HTML captcha solution

[Alistair George]

Hi has anyone got any ideas about putting a captcha solution inside a
standard web page?
Thanks,
Alistair.

 

[dorayme]

Hi has anyone got any ideas about putting a captcha solution inside a
standard web page?

B says they suck so I don't know if you should.... look up the
threads on this at this newsgroup (go to google groups and type
in alt.html, then when there, type in "captcha")

 

[Jukka K. Korpela]

Scripsit dorayme:

B says they suck so I don't know if you should.... look up the
threads on this at this newsgroup (go to google groups and type
in alt.html, then when there, type in "captcha")

Also note the recent news about spammers' tools that penetrate through
captchas.

Of course, a "standard web page" does not need the protection that captchas
are supposed to give. A _service_ (such as free e-mail service) might need,
but captchas are a wrong approach anyway, and illegal in civilized
countries, since they discriminate against various minorities (typically
including the blind).

As usual, it would have been best to start with stating the _problem_ that
captcha was meant to solve.

 

[Bergamot]

Hi has anyone got any ideas about putting a captcha solution inside a
standard web page?

I like this one that was developed as a WordPress plugin, but you should
be able to adapt it for more general use.
http://sw-guide.de/wordpress/plugins/math-comment-spam-protection/

It does require server-side scripting, of course.

 

[rf]

Hi has anyone got any ideas about putting a captcha solution inside a
standard web page?

A captcha is synonomous with a bloody pain in the arse.

 

[Jukka K. Korpela]

Scripsit Bergamot:

I like this one that was developed as a WordPress plugin, but you
should be able to adapt it for more general use.
http://sw-guide.de/wordpress/plugins/math-comment-spam-protection/

Compared with the usual discrimination of the blind and nauseating trouble
to other people, that method discriminates against arithmetically challenged
people and causes nauseating trouble to other people. Why should I do some
math exercise just to prove myself human? And the idea postulates that
people who cannot compute 9+9 (I have actually seen such people working in
shops, buses etc.) are not human - so they can presumably be eliminated
without any moral objection past those against killing some insects or rats.
Oh, was I somewhat provocative? But please blame the original provocation,
captchas, not me.

I'd suggest reading the CAPTCHA article at w3.org before considering any new
ways to create problems with captchas.

 

[Ben C]

Scripsit Bergamot:


Compared with the usual discrimination of the blind and nauseating trouble
to other people, that method discriminates against arithmetically challenged
people and causes nauseating trouble to other people. Why should I do some
math exercise just to prove myself human?

In any case a math exercise is a particularly bad test for
distinguishing between a human and a bot. A script could easily be
written to parse the sum, calculate the answer and submit it.

 

[Bergamot]

In any case a math exercise is a particularly bad test for
distinguishing between a human and a bot. A script could easily be
written to parse the sum, calculate the answer and submit it.

A script can be written to parse pretty much anything.

I wouldn't suggest using the math problem for a site with heavy traffic,
but it can serve a small site. Depends on the type of site and target
audience whether it makes sense to use such a scheme in the first place.

 

[Bergamot]

I'd suggest reading the CAPTCHA article at w3.org before considering any new
ways to create problems with captchas.

http://www.w3.org/TR/turingtest/#conclusion
"It is strongly recommended that smaller sites adopt spam filtering
and/or heuristic checks in place of CAPTCHA."

I do my own heuristic checks now, but they can be a real PITA to maintain.

 

[dorayme]

In any case a math exercise is a particularly bad test for
distinguishing between a human and a bot. A script could easily be
written to parse the sum, calculate the answer and submit it.

One of the objections against captchas is that they are often too
hard to read. The easier to read, the easier for a robot to do so
too. But to read and understand is the toe hold. I would be very
surprised if we could not construct a question that anyone who
could understand English would be able to answer easily but any
present generation robots would fail.

 

[Yorkshire Pete]

On 10 Jul 2007 dorayme wrote in alt.html

One of the objections against captchas is that they are often too
hard to read. The easier to read, the easier for a robot to do so
too. But to read and understand is the toe hold. I would be very
surprised if we could not construct a question that anyone who
could understand English would be able to answer easily but any
present generation robots would fail.

If you are in the US you better also have it in Spanish. Must kiss Mexican
ass.

 

[Neredbojias]

Well bust mah britches and call me cheeky, on Sat, 14 Jul 2007 00:02:52
GMT Yorkshire Pete scribed:

On 10 Jul 2007 dorayme wrote in alt.html


If you are in the US you better also have it in Spanish. Must kiss
Mexican ass.

Like your x-face. Are you really that old?

 

[Duende]

On 13 Jul 2007 Neredbojias wrote in alt.html

Like your x-face. Are you really that old?

You know me as Duende.

 

[Neredbojias]

Well bust mah britches and call me cheeky, on Sat, 14 Jul 2007 01:57:15 GMT
Duende scribed:

On 13 Jul 2007 Neredbojias wrote in alt.html


You know me as Duende.

Two ends!!! Ain't seen you in an iguana's age, little buddy (-medium
buddy? -big buddy?) How's life been (mis)treating ya? So, guess you _are_
that old. Curious you made your reappearance on Friday the 13th...

Me, myself, and I are doin' all right. Oh, been having trouble with the
broads again, -so what else is new? When one is in unequal company,
there's bound to be some unbalance on the downside. Lately, though, I"ve
become more cautious of them vagrant varments of the vamplands ya run
across every now 'n then, but whenever my guard slips down I find I can
still get it up again.

Welp, nice seeing you, ol' horse. Been drinkin' gallons of coffee so I
gotta go and agitate the anaconda. As I say to my girlfriend, don't take
any wooden pickles, and hasta luego.

 

[Yorkshire Pete]

On 14 Jul 2007 Neredbojias wrote in alt.html

Well bust mah britches and call me cheeky, on Sat, 14 Jul 2007 01:57:15
GMT Duende scribed:


Two ends!!! Ain't seen you in an iguana's age, little buddy (-medium
buddy? -big buddy?) How's life been (mis)treating ya? So, guess you
_are_ that old. Curious you made your reappearance on Friday the
13th...

That's about the only time the let me out.

Been spending way to much time doing nothing but watching the nursie girls
fussing about but old people do that a lot, watch that is. Don't worry,
your days commin soon.

I find I can still get it up again.

Ya right.

Welp, nice seeing you, ol' horse. Been drinkin' gallons of coffee so I
gotta go and agitate the anaconda.

You have a nice anaconda.
http://yorkshirepete.com/?XXGUT

 

[Neredbojias]

Well bust mah britches and call me cheeky, on Sat, 14 Jul 2007 19:07:38
GMT Yorkshire Pete scribed:

That's about the only time the let me out.

I can understand that...

Been spending way to much time doing nothing but watching the nursie
girls fussing about but old people do that a lot, watch that is. Don't
worry, your days commin soon.

Hehe, yeah, you've got that right. 'Course nursie-watching ain't such a
bad pastime if they're wearing them short, little skirts with the
translucent material and bend over alot.

Ya right.

You have a nice anaconda.
http://yorkshirepete.com/?XXGUT

Better watch out, Pete. Things like those can swallow ya and turn you into
Yorkshire pudding.