I often use google groups for access to usenet groups. Yesterday when I posted I had to execute a little authentification procedure similar to TicketMaster's method - copying some "letters" in a box rendered in a tortured graphic non-font style. Today I do not have to use the procedure.
Is this a new method of google attempting to control the recent flood of usent spam?
"Richard Henry"
** No - it IS Google beta testing ways of eliminating colour-blind and dyslexic posters.The ultimate goal being to eliminate all fuckwits and trolls.
But this will take far more software.
..... Phil
that's called a captcha. google is using for response but not for original posts.
It makes it inconvenient to post responses, but will have no effect whatsoever on spam. Goddamn idiots. Effing retarded. What the hell is their problem?
I haven't seen it when I've made new posts _or_ replies (to strictly Google groups or to Usenet groups) though I know of several other Google groups users who have. I have no idea why some have to do it and others not, unless the number of spam reports I've made to Google has something to do with it; maybe they considered me one of "the good guys" from the get-go and now include Richard because he passed a primitive Turing Test?
We'll see.
Well, what would you propose, simply blocking all output from the eastern coast of the Pacific? China already censors much of what crosses its borders and Google, while not being in a position to stop them (they're not The World Police any more than the USA is) also specifically does not want to get into the censorship business.
Look, this is the Internet, and we already know that all the Old Rules don't apply. Trying to figure out what the New Rules are, if any, is what's going on right now. Do you want Google to just make it up as they go along? No? Then who, the PRC? Micro$oft? The United Nations?
As far as I'm concerned, the whole point is that there isn't supposed to _be_ any Central Authority; you have killfilters, figure out how to use them. If Google can't stop the spammers, do it yourself, just stop "seeing" their posts. Some have given up and gone Draconian (setting their filters to block all gmail addresses), and while I wouldn't do that, it's their choice to make for them, NOT yours, mine, the PRC's or Google's or anyone else's.
Mark L. Fergerson
I haven't seen any of it today. Are they perhaps creating whitelists for accounts?
No, it's been around for at least a year or more that I can remember. It occasionally pops up, it is NOT a regular thing, I get it maybe once every 50-100 posts or so. I haven't been able to find any real pattern to it. From memory the message says something along the lines of "your posting attempt looks like spam" or something and they are doing the verify as a precaution.
Dave.
ElectronDepot website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.