Turing Tests to Stop Spam 284
cexy writes "The Register has a story about how Hotmail and Yahoo! are using Carnegie Mellon developed captcha technology (completely automated public Turing tests to tell computers and humans apart) to stop spammers from automating signups for accounts from which they can send spam. These guys are using captcha too, but to stop incoming spam."
What I want to know is... (Score:4, Funny)
IRC needs Captmfa (Score:5, Funny)
a/s/l?
"18f,Florida"
Do you mind if I ask you to take a quick Captmfa?
"Sure, go ahead"
Test completed. Result = 34m, Detroit.
Re:What I want to know is... (Score:2, Funny)
Given who Hotmail's corporate parents are, I don't think you would like the answer to this...
HHotG (Score:4, Funny)
Junk Mail?? (Score:3, Funny)
But does it sign up the SPAMMER for all sorts of free offers and catalogs to be sent to their home address? (ala Ralsky)?
Getting by spam filters (Score:2, Funny)
Aside from that, I created my hotmail account and was spam-free (with no filters or settings) for a long time. That is until I registered on a career-type website (let's call it site A). This one is for the lawyers out there: Another similar career-type website (let's call it site B) sign itself up as an employer and ran through Site A looking through personal information otherwise not available unless as an employer. After that, I presume they built a good list of emails. I was spammed with their emails trying to get me to register with Site B. After a short while, these diplomas and weight loss and triple-your-breast-size started to pile up. Is what site B did illegal? Because in this case, it seems like personal information was stolen.
Re:Yahoo works, hotmail not (Score:4, Funny)
Ambrose Buse
abuse@hotmail.com [mailto]
Slashdot is no longer section 508 compliant! (Score:1, Funny)
Warning to Malda & Co.: Now that Slashdot uses a visual CAPTCHA as the only way to create a new account, blind users have no way to sign up for an account. Thus, Slashdot is not accessible to blind people and not compliant with Section 508, a US law that requires web sites of companies that do business with the US government to be accessible to the disabled.
Re:CAPTCHA project (Score:5, Funny)
CAPTCHA: Hello. I am CAPTCHA. How can i help you?
SPAMMER:
C: Please go on.
S: I would like your email address.
C: Can you elaborate on that?
S: I'm planning to spam you.
C: Does it please you to believe I am planning to spam i?
S: What the fuck?
C: Does that question interest you?
S: ARGH!
C: Please go on.
Re:What I want to know is... (Score:2, Funny)
SPAMmers will advance AI field (Score:2, Funny)
Re:wrong (Score:4, Funny)
Simple way to beat image tests (Score:3, Funny)
2. Send most of the (fake) registration info until it sends you a "turing test" image.
3. Display the image in the next webhit on your popular porn site saying "to get free porn, type these characters"
4. Send whatever they type to hotmail/yahoo/whatever & complete your registration.
5. Profit?
It's more simple than that ... (Score:2, Funny)