CAPTCHAs – a necessary evil in our daily internet activities

You probably know the following situation: When leaving a comment on a blog page, you must first prove that you are not a machine. To do this, you have to take a kind of test – a CAPTCHA.

Some are simple arithmetic operations that need to be solved to submit comments or form requests. Another form is the correct transcription of an alphanumeric combination that usually consists of images.

This article delves into exactly what CAPTCHAs are, why this method is indispensable today, and the pitfalls it also presents.

For a long time, many internet users regarded CAPTCHAs as annoying and a waste of time. There was concern that CAPTCHAs might restrict visitors and even lead them to leave completely. Today, we recognize the positive aspects and the significance of CAPTCHAs. But what exactly are these CAPTCHAs?

Significance of CAPTCHAs

CAPTCHA stands for "Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart." It is essentially a response test to determine whether the website user is a human or a machine. CAPTCHA was invented in 1997 in the form of a distorted image. The distorted image serves to obscure the message from machine interpretation. CAPTCHAs are primarily used for security purposes. Nowadays, the effectiveness of this method is in question because modern bots bypass CAPTCHA security measures, leading to various types of spam activities.

Basic idea of the Turing Test

The so-called Turing Test was developed by the English mathematician, computer scientist, and cryptanalyst Alan Turing. The test demonstrates a machine's ability to exhibit intelligent behavior. The test involves a human evaluator who assesses a conversation between a human and a machine. The human evaluator is aware that one of the participants is a machine. If the machine successfully disguises itself as a human, the test is considered passed.

Why CAPTCHAs are used

The CAPTCHA technology is used to block spam activities and bots that attempt to mechanically collect various email addresses or automatically register on different websites, blogs, forums, etc. CAPTCHA aims to block these types of automated systems.

Interestingly, the algorithm for this human-machine test is publicly accessible.

CAPTCHAs mainly rely on various tasks that involve reading and outputting displayed text or tasks based on visual perception. These requirements prevent visually impaired individuals from accessing such websites. Audio interpretation using text and speech recognition software is utilized for the visually impaired to enable straightforward solutions to CAPTCHAs.

The negative aspects of CAPTCHAs

CAPTCHAs have been criticized by many people, especially due to their distorted images that exceed the comprehension of many individuals. These problems are particularly acute for those who are visually or hearing impaired. The time it takes to solve a CAPTCHA can be very frustrating and slow down the workflow.

Google's reCAPTCHAs

Invisible CAPTCHAs are the latest development in the "Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart." Google acquired reCAPTCHA in 2009. The system was updated in 2013 to the currently well-known "I'm not a robot" checkbox.

This version works by identifying the realistic user of the website through their click style. If the click style appears inaccurate and unnatural, there will be an additional test. However, the Invisible CAPTCHA can determine whether the user is a human or a machine through browser behavior analysis.

Conclusion

This article discusses the pros and cons of CAPTCHAs. The question arises whether CAPTCHAs are more of a solution than a problem. CAPTCHAs offer comprehensive protection and should not be perceived merely as annoying and disruptive.

We recommend integrating a CAPTCHA in your website's contact form or comment form. Contact us and we will help you with the implementation.