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New captcha

Started by Tom D., January 22, 2012, 11:22:46 AM

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Tom D.

Hello,

there is a new captcha available, without the need for text input.
Just drag a few images of one kind onto a images of another kind.

It can be used within all systems which are programmed in PHP, so SMF is supported as well.
Please test the captcha and tell us what you think about it.

ASSIGNCAPTCHA
assigncaptcha.com


Best regards
Tom


Robert.

Sounds nice :) I can't register though, it says this:
[phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/captcha/assigncaptcha_lib.php on line 72: fopen(http://assigncaptcha.com/dev/create.php?key=G8HTDF445KHGJDGHQJE3&remote_ip={meh}&language=&version=1.0.2) [function.fopen]: failed to open stream: HTTP request failed! HTTP/1.1 404 Not Found
[phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/captcha/assigncaptcha_lib.php on line 77: fopen(create.php?key=G8HTDF445KHGJDGHQJE3&remote_ip={meh}&language=&version=1.0.2) [function.fopen]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory

Arantor

From what I can see, it rules out visually impaired users and/or users with motor control issues (like all the others that do the same basic thing as this), and it cannot be used on any site subject to rules about disability-discrimination - I cannot use this in the UK for a business site because of the Disability Discrimination Act 2005, which requires me not to discriminate against users with disabilities, which this does by definition. Also, no governmental site in the US can use it due to Section 508.

Mind you, the images are actually rather small which means that it isn't just blind people that will have trouble, but anyone with any degree of visual impairment. As an aside, I showed it to my partner, who has worse vision than I do (requires reading glasses), and she had to squint at the screen to actually make out the images, and asked me what at least one of the images was.

I think, if there's some alternative for visually impaired users, and that the images were made a bit larger, it might be more practical.

That said, like all other CAPTCHAs it suffers the same fundamental weakness: it's only valid until it becomes popular. As soon as it's even remotely widely deployed, it's going to require you to continuously be on top of it, adding new images, new classes of image, etc. not to mention the fact that there are human solvers out there who are paid to solve CAPTCHAs - this does mitigate that group as well, if only because it takes a little bit longer to solve.

I think the ideas are imaginative and I haven't seen this exact style as this before (though I have seen very similar 'select all the images that are relevant' as well as 'drag this onto that') but I suspect its effectiveness at present is not as strong as it might be - a CAPTCHA is only really strong if it maximises exclusion of bots and minimises user interference, and right now the former is strong (for now) while the latter is not as minimal as it ideally needs to be.

Tom D.

Quote from: フリーレンジ on January 22, 2012, 11:41:41 AM
Sounds nice :) I can't register though, it says this
Sorry for the inconveniences! The error has been fixed.
We're all human...  ;)



Quote from: Arantor on January 22, 2012, 11:47:45 AM
From what I can see, it rules out visually impaired users and/or users with motor control issues
I agree with you. But this a general captcha issue. Please view the SMF captcha. It took four (4!) attempts for me to fill the SMF registration form. And I am not visual impaired at all. Or, for example, have a look at the Google recaptcha. The option to "hear" the shown phrases does not work: too much noise. This was the intention to create a new captcha. We don't think at all that it can eliminate the problems that captchas have in general, but we think it is more comfortable for the user to drag some images instead of recognising and typing some text.


Quote from: Arantor on January 22, 2012, 11:47:45 AMAlso, no governmental site in the US can use it due to Section 508.
Okay, I see. But that's no problem for us. The web consists of much more than governmental sites in the US.


Quote from: Arantor on January 22, 2012, 11:47:45 AMThat said, like all other CAPTCHAs it suffers the same fundamental weakness: it's only valid until it becomes popular.
As stated in our FAQ, we think that every captcha that prevents a website form just a few months from beeing flooded by robots is worth to exist.


Thank you Arantor, for spending your time to altercate with our captcha.
We are just at the beginning and we hope that we can improve it.


Best regards
Tom

Arantor

QuoteBut this a general captcha issue. Please view the SMF captcha. It took four (4!) attempts for me to fill the SMF registration form.

The CAPTCHA used on this site is set to "hard" which is not the default setting in SMF and the advice for a while has been to not use it in favour of site-specific questions and answers. Note that I don't suggest or imply that SMF's measures are ideal, they're not, which is why 18 months ago I wrote my own CAPTCHA for my own sites which has proved wuite reliable.

Mind you, note that recent studies have suggested that at least 10% of American users are considered visually impaired such that it would have an impact on their ability to solve such, so that anything heavily visual is ultimately prone to causing trouble.

Quotebut we think it is more comfortable for the user to drag some images instead of recognising and typing some text

Depends on the user. It's far more comfortable for me to type something that to take a hand off the keyboard.

QuoteOkay, I see. But that's no problem for us. The web consists of much more than governmental sites in the US.

Sure it does. But any site operating in a situation where visually impaired users cannot be discriminated against (like Europe) pretty much has to pass or provide an alternative.

QuoteAs stated in our FAQ, we think that every captcha that prevents a website form just a few months from beeing flooded by robots is worth to exist.

That's the thing, a CAPTCHA is only a short term solution for any site, as soon as it becomes heavily used, it becomes a target, then whatever value was in its defences is reduced, putting many more sites at risk.

Don't get me wrong, a new tool in the armoury is nice but it buys time, nothing more. The sooner we stop trying to find ever better CAPTCHAs and start trying to find alternative measures for stopping bots, the better.

Tom D.

Quote from: Arantor on January 22, 2012, 03:30:01 PMMind you, note that recent studies have suggested that at least 10% of American users are considered visually impaired such that it would have an impact on their ability to solve such, so that anything heavily visual is ultimately prone to causing trouble.
Hello Arantor,

we just implemented an audio output for impaired website visitors, and we will improve it in the next few days to prevent bots from recognising the single WAV data parts.


Best regards
Tom

Arantor


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