Hi RSBC, I really appreciate the thoughtful explanation!
In 1Password, by updating and saving the new password first, even if something happens (or doesn't happen), you'll always have the original password and the new password (even if it doesn't meet requirements) that you changed it too.
You're correct. This is the most efficient way for us to collect your login details and prevent data loss, just as you illustrated.
That said, we are always looking to improve 1Password, and we are tracking all feedback. We encourage everyone to chime in about their experiences. We'll do our best to create a product that is intuitive and that will handle your data with care.
I disagree with the notion that the current approach effectively prevents data loss. The existing pre-login mechanism places the onus on the user to initiate password-saving actions, whereas a post-login pop-up window mechanism would actively prompt users to save their passwords. As it stands, the current system unfairly shifts the responsibility onto the user, while the software avoids automating the process.
While it's understandable that the software may not flawlessly execute the post-login prompt, there should be compensatory measures in place. For example, the software could automatically record the password as the user types it, creating a temporary entry. If the post-login prompt fails, the user can effortlessly locate their most recently entered password. The temporary entry could then be automatically removed after a specified period (there's room for more innovative solutions here).
I am a software engineer and researcher at an IT company, and my experience is that passing the buck to customers in order to sidestep technical challenges seldom proves successful. And the pre-login mechanism adopted by 1Password seems to be such a case.