Evolution of the 'Captcha'

FireballX301 writes "The New York Times is running an article about the small word puzzles various sites use in order to defeat automated script registration while still letting humans through. It seems many people can't actually solve them anymore, so new alternatives (image recognition) are being created. This, of course, seems breakable as well — is there a feasible alternative to the captcha, or are we stuck jumping through more and more hoops to register at places?"

I am torn

[jollyreaper]

As a Christian fundamentalist, I cannot in good conscience believe that catchpas have evolved, yet at the same time since I can never figure out what to type to make them work, I cannot believe any intelligence was involved in their design.

Inverted problem

[sveinb]

Ask the user to perform a task that only a computer is likely to succeed at, like factorizing a 6-digit number. If the user gives the right answer, and this is the cunning part: Then it's not a human!

MAN, I feel clever some times.

Re:I am torn

[dattaway]

Here in Kansas, captcha evolution has been subject to legal review. Kansas City's Road Runner is employing packet shaping to eliminate the evolution of captchas. You might not see the captcha, but others believe it exists.

worst captchas ever

[escay]

I find some of the most cryptic captchas on the ticketmaster site. granted that the site deserves a stringent bot control given the risk of scalpers but some of their patterns border on the ridiculous. TFA mentions someone who achieved 25% success in deciphering those ticketmaster ones and I am thinking, "how does he do that?!"

Re:Knowledge tests...

[CrazyTalk]

Ummm I dont think this would work in the US, where (considering our educational system) some people might answer "yes". In fact, some celebrity (I forget which) recently thought that Japan was a country in Africa, which is why Africa has the best sushi.

Re:Knowledge tests...

[Anonymous Coward]

No great loss in keeping people with that kind of education and/or intelligence away from the internet. Kinda like you'd like to keep the caveman with the club away from the nuclear bomb.

See you in court?

[tepples]

Ask the user to perform a task that only a computer is likely to succeed at, like factorizing a 6-digit number. If the user gives the right answer, and this is the cunning part: Then it's not a human!

Now you're discriminating against autistic savants [wikipedia.org] like Dustin Hoffman's character in Rain Man, in possible violation of disability discrimination acts in the United States, the United Kingdom, or other countries. See you in court.

Re:Knowledge tests...

[OhPlz]

Well then, that's an added bonus, isn't it? It not only weeds out the spam bots, but also the celebrity know-nothings.

Re:Knowledge tests...

[bobmarleypeople]

I've seen several sites using questions similar to yours except they were more obvious. An example was:

Which is a food?
A) pink
B) car
C) Britney Spears
D) Hamburger

There is of course the possible registration by a disturbed and horny male who would say "Britney Spears" but you get the idea.

Alternative suggestion?

[hanshotfirst]

Replace the mangled-text-and-response captcha with a skill test, like punch-the-monkey. Maybe I could win an iPod while I'm at it.

Unrelated question....how do you validate the captcha if you are browsing with lynx?

Mod self -1,weird-mood-on-a-monday

Re:Ask questions

[Chatterton]

Yes, users need to answer riddles like in notpron [deathball.net]. The kind you need 10 hours to find the solution /Grin/ :D

Re:I am torn

[56ker]

Now I know who writes the Captchas - it can only be the writing of his noodly appendage (Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster).

Re:Knowledge tests...

[jollyreaper]

I've seen several sites using questions similar to yours except they were more obvious. An example was:

Which is a food?
A) pink
B) car
C) Britney Spears
D) Hamburger

There is of course the possible registration by a disturbed and horny male who would say "Britney Spears" but you get the idea.

Make sure you cook your Britney thoroughly first, no telling what diseases she's carrying.

Re:Knowledge tests...

[Hognoxious]

There is of course the possible registration by a disturbed and horny male who would say "Britney Spears"

Or Pink.

Re:Knowledge tests...

[oliverthered]

Kinda like you'd like to keep the caveman with the club away from the nuclear bomb.

And then you voted for Bush, TWICE!!!!!!

Re:Alternative?

[Poromenos1]

I've found that not even this is necessary, I run a site with about 1000 visitors per day and the spam messages fell to zero when I included a field that said "Type in the box to prove you're human:".

Re:Captcha too hard

[Snaller]

"OK, I am a bit shrotsighted,"

And dyslexic.

Re:Unintelligent design

[ConceptJunkie]

"Unintelligent Design"?

Is that like "Despite the fact that God created the Universe, people keep getting stupider"?

Or is it some sly jab at Windows?

Or maybe it's a scientific theory derived from studying governments!

Re:I am torn

[jollyreaper]

I think really we should be switching to riddles instead of captchas. "What walks on four legs in the morning, two in the afternoon and four in the evening?"

That will sort the men from the bots. ;)

That would be three legs in the evening and you would be describing my father. He's hungover in the morning, just about has his shit together in the afternoon but is already into the next bottle by evening.

Re:I am torn

[SPQR_Julian]

I think really we should be switching to riddles instead of captchas. "What walks on four legs in the morning, two in the afternoon and four in the evening?"

Thought it was three in the evening, not four.

Yes, but that's what makes it such a challenge. Getting the riddle right when the joke is wrong will REALLY confuse the bots!

Re:Knowledge tests...

[Fred_A]

"pink" is a common dessert on airlines.

Re:I am torn

[billimad]

You are sooooooooooooooooooo grounded. Love Dad

Re:I am torn

[igny]

Check out Russian captcha [journal.lv].