James Gleick
How often does some automated entity demand that you “Verify you are human”?
Never. They trust me.
0.5%
Just once in a while.
11.5%
Enough to make me cranky.
60.4%
Constantly. It’s an insult and a nuisance.
27.6%
Poll ended at .
Feb 21 at 3:24pmWeb
Show threadIHenderFeb 21
@gleick Oddly enough, the only website I visit that consistently asks me to do this is the Metropolitan Opera in New York. At least they don't say "Prove you're not a tenor."
Show threadSteve BosmanFeb 21
@gleick enough times that I'm no longer confident I can recognise either bicycles or traffic lights
Show threadDec [{()}]Feb 22
@stevebosman @gleick
Or motorcycles. Or intersections.
Show threadKhleedrilFeb 22
@stevebosman @gleick THERE ARE FIVE LIGHTS
Show threadMastodon MigrationFeb 21

@gleick

When you use a VPN it is almost every time. About 30% get sent to the picture puzzle.

Show threadmattmaisonFeb 21

@mastodonmigration @gleick

You really learn a lot about how much you're being tracked when you start usinga a VPN.

Show threadKaoscFeb 21
@gleick A follow up question, "and how often do other people?"
Show threadJay ElbeyFeb 21
@gleick
The very next link I clicked after viewing this post! 😂
Show threadWendroid 🇺🇦Feb 21
@gleick I use apple reader mode to bypass lots of ad tracker/blocker headaches
Show threadCatFeb 21
@gleick it's always the kind of site that doesn't mind being scraped by bots, too.
Show threadDan TappanFeb 21
@gleick My theory is that I get asked a lot (usually by a sites using CloudFlare) because I use Privacy Badger and Ghostery. So these "prove you are human" algorithms are explicitly assuming that people who try to prevent spying are bots.
Show threadforestclawsFeb 21
@gleick
i clicked the last mainly for the "its an insult" because i do not wish to be known as a human.
Show threadconspicuous-nonlurker-99Feb 21
I question my sanity
Show threadEmmelineFeb 21
@inconspicuous-lurker-99 you’re quite sane. It’s the normies who are crazy
Show threadJenny FxFeb 21
@gleick enough to make me doubt my humanity!
Show threadGeorg WeissenbacherFeb 21
@gleick if it was only that... #nyt (I am actually a paying subscriber, and this is on my secondary phone with an alternative OS)
Show threadGreasy Wrench (she/her)Feb 22
@gleick they want to keep their sites content safe from bots and crawlers
Show threadDec [{()}]Feb 22
@gleick
I have a pinned toot about this:
https://mastodon.ie/@dec23k/111460206884801342
Dec [{(:no_ai:)}] (@[email protected])

Attached: 1 image "The #CAPTCHA lays on its back, its squares baking in the hot sun, beating its legs trying to turn itself over, but it can't. Not without your help. But you're not helping."

mastodon.ie
Show threadjlapoutreFeb 22
@gleick most obnoxious violation is being logged in to a service you are paying for, filling out a support form and then still have to complete some idiotic captcha. I hate fire hydrants and stair cases by now
Show threadAmira MagdalenaFeb 22
@gleick Something in my Firefox plus plugins plus arch Linux means I get into a verification loop and I have to load up chromium. It’s infuriating