CAPTCHA- even for browsing the site? bad idea.

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RSR
Posts: 3427
Joined: 11 Oct 2015, 23:31

CAPTCHA- even for browsing the site? bad idea.

Post by RSR »

For the last few days, there is CAPTCHA requirement even for browsing the pages. It is a very bad idea. Visitors to the site are of different types. Most visitors want to learn things from seniors and more knowledgeable veterans and scholars. They hope to get information on Ragams, Layam, Lyrics and meaning of kritis. A few would like to learn about composers and musicians. Some would like to read reviews, get information about events etc.

They are just browsing. Why should we insist on CAPTCHA ? It is sometimes, irritating and time-consuming.

I suppose that it is normally used by sites to prevent 'automated' access with malicious intentions. How about elderly people with failing eyesight? what if the language is not known? It is a ticklish problem.

I suppose, there is a log of browsers from which the visit is made. if so, the visit can be checked from the log database and CAPTCHA can be avoided.

Do we not want the number of visitors increased? Only after that, 'active writing' will be more. All 'active writing' without accompanying link to the music, is just like describing a feast without serving anything.

Music without any 'commentary' can be enjoyed , but mere commentary without the music? .....Just as a feast can be relished without the chef or a gourmet describing the intricacies of preparation. We want to ' eat'. not 'cook'.
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This user identification procedure has received many criticisms, especially from people with disabilities, but also from other people who feel that their everyday work is slowed down by distorted words that are difficult to read. It takes the average person approximately 10 seconds to solve a typical CAPTCHA
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAPTCHA

Nick H
Posts: 9379
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 02:03

Re: CAPTCHA- even for browsing the site? bad idea.

Post by Nick H »

Yes, it is a horrible idea! And... it seems to have gone today :)

Nick H
Posts: 9379
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 02:03

Re: CAPTCHA- even for browsing the site? bad idea.

Post by Nick H »

please, please, PLEASE...

Stop the captchas. Urgently.

I guess this is part of the cloudflare service, which is necessary. But please tell them to cease this horrible nuisance.

Please?

srkris
Site Admin
Posts: 3497
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 03:34

Re: CAPTCHA- even for browsing the site? bad idea.

Post by srkris »

The captchas were enabled more than a year ago to prevent spam and bots from bringing the site down (and they worked silently without any human input) - but Cloudflare appears to have recently changed their systems to change their provider from Google to hCaptcha -- https://blog.cloudflare.com/moving-from ... -hcaptcha/

To prevent this from becoming too onerous for most of the site's users - I have switched it off for members accessing from India, USA, UK, Canada & Australia - the top 5 countries by usage.

vgovindan
Posts: 1865
Joined: 07 Nov 2010, 20:01

Re: CAPTCHA- even for browsing the site? bad idea.

Post by vgovindan »

It was alright to confirm 'I am human'. But identitying bicycles was a game by itself.
.

Nick H
Posts: 9379
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 02:03

Re: CAPTCHA- even for browsing the site? bad idea.

Post by Nick H »

srkris wrote: 06 Jun 2020, 03:46 The captchas were enabled more than a year ago to prevent spam and bots from bringing the site down (and they worked silently without any human input)
Just curious... how to tell a bot from a human silently!
- but Cloudflare appears to have recently changed their systems to change their provider from Google to hCaptcha -- https://blog.cloudflare.com/moving-from ... -hcaptcha/
Quite some time ago, I think I read something about Google charging for their captcha thing, when it had been free, or maybe charging more when it had been less. Something like that. So customers were moving to alternatives. I don't know anything about patents, but this hcaptcha is looking and working so identically to the Google thing, I'm surprised they aren't getting sued.
To prevent this from becoming too onerous for most of the site's users - I have switched it off for members accessing from India, USA, UK, Canada & Australia - the top 5 countries by usage.
Many thanks! :D

Manian
Posts: 76
Joined: 09 Aug 2020, 13:48

Re: CAPTCHA- even for browsing the site? bad idea.

Post by Manian »

If we use Indian photos of musicians, Kritis, Vagyeyakara etc., in the Captcha, the number of members will be just a few. Even in the West, Captcha is disliked. Once you have the email id and password (unless highjacked by crooks), you don't need these fancy checking of the authenticity of the user. However, a bored person who wants to solve puzzle may be given this option by adding a button " Do you want Captcha? as an entertainment, but the problem is too many may use it as amusement portal.

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