What the heck is a “Captcha?”

Because of comment spam, I’ve turned on the the “captcha” security feature for comments.

“Comment Spam” is when some lowlife uses the comment feature of some Decrepit Old fool’s Weblog to post their web-links about debt consolidation, online gambling, generic viagra, and so forth.  mad  I just cleaned out several comment spams that hit this morning.  This caused me to enable “captcha” security…
=-

To combat this comment kudzu, I’ve turned on “captcha” security.  When you go to post a comment, you have to read a word and type it in a box before clicking “submit.”  The word changes each time, and usually humans can read it, while the automated scripts that post the spam cannot.  It’s bothersome to my readers and a real problem for the visually impaired, which is why I have not had it turned on until now.

Y’know the worst thing about comment spam?  I get all excited when I get comment notices. Back in college, essay grades were important, sure, but I was most interested in what the professor had to say about the essay.  I love it when readers leave comments - good ones, bad ones, tell-me-I’m-the-antichrist ones, whatever.  Then it turns out not to be a reader at all, but some idiot selling pecker pills.  What a disappointment.

Please email me if you have any problem using the comment feature.  (By the way, if you’re a registered member, and you’re logged in, you skip right past the captcha.  grin )

Posted by George on 01/06/05 at 07:03 AM
Geeky • Blogging •

  1. This is definitely some security.  Even the Missus had to fill out the Member Registration and get cleared.  The rules say I have to use acceptable language.  I promise to keep it clean and on task.

    Posted by MrsDoF  on  01/06/05  at  11:13 AM

  2. Hmm… maybe I should clarify: you can still comment anonymously if you like, just like always.  Registration just lets you skip past the captcha.

    Posted by decrepitoldfool  on  01/06/05  at  11:36 AM

  3. I’ve had some, too.

    Sadly, right now captchas in drupal only work for user registrations and not for content. Then again, I can simply have anonymous registrations require moderator approval. And there’s a spam module, too.

    Posted by elwedriddsche  on  01/09/05  at  10:40 AM

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