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letters and numbers purpose?

Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 5:29 pm
by spindown
I recently changed my email address and with every change at most of the
sites it presents letters and numbers in different positions and then asks
you to write them down in a straight line. I suspect this is some security
strategy. Can someone explain the how and why? Thanks Paul

Re: letters and numbers purpose?

Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 6:15 pm
by psycho
You mean this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capcha

(and other variations).

Re: letters and numbers purpose?

Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 8:36 pm
by Robert Reed
Thank you Psyco for that tidbit. I always wondered why I had to decipher and type in that info when replying to certain web sites.Now it makes sense.

Re: letters and numbers purpose?

Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 8:47 pm
by psycho
Sometimes sites will ask a question, too. Not a question that a bot could easily answer. Something like 'What letter does football start with?" That way a bot would not (theoretically, anyway) be able to create accounts and spam a forum.

Hope it helps,
Kevin

Re: letters and numbers purpose?

Posted: Sun Jan 30, 2011 4:49 pm
by Robert Reed
Sounds like something that would be useful here!

Re: letters and numbers purpose?

Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2011 8:53 am
by dacflyer
i agree 100% we need this here also.. even craigslist uses it, when you post anything..

Re: letters and numbers purpose?

Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2011 9:10 am
by frhrwa
great idea.. we should go for it..

Re: letters and numbers purpose?

Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 7:52 am
by psycho
Some sites have them enabled for your first xx posts (15, or whatever). Others are more careful. My thinking is that if a bot hacks into someones account, the capcha will still prevent them from posting. I cant think of anything else because having them always enabled is a major pain in the rump...

Just my .02
Kevin