Why do we type passwords twice?

Sometimes we stumble upon websites that ask us to enter our information twice. Some even try to disable the ability to copy and paste the information from one field to the other.

Any idea, why this input method was invented?

It was invented, because it helps to find typing errors, especially in fields like password entering fields, that do not show which characters you typed, but instead show dots or just plain nothing.

It was not invented to torture the customer, but to help her. Now look at this field:

Bildschirmfoto 2014-07-25 um 15.23.54It asks you to retype the
email, not the password.

Why?

Because the password is probably sent to us by email anyhow. And if the email is wrong, then the password can not be sent to the customer.

Now I wonder: Is that a

  • clever idea
  • fail
  • nerdy solution

to the problem, that either the email or the password could have been mistyped? What do you think?