The way I actually handle this is that regardless of what the  
question is (high school mascot, mother's last name, etc.) I put in  
the same key word, that I do not use as a password except in those  
situations.  When the bank asks me for my mother's maiden name, I  
remind them that I have a secure word for my account, and then give  
them that word.  Of course, one could always change the name of one's  
high school mascot to "Radical Feminists."  It's not as though the  
bank or whatever other institution can check against the real world;  
they just check based on what you put in.  And a made up answer like  
"Tong's Tireless Tragopans" is far less likely to be guessed by  
someone who knows your real high school mascot.

Thanks for everyone's input.  I don't want this conversation to stray  
too far from feminist issues, so this is going to be my last post on it.

Peace,

Azzurra


On May 20, 2008, at 11:15 AM, Nancy J. Holland wrote:

> Uh, problem with "high school mascot".  Mine was (Native American)
> "Warriors".  Undergrad school was worse--"Indians".  I don't want to
> be identified with that kind of racism anywhere.  N.
>
>>>> Azzurra Crispino <[log in to unmask]> 5/19/2008 11:44 PM >>>
> Dear FEAST,
>
> I wrote to David Schrader, and this is what he had to say.  I'm sure
>
> he won't mind my forwarding it to you:
>
>> Thank you for your note.  Some conversation on this has already
>> been forwarded to me.  Right now the issue of security question is
>
>> arising in the context of our changeover to our new on-line
>> system.  As I have been told by staff, the “mother’s maiden
> name”
>> question has been in use for years and is thus the one in our
>> current membership database.  Once the new system is fully up and
>
>> running Nikki Szymanski, our Computing Coordinator, will work with
>
>> Janet Sample, our Membership Coordinator, to rectify this issue.  I
>
>> surely appreciate your concerns, most immediately as a security
>> concern as you have noted.  We will plan to move to other forms of
>
>> security question, while recognizing that we have no choice but to
>
>> work from the current membership database as a starting point.
>> Please bear with us in this process as we work to make the
>> necessary changes in our system.
>>
>
> I'm glad to see that people are asking fathers' first names, but I
> can see how that might be... awkward in some situations.  I like High
>
> School mascot as a security question, personally.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Azzurra