There are several methods out there for saving the end user from password hell – a good thing, even if you use a password manager, as they sometimes mess up.

So the idea of sending a temp key is pretty good. I prefer the ones that use a short numerical code – I can remember six digits, and on some platforms the device will even automatically put it in clipboard.

And then there are links. Like this:

What’s wrong with that?

• I’ve already got a tab open on the site, waiting to sign in. The link in email or text is going to open a new one. Wasteful, scattering unused tabs.
• Worse, on some platforms (I mean you, iPad), a link followed from an email occupies what it considers to be the email app! If you suspend reading the blog or whatever it was you were signing on to, and want to go back to email, opening the email app will just put you back into reading the signed in material, not exploring email.