running Linux on odd devices is SOOO COOL!

[Technomage]

Robert Holtzman wrote:
>
> I was just about to comment on this. You beat me to it. In all the
> different material I've read, everyone is fond of saying it would
> take <insert huge number here> of years to break a strong password. 
> Statistically the odds of the first try being successful are not, as you
> pointed out, zero and increase with each combination. Granted, it would
> still take a hell of a long time but not the <insert huge number> years
> people always claim.   
>   
you are not the only ones to notice this.
perhaps a better metric would be the :odds of determining the actual 
password in a
"reasonably short period" of time (say under 3 months). Now, I don't 
have the math behind me
to even approach this problem. However, wouldn't similar large math 
problems (such as calculating
the ofdds of a specific set of balls dropping for the powerball lotto 
that week) given you a better metric
of how to calculate probability of success?