Million dollar password

When you're in a serious relationship, are you obligated to exchange Internet passwords with your significant other?

It's become more of an issue now that the average person manages not only e-mail, but also social networking accounts like Facebook and MySpace. Increasingly, those sites have become vehicles for infidelity.

So the reasoning is that if you won't give your significant other your password, you have something to hide.

I've never done the password exchange. I think it's necessary to maintain some level of privacy in a relationship. Sometimes it's more reassuring to trust your partner's word alone, rather than checking and double-checking his or her history.

Also, most people have at least one psycho ex who occasionally goes on a "what have you been up to" e-mail rampage. You know it doesn't mean anything, but it can trigger jealousy in an outside eye.

Still...

If I asked a boyfriend for his password and he said no, I'd be seriously upset. Despite trust and privacy and all that good stuff, I'd immediately expect he was cheating.

That's just the way it is.