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Re: Accessible alternative for antispam

for

From: Rich Pedley
Date: Mar 6, 2007 12:00PM


(first post but I've been reading for a while)

On 06/03/2007 16:58, Phil Teare wrote:
>> I did it with a php script that 'stitches' wav files of letters
>> and numbers being read out together into a single .wav or mp3

Accessibility wise it is a start, but still blocks some users (yes
even as an addition).

> Sorry to bang on but Talklets <http://www.talklets.com>; would be an
> option here too.

So with javascript off this still works?

> Another tack is to ask a simple question. Like very simple
> arithmatic involving words. e.g. "If I had five apples and one car,
> how many items of fruit would I have?" - kind of thing. This (done
> accessibly) is more dyslexia friendly too. IMO.

But dyslexia is not the only 'disability' that needs to be considered.
learning difficulties make these sort of questions next to useless -
and yes even the very simple ones like "what colour is a blue sky?"
could be construed as a barrier.

There are various solutions that might work for a while, until the
spammers think they are worth targeting that is.

I have several techniques that I use, all via php scripts.

A code is added via a hidden input and is changed daily.

Accessing the form itself has to be done via another form, and is only
accessible once the first form 'submit button' has been pressed. If
you reference the form via an inline document reference it also helps.

Or howabout just getting them to confirm that what they entered was
correct? this requires 2 submits and may stop a lot of spam. We
recently realised that a form of ours didn't get any spam - and could
only come up with the reason that it was split over several pages (one
helluva form).

Rich