conventions - Is only having a single unmasked password field (no confirm) on a registration page a bad idea?

Some sites allow you to register and only provide a single password box, which is protected with stars.

Traditionally a "confirm password" box is used when registering which allows you to confirm that the password entered is indeed the password the user wishes to use.

I know that an interface is only complete when there is nothing left to remove from it, however I got caught out this week by registering at a webservice that only asks for 1 password entry. I accidentally hit the wrong key when signing up, and ended up having to go through a password reset process in order to access the service later.

Would it not be advisable to allow password entry without the stars when going with the "single password box upon registration" model?

Answer

I think it's a good idea to have only one password field but I think it should be masked by default, with an option to unmask. There are some users that feel this is not as safe, maybe even just because they're not used to see their password in clear text. The solution should address the concern of these users, too.

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