Captchas Are Becoming Ridiculous - Grrrrrr

[george]

Captchas Are Becoming Ridiculous

A couple of years ago, I don’t remember being truly baffled by a captcha. In fact, reCAPTCHA was one of the better systems I’d seen. It wasn’t difficult to solve, and it seemed to work when I used it on my own websites.

Fast forward to 2012, and I am trying to log into my Envato Marketplace account on Graphic River. I haven’t been there in a few months, and recently I’ve been working on changing my passwords to be unique-per-site. Understandably, I forgot my password.

But I didn’t entirely forget my password— I knew there are three possible passwords, across two possible usernames. Rather than going through the entire reset password process, which is a hastle and a last resort, I decided to try and guess. After a couple of attempts and failures, I was presented with a reCAPTCHA.

Normally I don’t have an issue with this— after all, I am guessing a password to a user, and I applaud Envato for trying to protect my account. But this time, I couldn’t read the captcha.

This story continues here: http://blog.andrewmu...ming-ridiculous

[Tywais]

So true. I've watched the change over time and the frustration it presents. Split captchas - is that space included in it or not, is that an upper case or lower case character, and some that just look like a Rorschach test. On occasion I've had to request a new captcha a half dozen times or more and sometimes zoom in on the window hoping that would help.

[necronx99]

Its all part of a plot to keep old people off the net.

TY5ATFi

[bobl]

Its all part of a plot to keep old people off the net.

TY5ATFi

[eek]

Wrote about this myself recently.

$#alku@3 captchas!..."Prove you are not a robot" ...you need to actually BE a bloody robot to fathom them out...

[Daffy D]

Have to agree some captchas are unreadable no matter what age you are.

[wpcoe]

And if you click to listen to a captcha, it's possibly worse. It's like someone talking staccato in a crowded cocktail party.

[happysanook]

Give these a shot...

[crille30]

Totaly agree with all abowe,ok Im a old fart but god to know Iam not the only one with this problem.Many time I have to get 6-7-8 new try before I can read one,totaly crazy.

[Tywais]

Overall, the Carnegie Mellon team estimates that we spend a cumulative 150,000 hours at the gates of these irritating obstructions every single day. In a newer variant, called reCaptcha, at least that time is put to public use. You see a muddied-looking word that comes from a wonky scanned Google book; when you type what it really says, you’re actually helping out with the process of cleaning up and recognizing an actual text.

Nevertheless, we the law abiders are still wasting 17 person-years every single day. That’s a disgraceful waste of our lives. Surely there are better solutions worth exploring.

Maybe we should invent a voluntary Internet identity card so we’re already known when we sign up for something. Maybe Web sites should enforce a short-term limit of one new account or posted comment per “person.” Or the Web site should look at the speed or irregularity of our typing to determine if we’re human.

Or fingerprints. Or retinal scans. Something.

Spammer bots are a problem, yes. But Captchas are a problem, too. They’re a bother, they’re not foolproof and they assume that everyone is guilty until proven innocent. What Captcha really stands for, in other words, is Computers Annoying People with Time-Wasting Challenges That Howl for Alternatives.

More - Scientific American

[Guest]

Mollom is one better versions of captchas / spam bot protectors.

http://mollom.com/

[Greer]

Give these a shot...

{Pics removed to save space}

Haha...those are really hilarious...and I truly did LOL...!

[necronx99]

Overall, the Carnegie Mellon team estimates that we spend a cumulative 150,000 hours at the gates of these irritating obstructions every single day. In a newer variant, called reCaptcha, at least that time is put to public use. You see a muddied-looking word that comes from a wonky scanned Google book; when you type what it really says, you’re actually helping out with the process of cleaning up and recognizing an actual text.

Nevertheless, we the law abiders are still wasting 17 person-years every single day. That’s a disgraceful waste of our lives. Surely there are better solutions worth exploring.

Maybe we should invent a voluntary Internet identity card so we’re already known when we sign up for something. Maybe Web sites should enforce a short-term limit of one new account or posted comment per “person.” Or the Web site should look at the speed or irregularity of our typing to determine if we’re human.

Or fingerprints. Or retinal scans. Something.

Spammer bots are a problem, yes. But Captchas are a problem, too. They’re a bother, they’re not foolproof and they assume that everyone is guilty until proven innocent. What Captcha really stands for, in other words, is Computers Annoying People with Time-Wasting Challenges That Howl for Alternatives.

More - Scientific American

There are already solutions to this available and in growing use.

Sites are more often letting you join or log in with your gmail or facebook credentials. These methods don't have a turing test when used.

[draftvader]

The latest versions are "human understandable". There are picture captchas that ask you to identify a picture of, for example, "the setting sun" and then there are 10 pictures of all sorts of things, 1 of which is the setting sun. It will take some time to train bots to identify interpretive information. They will eventually however, for now, it is a good thing.

Here is a CNET article (no, I am not sponsored, just the first useful article on a google search)

[rakman]

There are already solutions to this available and in growing use.

Sites are more often letting you join or log in with your gmail or facebook credentials. These methods don't have a turing test when used.

The problem with "sharing" logins is hack one, you get many. The Woz had a great speech on the insecurity of the "cloud". I agree with what he predicts, a massive crash in the next 5 years.

[mca]

I actually gave up on signing up to a website once because every single possible permutation of what the captcha could be ( which actually resembled an epileptic arachnid dipped in ink and allowed to run across the screen ) didn't work and there was no option to reset the captcha and try again.

[xen]

What also gives me the s##ts on a similar subject is when a site rejects your password as not being strong enough even though i have been using this very same password since 1850 or thereabouts. It then makes you invent a new password which i will proptly forget unless i write it down in my little black book of secrets and passwords thus rendering security as a joke because if i ever loose my little black book ..........well it scares the sh#t out of me ..

Or the sites that require a new password every three months ..........................

or sites like my i tunes account which i can't get into because they tell i don't know my own birthday,

Sorry about my rant and going off topic.

[happysanook]

What also gives me the s##ts on a similar subject is when a site rejects your password as not being strong enough even though i have been using this very same password since 1850 or thereabouts. It then makes you invent a new password which i will proptly forget unless i write it down in my little black book of secrets and passwords thus rendering security as a joke because if i ever loose my little black book ..........well it scares the sh#t out of me ..

Or the sites that require a new password every three months ..........................

or sites like my i tunes account which i can't get into because they tell i don't know my own birthday,

Sorry about my rant and going off topic.

Give this a go...

https://lastpass.com/misc_download.php

If you ever use PC's outside your home, also download the portable versions. Put the portable version of LastPass and Chrome (or Firefox if you prefer) on a thumb drive. Simply remember your master password and you'll never have to worry about remembering your passwords again as long as you have your thumb drive with you. If it gets lost, it will still be useless to someone unless they know your master password.

Edited August 14, 2012 by happysanook

[how241]

Have to agree some captchas are unreadable no matter what age you are.

+1

[Fgis]

You are right, even Google is getting worst and worst.

But be careful people on your board are going to tell us that we are wrong and that these CAPTCHA do not exist, it's just our imagination...

They know better than us, we can be sure now, Hotmail and Yahoo mail are the best Emails to fight spam for them...

[Tywais]

[Screws]

Give these a shot...

{Pics removed to save space}

Haha...those are really hilarious...and I truly did LOL...!

Well done, picture remover!

[onthemoon]

Overall, the Carnegie Mellon team estimates that we spend a cumulative 150,000 hours at the gates of these irritating obstructions every single day. In a newer variant, called reCaptcha, at least that time is put to public use. You see a muddied-looking word that comes from a wonky scanned Google book; when you type what it really says, you’re actually helping out with the process of cleaning up and recognizing an actual text.

Nevertheless, we the law abiders are still wasting 17 person-years every single day. That’s a disgraceful waste of our lives. Surely there are better solutions worth exploring.

Maybe we should invent a voluntary Internet identity card so we’re already known when we sign up for something. Maybe Web sites should enforce a short-term limit of one new account or posted comment per “person.” Or the Web site should look at the speed or irregularity of our typing to determine if we’re human.

Or fingerprints. Or retinal scans. Something.

Spammer bots are a problem, yes. But Captchas are a problem, too. They’re a bother, they’re not foolproof and they assume that everyone is guilty until proven innocent. What Captcha really stands for, in other words, is Computers Annoying People with Time-Wasting Challenges That Howl for Alternatives.

More - Scientific American

There are already solutions to this available and in growing use.

Sites are more often letting you join or log in with your gmail or facebook credentials. These methods don't have a turing test when used.

You actually give your gmail or facebook username and password to those sites?

[BookMan]

Those things are impossible to make out sometimes. is it an i? an L? a T? a J?

lucky I never use the internet.

[Tywais]

lucky I never use the internet.

But obviously you do use the Internet. Difference between internet and Internet

[BookMan]

lucky I never use the internet.

But obviously you do use the Internet. Difference between internet and Internet

I never knew!

[harrry]

lucky I never use the internet.

But obviously you do use the Internet. Difference between internet and Internet

Alittle US centric isn't it?

[george]

[jsflynn603]

Overall, the Carnegie Mellon team estimates that we spend a cumulative 150,000 hours at the gates of these irritating obstructions every single day. In a newer variant, called reCaptcha, at least that time is put to public use. You see a muddied-looking word that comes from a wonky scanned Google book; when you type what it really says, you’re actually helping out with the process of cleaning up and recognizing an actual text.

Nevertheless, we the law abiders are still wasting 17 person-years every single day. That’s a disgraceful waste of our lives. Surely there are better solutions worth exploring.

Maybe we should invent a voluntary Internet identity card so we’re already known when we sign up for something. Maybe Web sites should enforce a short-term limit of one new account or posted comment per “person.” Or the Web site should look at the speed or irregularity of our typing to determine if we’re human.

Or fingerprints. Or retinal scans. Something.

Spammer bots are a problem, yes. But Captchas are a problem, too. They’re a bother, they’re not foolproof and they assume that everyone is guilty until proven innocent. What Captcha really stands for, in other words, is Computers Annoying People with Time-Wasting Challenges That Howl for Alternatives.

More - Scientific American

Excellent idea.... how about implantable, rfid traceable, ID scans, google can run them, along with Facebook, life will be oh so easy for the CIA and the FBI... no need for money, no need to pay taxes, it'll just be automatically deducted...no need to pay traffic fines either...we can include alcohol, cannabinoid, and even nicotine sensors, this will make the tobacco companies happy because they'll know who to direct their ads at...and will make the private (in the US anyway) owners of prisons happy (read wealthier) because they'll have more uh...clients to reform. Heck, let's add pacemakers just in case your heart might stop...or if a nearby drone wants it to stop, should you complain.... hehe.... such drivel, none of this could happen....not in America anyway...

[Tywais]

lucky I never use the internet.

But obviously you do use the Internet. Difference between internet and Internet

Alittle US centric isn't it?

The raw definitions are not, but that specific article is a little 'focused'.