Friday, September 7, 2012

captcha rant

For those of you who read Jilly Be's blog, this post will look familiar. It is an exact repost from her blog. Reposted with her permission, of course. This is part of a campaign to get rid of word verification. Thanks Jilly!

Warning:  uncharacteristic bitchy rant follows:  (sometimes a girl's gotta say what a girl's gotta say....)

If you're still using the  impossible-to-read-and-copy captcha images on your comments, I respectfully BEG you to consider the alternatives.  Even moderating all of your comments, if you're that concerned with spam, is (somewhat) more tolerable (to me, anyway) than forcing these old eyes to focus THAT closely, still knowing that I can only guess at some of the illegible letters....
Oh I dunno....15 easyscratches?
errrrrstitches?

How about sucksur number?  No?
sisters 17?
eur...eic...cri...e.....WTF?????

I exaggerate only a tiny bit - I hope you get my point...

Some people are simply refusing to bother with comments on your captcha'd blogs...I quit after two failed attempts, and I'm beginning to wonder if even trying it once is worth it.

If you are on blogger, here is a previous post I did with detailed instructions on how to get rid of the dreaded Word Verification.   You may even have it set, and not know it - you might want to double check and make sure.... (just because YOU can comment w/o a captcha on your own blog does not mean that others can....you're already cleared to comment on your blog, so you won't need to jump through the hoops like the rest of us)

I'll just toss another little mini-rant in here.  I get that you like your privacy, and you dislike spam.  I really do.  But when I enter a captcha code and then I find out that you are moderating my comment on top of it, it makes me feel...wellllll..... I won't go through all the silly Freudian flashes that zip through my feeble brain....let's just say I don't feel like my comment is very much wanted or welcomed, so I often pass at that point.

I find that blogger catches nearly every spam post I get - I still have to delete it from both my email and from the blogger comment spam list, but it takes a couple of seconds to do that.  Just not an issue.  Also, maybe I've just been really, really lucky in that I've never had a published comment that upset me (lordy, I hope I'm not opening myself up with that comment lol!), but I've certainly experienced my share of upsetting experiences in 3D life.  My tendency is to treat them like what they are - a FOG (F*ing Opportunity for Growth) and I move through it as gracefully as I can (which is often the clumsiest vision of non-grace ever, but hey....that's life.)

It's OK with me if you don't respect my attitude, but I know I'm not alone.  I think that most of us blog both for our own, personal reasons, AND we're putting our words out for public readership.   It just seems right to me to have some thoughtful consideration for our readers.

...Putting a smile back on my face, and going back to my regularly scheduling blogging.....  :)

P.S.  - per a request, you have my permission to re-post all or part of this post on your blog :)

30 comments:

  1. I've had a similar post to this processing in my mind for a couple of weeks now. I believe that one reason the Captcha images have got harder and harder to read is because spammers are now employing people online to beat the Captcha images.I only discovered this when I was looking around to see if there was some sort of online work I could do to earn a few quid.

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    1. Oh my, I find that really disturbing. Don't know why.

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  2. It is a little annoying isn't it? I often hit the circled arrow to see a new one if I'm not sure. Usually the second one is better.

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  3. Thanks for spreading the word Elle! :)

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  4. okay I'm a convert...you convinced me! Also, i love the new look of your blog and the caption underneath the header is fabulous. I feel like I'm a shopper of all things sewing too and less of an actual seamstress...but when you get a few nights to sew - man it is so relaxing!!!!

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    1. Thank you, I have been meaning to tart it up for awhile now, but wasn't inspired to take some photos.

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  5. I'm pretty sure I disabled captcha back when they changed it to this unreadable mess. I hate having to deal with it on other people's blogs and it often makes me reconsider whether I need to comment, and the idea that others might be thinking the same on my posts immediately sent me to my settings. I'd rather deal with spam than force this crap on others.

    I love the new header! Very pretty. Did you take that picture?

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    Replies
    1. Yes, I did. Thank you. I went to the dungeon intending to sew, but took photos instead.

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    2. Then I'm really jealous of your pretty thread shelf! My thread is stored in a ginormous ziplock bag... :D

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    3. Please believe me when I tell you it hardly every looks nice. I am not a tidy person by nature. 8-D

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  6. Bless your work! I get so frustrated being unable to share my deepest thoughts!

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    1. It is because you are such a gentle, quiet, soul.

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    2. Like Lillian Gish wearing a nuns habit and holding a persian kitten.....

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  7. Amen!! I too have ranted about the captcha thing, and I have seriously considered not commenting on blogs that offer that anymore, because it is such a pain. And my eyes are still in their 20's!! And yes, it is doubly silly to have word verification and also comment approval on some blogs....I've considered actually requesting a couple of bloggers either pick the comment approval or get rid of both--respectfully, of course.

    BTW, since I'm on wordpress, I can't tell what the process is for commenting on there--could you tell me what steps have to be taken? I'm not sure if I can edit the process or not though....

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  8. Elle, love your new picture up top!

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  9. I like to catch up on blogs on my tiny iPod because it's faster and more portable than my computer and my fingers have a terrible time with word verification on the tiny touch screen. I sometimes have to try a few times and then the iPod wants to autocorrect it to a real word and that messes it up!

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  10. I never gave it a thought for my blog.... OMG. How could I have been so blind? I am going to take my CAPTCHA off. I almost never get those things right on other people's sites and it is very frustrating. I HAVE BEEN CONVERTED!

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  11. Here here - I'm on the anti-captcha side!

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  12. I agree SO completely!!! Why do people want commenter's to spend more time on the captcha than the comment!? Stop it now!

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  13. I agree. Drives me nuts, especially since most of the time I'm reading blogs on my phone and i *want* to comment but the captcha makes it impossible. Grrr.

    Does maybe part of that come from timidity about the internet? The captcha, the moderating, etc? I think so probably.

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  14. hahahahahahhaha. Only you can write such a post and make it sound funny.I took mine out ages ago, and I reall really HATE IT, when I have to comment on some blogs and it is there.

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  15. I agree. Not sure if it's aging eyes or not but it's really frustrating when you want to comment and can't get past captcha.

    Elle, I have a blog award for you. If you're not into blog awards please don't feel obliged.

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