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Turing Tests to Stop Spam

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the human-authentication dept.

cexy writes "The Register has a story about how Hotmail and Yahoo! are using Carnegie Mellon developed captcha technology (completely automated public Turing tests to tell computers and humans apart) to stop spammers from automating signups for accounts from which they can send spam. These guys are using captcha too, but to stop incoming spam."

6 of 279 comments (clear)

  1. What I want to know is... by JPhule · · Score: 4, Funny

    Does Hotmail really think that I have friends named things like ilikeitinthebutt?

  2. IRC needs Captmfa by Boss,+Pointy+Haired · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Completely automated public test to tell males and females apart".

    a/s/l?

    "18f,Florida"

    Do you mind if I ask you to take a quick Captmfa?

    "Sure, go ahead" .....

    Test completed. Result = 34m, Detroit.

  3. Re:Yahoo works, hotmail not by guttentag · · Score: 4, Funny
    Either you're advertising your email address, or you've got some really easy to guess address, because the behavior you describe is far from typical.
    It is not "far from typical," I'll have you know. I get tons of spam in my Hotmail inbox!

    Ambrose Buse
    abuse@hotmail.com

  4. Re:CAPTCHA project by Anonymous+Hack · · Score: 5, Funny

    Coming up in version 2.0:

    CAPTCHA: Hello. I am CAPTCHA. How can i help you?

    SPAMMER: /\ \(.*\)@\(.*\)\ /

    C: Please go on.

    S: I would like your email address.

    C: Can you elaborate on that?

    S: I'm planning to spam you.

    C: Does it please you to believe I am planning to spam i?

    S: What the fuck?

    C: Does that question interest you?

    S: ARGH!

    C: Please go on.

    --
    I got a sig so you would remember me.
  5. Re:wrong by irc.goatse.cx+troll · · Score: 4, Funny

    6) Profit!

    --
    Pain lasts, kid. Its how you know you're alive. Sometimes I think this growing up thing is just pain management-TheMaxx
  6. Simple way to beat image tests by Presto_slashdot · · Score: 3, Funny

    1. Decide which hotmail/yahoo/whatever account you want to sign up.
    2. Send most of the (fake) registration info until it sends you a "turing test" image.
    3. Display the image in the next webhit on your popular porn site saying "to get free porn, type these characters"
    4. Send whatever they type to hotmail/yahoo/whatever & complete your registration.
    5. Profit?