The Awesome Secret About Captcha
By now, most of you have had your chance to grumble about Google's new double-word Captcha verification process. It looks like this.
Before you start throwing your popcorn at him, listen to how he developed Captcha so that everyone who has to verify their humanness is actually doing a noble and worthwhile thing.
It's true.
What the new Captcha does is take one word from an old book that's been scanned, but can't be deciphered by the computer due to yellowed or faded lettering. Apparently, humans have a better capacity for recognizing these words than computers.
Luis von Ahn goes on to explain the enormous task to digitize old books and how we, in 10 second intervals help to translate one word at a time. If you don't want to watch the whole video, go to time stamp 1:55 to hear his explanation. It's brilliant. Using this process they are able to digitize 2.5 million books a year. (Be sure to watch at least to time stamp 7:27.)
So the next time you grumble at having to type out Captchas, remember you're doing it for a good cause.
That said, I have to admit, I have a very hard time reading them, and I'm sure I'm not alone. For the time being, I have suspended word verification on this blog.
Within two hours of doing so, the spam started. Some was caught by the spam filter, but others got through. (I curse all spammers and their descendents.)
If too much spam gets through, I'm going to have to moderate all comments before they appear. So don't fret if you don't see your comment right away.
I won't ask how you feel about Captcha. It's a pain. But what do you think about how they're using it? Do you use word verification?
So the next time you grumble at having to type out Captchas, remember you're doing it for a good cause.
That said, I have to admit, I have a very hard time reading them, and I'm sure I'm not alone. For the time being, I have suspended word verification on this blog.
Within two hours of doing so, the spam started. Some was caught by the spam filter, but others got through. (I curse all spammers and their descendents.)
If too much spam gets through, I'm going to have to moderate all comments before they appear. So don't fret if you don't see your comment right away.
I won't ask how you feel about Captcha. It's a pain. But what do you think about how they're using it? Do you use word verification?
Comments
Word verification does help cut down on spam. I get enough in my email! But I also fail about a third of the time when I'm inputting the code.
I don't have word verification on my blog (at least, I don't think I do - I rarely get spam so it's not too aggravating to just delete the comment.
I guess I'm NOT one of those humans who has a better capacity for recognizing these words than computers.
Nice idea but...
Hope you are feeling MUCH better yourself. Being ill is such a drain. x
HOWEVER, here is my idea. Just make a game of it. I'm sure there are people out there that would download an app that would just solve captchas and perhaps kill a green pig at the same time!?
Ref: your daughter
Your daughter is one of those braniacs!! Holy cow! I'll bet you are one proud mama.
Cate: Ref: He can't be a popular guy at parties!
That's exactly what I said! LOL. But you can't deny his brilliant use of Captcha.
Kim: Deciphering is a pain. I hope those big brains can come up with an alternative.
Madeleine: Oh, I still grumble. And even if blogs didn't use them, big sites that require sensitive information transactions still do, so we'll never get rid of it entirely.
Clarissa: I like the app idea. They probably won't get as many users as they do now though. The singular idea was brilliant. I really have to give credit to them on how they utilize Captchas--even if I don't like it.
I prefer instead we put a bounty on spammers. It might not do away with Captchas, but it gives me a chance to get even. :)
I don't always check my blog if I'm on deadline or out with the family and I really don't want to waste time having to delete a lot of comments so captcha saves me time in that regard.
I love the cool geeky guy who came up with the new idea.
It's been forever since I checked the Blogger options but with Wordpress I have moderation on for first time comments and any comments with more than one link. And so far, that has caught every last bit of spam on my blog. (I average 2-3 spams per day.)
Kaye: I understand completely. People who say Blogger blocks spam has never had to deal with it when it doesn't. Just because one person doesn't get spam doesn't mean it's foolproof. It means they're lucky.
However, it does save me from getting loads of SPAM.
Nicole: You are lucky, my friend. I wish I could say the same for myself.
Dru: I'm the same way. I didn't mind doing one word. But two takes too long, especially when it's garbled.
#1. I remembered I am a nerd-lover (and a nerd myself) as I listened to that little sharing and declaring of the good coming from Captcha.
#2. I still don't like Captcha but at least I get to know my 10 to 20 seconds of staring at the screen, squinting my eyes, turning my head sideways, crossing my fingers and sometimes playing eeny-meeny-miney-moe to choose a random letter is not in vain.
I use Askmet spam blaster and that seems to work well. Not much gets through.
daw
Mike: There you see. Now don't you feel bad for grousing? LOL.
Shelley: It does make me feel a little better that at least they're putting my misery to some use. I still wish they could come up with something else though.
Daw! How are you?! It's so good to hear from you again. Any reason to see you come by is welcomed. :) I hope you're doing well.
-Jimmy
Barbara: Wordpress really has the right idea. It's much easier to approve commenters once and never have to worry about them again. You know me--and you know I'm not your "troll". :)
Jimmy: I'm a little surprised at the vitriolic response to Captchas. Some people have called for people to boycott blogs that use them. I think that kind of defeats the purpose of social networking.
I fully intend to support my favorite bloggers whether they use Captcha or not. It's their blog. I'm not about to penalize them just because they want to maintain their security.
That's EXACTLY what's happening. It's a simple act multiplied by a million people.
Alone, the task is inconsequential, but multiplied, the 'Borg queen' can get anything done.
You're awfully smart. :)
I don't use word verification. I guess I'm not popular enough and the spam I do get, gets caught. I try to make commenting easy for the commentor. When I become famous (ha ha), then I may rethink the whole captcha thing.
The Happy Whisk: Captchas were invented as security for big web sites that handle money and sensitive information. Blog security was probably a secondary or tertiary thought. It works even if we don't like it. The alternative is spam and potential viruses.
It's a little like having surgery. You don't have to have antibiotics after surgery, but it might keep you from getting an infection.
It seems a lot of bloggers have given up Captchas but I don't blame those who keep it. It provide a valuable service if you happen to be the 'lucky' one constantly harassed by spammers.
My problem is the same as yours, Maria; I cannot read the darned things! It's embarrasing...(laughs), but true. I do understand why they are needed, though. If I begin to have a problem, I will moderate comments before they are posted. I hope it doesn't come to that.
Thankfully, I find Blogger does a good job at catching spam, with the spam folder.
As for typing in both words, I only type in the wigglyword and it comments. I have not needed to do them both, thank goodness.
Cheers and boogie boogie.
So I don't even use word verification. I do, however, get all my comments by e-mail, so if I see something that looks like it might go through, I go check.
So far, I think there's only about three comments in a whole year that I had to manually mark as spam.
Danny: Even then I think some "hoomans" get by.
Misha: I block them when I see them, but what a pain. It's been more work for me than before.
Talli: I don't blame you. Unless it's a friend or something I really want to say, I sometimes don't bother with blogs with Captchas.
LOVE this! It seems impossibly ambitious - something you'd think: 'Wouldn't it be good if...?' and they're actually doing it!! I'm going to be doing some Captcha ART I can tell you!
***
Okay, since removing Captcha, this is the SECOND time someone (I know) has commented, yet the comment doesn't appear in the comment stream.
Maybe it's the spam filter that needs fixing.
**
Broken Biro: Yes! I thought the Captcha Art was very cool. The whole video was fascinating. I'm in awe of the brilliance of these young people to come up with what they did. Their accomplishments are remarkable.
Those captchas just annoy me. I have to stare at them to figure out what the random-looking combination of letters is - I swear, some of those look more like Rorschach inkblots - and if it ever gets to the point of eye strain, the comment's not worth it.
Silly wiggly words.
And ... I don't know if this is true, but I read that Blogger is going to adjust the new word verification and try to make them easier to read.
Again, I don't know if that's for sure, but it would be super duper great if it was.
Cheers and boogie boogie.
Happy Whisk: Agreed. I'd settle for one-word Captchas. But two tests my limits.
Jinksy: Big sites that handle sensitive information and money need word verification. With blogs, it depends. I get too many comments to constantly monitor them.
I worry too that anyone else subscribed to the comment stream who will also end up with that bogus comment. It's too easy to click those spam links accidentally. It's happened to me just from typing too fast and hitting the wrong screen on my monitor.
I notice you still allow anonymous comments. If you disallow those, you will probably have less spam. And if you do still receive it, you can report them.
Right now I increased moderation to the second day. We'll see if that helps. Thanks!
Thank you for sharing this great piece of information and the video.
BTW, you've been tagged. :D
I highlighted your blog. Please visit my blog for details (and no, this is not spam, LOL! I am one of your followers). I think this is a great way to get blog exposure and know your fellow bloggers.
Have fun!
The spam has been coming steadily since I turned off Captchas,but so far it's controllable.
I only do that one and it works. My husband was doing both as well and now he just does the one.
And I LOVE that they removed the ink blob thing in the back. Now at least I can read them.
Woohoo.
Off to read your new post.
Boogie boogie.