I Swear I'm Real!
- By Lily Eastman
- Published 06/15/2008
- How To
-
Rating:
Lily Eastman
Lily was born in the back of a station wagon to traveling circus performers. They left her at a rest stop in Polk County when her fear of tigers made her a nuisance. A nice family adopted and tried to make her feel welcome, but sometimes, late at night, when the bullfrogs called, she wondered if she might be different. Not really, she sleeps like a rock, so she never heard the bullfrogs. She now plots world domination. And takes naps.
View all articles by Lily Eastman
I swear I'm real, but I can't prove it to you, because I can't read between the scribbles of the image verification.
I'm new here to printnpost, and I'm trying to make friends and read and comment all I can. I'm so excited about all the articles and opportunities here. Unfortunately, even 20/20 vision can't help me figure out the verification codes required every time I try to comment.
I understand why these exist. I read up on "captcha" in Wikipedia Spambots could post automatically and comment on everyone's article, leave links we don't want, and spread their spammy little evil all over our site. But...what if I'm real? I'm just trying to thank someone for a good article or ask a question about something I didn't understand. I'm already logged in to my printnpost account. Why do I still have to verify every comment?
The Wikipedia article discusses how "captcha" techniques exclude viewers who are visually impaired. I have seen several sites that have a button you can click to hear an audio version. Even though I'm not visually impaired, I appreciate this when the words are so distorted that I can't read them. Printnpost doesn't offer this. I'd like this community to be inclusive. Audio captchas
don't work with hearing impaired individuals, so they aren't the answer to all our image verification problems. So what's the answer?
Wikipedia poses several possibilities-- 3D images, math problems...I don't know if one answer will fit all, just like anything else in life. Many sites only require captchas for non-registered users. Perhaps printnpost could do this. Other sites that require verification in order for users to comment do so with "word verification," which presents two random everyday words-- such as puppy/toenail--that the user must enter into a form in order to submit. This would be easier for hearing-impaired individuals to decipher over audio, and for us non-visually-impaired-but-still-confused folks to figure out. Still not a good enough answer for computer users who are visually- and hearing-impaired. I hope that html experts can figure out a way to include those with disabilities but disclude those who might take advantage.
Of course, like building a bigger mousetrap only summons up bigger mice, eventually spammers will find other ways to beat other systems. But at least it keeps us on our toes trying to stop them.
If you're having trouble with printnpost's image verification, too, please let them know. I submitted a request/complaint to them, but one person isn't going to make a difference. Thanks!
-Lily
I'm new here to printnpost, and I'm trying to make friends and read and comment all I can. I'm so excited about all the articles and opportunities here. Unfortunately, even 20/20 vision can't help me figure out the verification codes required every time I try to comment.
I understand why these exist. I read up on "captcha" in Wikipedia Spambots could post automatically and comment on everyone's article, leave links we don't want, and spread their spammy little evil all over our site. But...what if I'm real? I'm just trying to thank someone for a good article or ask a question about something I didn't understand. I'm already logged in to my printnpost account. Why do I still have to verify every comment?
The Wikipedia article discusses how "captcha" techniques exclude viewers who are visually impaired. I have seen several sites that have a button you can click to hear an audio version. Even though I'm not visually impaired, I appreciate this when the words are so distorted that I can't read them. Printnpost doesn't offer this. I'd like this community to be inclusive. Audio captchas
Wikipedia poses several possibilities-- 3D images, math problems...I don't know if one answer will fit all, just like anything else in life. Many sites only require captchas for non-registered users. Perhaps printnpost could do this. Other sites that require verification in order for users to comment do so with "word verification," which presents two random everyday words-- such as puppy/toenail--that the user must enter into a form in order to submit. This would be easier for hearing-impaired individuals to decipher over audio, and for us non-visually-impaired-but-still-confused folks to figure out. Still not a good enough answer for computer users who are visually- and hearing-impaired. I hope that html experts can figure out a way to include those with disabilities but disclude those who might take advantage.
Of course, like building a bigger mousetrap only summons up bigger mice, eventually spammers will find other ways to beat other systems. But at least it keeps us on our toes trying to stop them.
If you're having trouble with printnpost's image verification, too, please let them know. I submitted a request/complaint to them, but one person isn't going to make a difference. Thanks!
-Lily
Spread The Word
2 Responses to "I Swear I'm Real!"
|
said this on 24 Jun 2008 11:34:49 PM EDT
I absolutely agree with you on this issue! I can't even count all the times I've been so irritated with the captchas (I didn't even know this was what they were called) that I've simply decided not to leave any feedback at all.
|
Author/Admin)|
said this on 30 Jun 2008 10:13:00 AM EDT
Thank you for posting this. My eyes are bas as it is. Have you ever tried the listening option? It sounds like a fax or scrambler in the background so you cannot tell what the voice is saying anyway. I agree with Zach, sometimes I just don't leave a comment because I cannot decipher the Captchas.
|