Google takes CAPTCHA security to the streets

Yeah, I've seen those CAPTCHAs. I wonder if CAPTCHAs, in general, really do something against spam bots. I've seen them bypassed several times, although it's also possible that they were human bots. And yet, they make it hard for me to read them while I only want to use the search feature, so I'm glad that CAPTCHAs get easier to read.

 

So basically they are cropping street names to use them in captcha?

 

Numbers.

Why not? It's a lot easier than reading barely readable CAPTCHAs, if they were meant to be readable anyway. At some point I thought CAPTCHAs are some kind of a torture device. Not to mention about questions like "Describe about this company" and showing the picture of Danone. WTH?!

 

So true. Ive seen some captchas that are basically unreadable . . . LOL

 

FTA:

They don't elaborate on the parameters used to extract and select these "characters". However, if one looks at the limited set of samples (http://i.imgur.com/NMRZd.jpg) they appear to be of numbers displayed on (likely private) buildings/property. Street numbers probably, but in some cases perhaps not. Some of the images aren't cropped well and do show adjacent structure/area. Too hard to tell whether they are the same resolution as would be seen via public StreetView images of that location.

StreetView itself is rather creepy to begin with and even the *public* images are far too high in many locations. So I doubt this use of StreetView data will upset people. However, what we have here is a case of Google using automated image processing/recognition to extract information and use it for some new/other commercial purpose. Perhaps this is an opportunity to think about whether there should be bounds on what Google is allowed to do with StreetView images? Bearing in mind that computers will become ever better at recognizing what is in each image, who is in each image, what's happening in the image(s), etc.

 

I hate to admit it but I missed the date *twice* (in your first post and in the linked to article). Thanks for drawing attention to the date.

 

This from the folks at Kaspersky seems to be current.
http://threatpost.com/google-updates-recaptcha-technology-moves-away-from-distorted-text/102717

 

Does anyone know of a good free CAPTCHA program that will work with Microsoft FrontPage 2003? And before someone tells me that I would be better off writing the website in something other than FrontPage believe me if I could I would. I developed the site for a Military Volunteer Group I belong to not because I am a programmer, I definitely am not, but out of necessity. As always I appreciate all replies and would thank you in advance.

John