How to display numbers or word graphically?

Some blog sites and others (ticketmaster, for example) require you to
read a graphical representation of a word or number to prevent a form
from being submitted programmatically.

I’d like to do something similar on a new site I’m building.

Two quick questions:

  1. Is there a standard term for these graphical representations? i.e.
    how would I do a google search for this topic?

  2. Anyone know of any existing Rails plugin that could do this for me,
    before I try to write my own?

Thanks!

Jeff

Hello Jeff,

Some blog sites and others (ticketmaster, for example) require you to
read a graphical representation of a word or number to prevent a form
from being submitted programmatically.

I’d like to do something similar on a new site I’m building.

Be aware that it will reduce accessibility to your site. Blind visitors
will not be able to authenticate for instance.

Two quick questions:

  1. Is there a standard term for these graphical representations? i.e.
    how would I do a google search for this topic?

capcha.

  1. Anyone know of any existing Rails plugin that could do this for me,
    before I try to write my own?

I don’t know. Check Peak Obsession

РJean-Fran̤ois.

On 28 Apr 2006, at 16:47, Jeff C. wrote:

captcha

  1. Anyone know of any existing Rails plugin that could do this for me,
    before I try to write my own?

http://wiki.rubyonrails.com/rails/pages/HowtoSecureFormsWithNoisyImages

How about this for an alternative? Instead of generating a random
string of letters in an image, you have a set of really obvious
questions a table - things like ‘What colour is the sky?’, ‘Are trees
green - yes or no?’. There could either be a small list of answers or a
text field to fill in.

They’d have to be answers that anyone could get but it would stop Bots
getting through. It’d also not cause problems for users with voice
browsers.

Of course the usability of such a device could be questioned, but surely
it’s no worse that having a random set of blurry letters. A short,
clear explaination would clear up any confusion.

Thoughts?

Steve

Check this page:

http://wiki.rubyonrails.com/rails/pages/HowtoSecureFormsWithNoisyImages

I secured my forms in this ways, very easy and very nice


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-----Mensaje original-----
De: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] En nombre de Stephen
Bartholomew
Enviado el: Viernes, 28 de Abril de 2006 12:20 p.m.
Para: [email protected]
Asunto: Re: [Rails] How to display numbers or word graphically?

How about this for an alternative? Instead of generating a random
string of letters in an image, you have a set of really obvious
questions a table - things like ‘What colour is the sky?’, ‘Are trees
green - yes or no?’. There could either be a small list of answers or a

text field to fill in.

They’d have to be answers that anyone could get but it would stop Bots
getting through. It’d also not cause problems for users with voice
browsers.

Of course the usability of such a device could be questioned, but surely

it’s no worse that having a random set of blurry letters. A short,
clear explaination would clear up any confusion.

Thoughts?

Steve

Jean-François wrote:

Hello Jeff,

Some blog sites and others (ticketmaster, for example) require you to
read a graphical representation of a word or number to prevent a form
from being submitted programmatically.

I’d like to do something similar on a new site I’m building.

Be aware that it will reduce accessibility to your site. Blind
visitors
will not be able to authenticate for instance.

Two quick questions:

  1. Is there a standard term for these graphical representations? i.e.
    how would I do a google search for this topic?

capcha.

  1. Anyone know of any existing Rails plugin that could do this for
    me,


Rails mailing list
[email protected]
http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails


Rails mailing list
[email protected]
http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails

Stephen B. wrote:

How about this for an alternative? Instead of generating a random
string of letters in an image, you have a set of really obvious
questions a table - things like ‘What colour is the sky?’, ‘Are trees
green - yes or no?’. There could either be a small list of answers or a
text field to fill in.

They’d have to be answers that anyone could get but it would stop Bots
getting through. It’d also not cause problems for users with voice
browsers.

Of course the usability of such a device could be questioned, but surely
it’s no worse that having a random set of blurry letters. A short,
clear explaination would clear up any confusion.

Thoughts?

Steve

That’s interesting, Steve. I feel that the blurred graphics represent a
kind of arms race. Seems that every few months I see blurrier and
blurrier numbers as they try to keep ahead of the bot technology, but
meanwhile we make it harder on the rest of us.

I really would like to figure out an alternative to the captchas, and
you’ve given me some food for thought here.

Jeff

You can always go with this:

Jeff C. wrote:

That’s interesting, Steve. I feel that the blurred graphics represent a
kind of arms race. Seems that every few months I see blurrier and
blurrier numbers as they try to keep ahead of the bot technology, but
meanwhile we make it harder on the rest of us.

I really would like to figure out an alternative to the captchas, and
you’ve given me some food for thought here.

Jeff

That’s great but it doesn’t solve the problem of voice browsers :0)

Of course, you could include alt tags, but that would kinda defeat the
object :0)

Steve

Another way I have seen it done is with a simple math problem, like 9 +
2 =
[ ], and you have to enter 11.

Yeah - it’s got me to thinking too :0)

I see it working by having at least 10 questions, randomly selected.
That’s going to make it hard for a Bot to work out. Even if lots of
sites were using this technique, the questions and even the wording
would be at least slightly different.

It’s also far easier to explain than a blurry image.

Steve