed to be, he throws out a long string of random words from conversations he had with Sinclair, including [[ItMakesSenseInContext Socks, Pants, Fasten, and Zip]] before finally guessing the right password. In this case, the verbal password isn't a problem because it's in his private quarters with nobody around.

** POSSIBLY justified... There's been [[FanWank some discussion]] that you're using a type of key-logger, along with a secondary program to actually show you how close you're getting. Which would be all well and good for someone whose Science skill is at 100... Not so much a dumb-as-a-sack-of-pricks person with 1 intelligence and no points at all in Science..
* Mostly averted in ''KingdomHearts'', where six of Xemnas' seven passwords are asterisked out. The master password, "Another" is shown in full, but the six sub-passwords (his apprentices names) are properly censored as he types.

<<|MagicalComputer|>>

* Ever used the [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/uploadform.php Media Uploader]]?
** The idiotic software this wiki is run on is a hothouse of password insecurity, right down to storing it in a plain text cookie and not even asking you to type it in twice to ensure that you didn't make a typo.
*** Justified on TVTropes Edit Page link.

** Unless your computer is located in a windowless room that you have swept for recording devices...Hey, just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean that they ''aren't'' out to get me.
*** ...3M makes a privacy filter that will fix that.

** ...who have no business giving anybody computer advice. Case in point, as an IT manager I have seen companies where managers use VNC or other remote desktop software to "look over employee's shoulders" at any time without the employee's immediate knowledge. Web sites should never, ever show passwords in plain text as they are typed. E-mailing lost passwords in plain text is equally irritating.

** ...who have no business giving anybody computer advice. Case in point, as an IT manager I have seen companies where managers use VNC or other remote desktop software to "look over employee's shoulders" at any time without the employee's immediate knowledge. Web sites should never, ever show passwords in plain text as they are typed by default. E-mailing lost passwords in plain text is equally irritating.

** ...who have no business giving anybody computer advice. Case in point, as an IT manager I have seen companies where managers use VNC or other remote desktop software to "look over employee's shoulders" at any time without the employee's immediate knowledge. Web sites should never, ever show passwords in plain text as they are typed by default. E-mailing lost passwords in plain text is equally irritating.

* In the game ''Second Sight'' the player can access computer terminals. If the terminal needs a password and the player doesn't know it then John Vattic (the Main Character) keeps entering generic passwords, which the player can see on the screen.

Compare ThePasswordIsAlwaysSwordfish, PasswordSlotMachine. Often lends itself to OverrideCommand.

!!Examples

** Also with Alfred's disc in ''BatmanAndRobin''... well, it would have [[DisContinuity if that movie had happened]].

* This goes for verbal password as well. In ''{{Star Trek}}'', the various ships' self destruct codes are not inputted on a keyboard, but rather spoken out loud.

* Played for laughs on BabylonFive in one episode. Captain [[TheCaptain Sheridan]], Commander [[TheLancer Ivonova]], and Security Chief [[BaldOfAwesome Garibaldi]] all have to give their spoken passwords to reset the computer. Sheridan and Ivonova have obscure or cryptic passwords. The highly [[strike:paranoid]] [[ProperlyParanoid security-concious]] Garibaldi has ''[[CrowningMomentOfFunny Peekaboo]]''. When called out on this, his defense was ''Would '''you''' have thought of it?''.

* Taken to [[ExaggeratedTrope ridiculous extremes]] in [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vb2ddeuqjOA this episode]] of Jinnai Tomonori's series. [[spoiler:It displays the numbers in giant font-size for confirmation, then later on repeats it OUT LOUD for confirmation.]]

[[/folder]

* Mostly averted in KingdomHearts, where six of Xemnas' seven passwords are asterisked out. The master password, "Another" is shown in full, but the six sub-passwords (his apprentices names) are properly censored as he types.

In a futuristic setting, the password may even be spoken to the computer. In the future, nobody minds if the BridgeBunnies know TheCaptain's security codes.

*** In another instance, while suffering from a OverrideCommand, Data had to mimic Picard's voice for the captain's passwords to work.