I was reading old Dilbert strips with Mordac the Preventer of Information Systems, and ran across one I had cut out when it first appeared in 1998.

Mordac Password Policy

All Passwords must be 6 characters long
Contain a mix of uppers and lowers and numbers
Be changed monthly
Use a different password for each system
Do not write anything down.

6 character password?   It’s funny how weak that seems now.   Even then 6 characters was a bit light.  Monthly is the only part that is really excessive.   Even now you’ll find people arguing against writing passwords down.   I believe in writing them down securely.