Not sure about this....

I receive mails from Amazon.  I actually look at them these days in case there has been a sale.  However the latest mail made me think.  It is an advert for a selection of notebooks and organisers to hold your passwords and log in names for the internet. 

I do keep a Google document, shared with OH, of all the account numbers of stuff like the mortgage etc but never passwords.  I do keep the log in for one site but that was because it was such a nightmare to remember.  For some reason the only log in they would accept was one I could never remember.  I had no problem with the password, just the log in.  I group passwords, so that while I have quite a few, all the shopping ones are variations on a theme, all the natter ones are on a variation of a different theme, and so on, so I usually know where to start remembering.  And I don't have trouble remembering the password to the Google account, so that isn't written down anywhere.  It is there in case of a fire, or something happening when we are away from home and the documents, or a water leak or something that means we need the account numbers but the paperwork no longer exists. 

I was always told that you never, ever, ever told anyone your password.  Not even for a chat forum.  You just didn't.  Now that there is the trend of people making 'prank' entries on facebook when it has been left logged in, and the potential for havoc that can cause, it seems more important than ever.

For me, at the moment little bear is happy to just pootle about on Minecraft videos.  However a few years down the line, when he is a bit more clued up, a notebook with all my log ins and passwords would be an invitation for havoc for a young lad with his eye on goodies from ebay.  He is not going to be blessed with my passwords for anything. 

I would also say that if goods are ordered in your name, to your address, using your log in and password, and there is a notebook at the side of the computer with all the details in then you are going to have a hard job proving fraud, even if they were ordered by your babysitter.  The notebook could be a recipe for disaster. 

On the other hand, neither my darling father nor my darling uncle order anything online.  Neither of them are comfortable with the internet (though I suspect it is lack of practice for darling father) and both of them could really use a reminder of their passwords.  Having inadvertently overheard darling father setting up telephone banking when he couldn't remember his mother's maiden name, he would need a notebook like this.  I should add that not remembering things is normal for darling father, not the onset of anything.  For as long as I can remember he has been unable to remember stuff like birthdays, anniversaries or stuff like middle names.  I am just happy if he remembers my birthday in the right month.  So perhaps he is the target audience.  And the advert should have come to me, as he doesn't have an Amazon account, as he never spends money online himself but gets me to spend it for him. 

I still think it is a recipe for disaster.