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The Ironclad CAPTCHA is not so ironclad

September 21, 2010 @ 01:12 By: gordon Category: Meta

The number of comments that have gotten through the Ironclad CAPTCHA since I installed it yesterday but been caught by Akismet is significantly higher than the number that slipped past SI CAPTCHA. I suppose I could do away with the CAPTCHA altogether, but then I’d have to wade through the Akismet queue on a regular basis.

So, I’ve switched back to SI CAPTCHA while I look for something more effective. There are some picture-based CAPTCHAs that require the user to pick a specific image out of a collection of  images. One is Confident CAPTCHA, which has an online demo. It requires the user to pick several images in the correct order to prove you’re not a ’bot. The problem I can see with it is that it’s too much of an inconvenience and requires a user to spend longer than they’d probably want to to pass the CAPTCHA.

So the search for a more effective CAPTCHA continues.

In the mean time, I leave you with this thought: All spammers must die.

10 Responses to “The Ironclad CAPTCHA is not so ironclad”


  1. Sean says:

    My blog uses a accessible captcha where the commenter is required to answer a simple culturally neutral question. The questions and answers are completely configurable by the blog owner. I’m not sure what blog system you use here, but I’m using ExpressionEngine – I’m sure there’s something similar for whatever is powering your site.

    • gordon says:

      I’m running WordPress. I had a quick look through the list of available plugins and couldn’t find ExpressionEngine on it — at least not in the first couple of pages of hits, but you’re probably right in saying that there’s something similar available.

      I’m ok with the level of spam that makes it past the CAPTCHA but is blocked by Akismet. It seems to have gone up in the last month or two so the spammers must be getting better at parsing the CAPTCHA images or they’ve hired a new batch of people to decode the images for them.

  2. Jean-Paul Murray says:

    Your logic, re: your latest GPN post, is deeply flawed.

    We have blown the lid off a national scandal in the press–tv, radio, newspapers, local and national.

    And you’re wondering why we haven’t had time to update our web site?

    Answer: it’s about the issue, not about performing a technical update.

    • gordon says:

      Very off-topic for this post, but whatever…

      While I’ll concede there’s been a little media attention to the issue of the broken glass on the trail, I’m not sure this qualifies as a “national scandal”. And, a quick media search only turned up a single story

      Part of your media preparation should be updating your website so that people can learn about the issue when they visit your website. If you have enough time to post comments about it on other websites, you should have enough time to update your own organization’s website.

  3. The media that reported:

    1) Ottawa Citizen;

    2) Regina Leader Post

    3) Radio Canada TV

    4) Radio Canada Radio

    That the NCC is spreading contaminated soil along the TransCanada Trail is, absolutely, a national scandal.

    Whatever you say or think.

    • gordon says:

      Yup… the Ottawa Citizen and Regina Leader Post both had the same CanWest story, which is the one I was referring to. I searched CBC’s website using different keywords to no avail, but then searching their website often sucks, so it’s not surprising I didn’t find it on the English site.

      Still, it can’t really be that big of a scandal as there’s still no mention of it on the GPPC website. I would think that if it really was important that an organization that “insists that the public interest prevail over all other factors in park management” it would be publicizing this “scandal” on its website.

      Oh, and I trust that you would have no objections if the NCC charged you with trespass or whatever the appropriate charge is for entering a part of the park that was off limits because the GPPC’s “mission also seeks to ensure that laws and regulations related to Gatineau Park are rigorously interpreted and enforced by the various levels of government within their respective jurisdictions”, right?

  4. Sure. That’ll give me the opportunity to shine the spotlight on my lawsuit charging them with public mischief under the common law…

    Hey, Ottawa Outdoors did a nice piece on the Gatineau Garbage Saga:
    Check it out:
    http://outdoorottawa.com/tag/jean-paul-murray/

    You Rock, Gordo!

    • gordon says:

      Actually, the moment you try to shine the spotlight to something not related to the charges of trespassing or whatever it would be, the judge will shut you right down.

      Also, I have removed the transcript you posted so as not to violate Radio Canada’s copyright. You’re free to post it on your own website and take the responsibility for it.

  5. Actually, as translator, the copyright is mine. It’s my report, my words, no one else’s. Check the law.

    But thanks for saying it existed.

    You rock Gordo!

  6. No, no, I meant: if they try that little dirty trick on my, I’ll charge them with public mischief, and use their attempt to charge me against them.

    The press will eat it up, from coast to coast: David against the corrupt Goliath.

    Thanks.

    You really rock, Gordo!


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