If they want to be sure that a human is sitting at the console, have the
"word" be spoken as well as appear on the screen as an image. Seems simple
enough.
Rich
----- Original Message -----
From: "David Poehlman" <poehlman1@xxxxxxxx>
To: <speakup at braille.uwo.ca>
Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2002 7:05 AM
Subject: Re: Off-topic: Yahoo registration inaccessible to all blind users
> we've been discussing this elsewhere and with yahoo who are working on
> the issue.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Geoff Shang" <gshang at uq.net.au>
> To: <blindcast at yahoogroups.com>; <speakup at braille.uwo.ca>;
> <acbri-forum at acbradio.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2002 6:23 AM
> Subject: Off-topic: Yahoo registration inaccessible to all blind users
>
>
> Hi:
>
> This is blatently off-topic. If you're not interested, hit delete. I'd
> suggest not discussing it on list unless the moderator deems it
> on-topic,
> but that's obviously not for me to say. If you care at all, please feel
> free to spread this around.
>
> It is apparently now impossible for a blind or low vision person to
> independantly register with yahoogroups, no matter what browser they are
> using. Yahoogroups has implemented a security feature to stop automated
> programs from spuriously registering yahoo accounts. Unfortunately,
> it's
> preventing blind people from registering also ... and they know it.
>
> What they've done is to implement a system where a word is printed on
> the
> screen as a graphic. You have to correctly enter this word into the
> sign-up form before you can register. This is meant to prove that it's
> a
> human doing the registration, but all it does prove is that it's a
> sighted
> person able to read print that's doing the registration. They have a
> link
> to click if you can't see the word, and this is what that page says:
>
> What is Word Verification?
> Visually impaired or blind users: We can help you register. So that a
> customer care representative can contact you, please provide your
> phone number in addition to your required email address when you
> contact us by pasting this URL into your browser:
> http://add.yahoo.com/fast/help/us/edit/cgi_access
> By entering the word you see in the box, you help Yahoo! prevent
> automated registrations. Doing this reduces system loads and ensures
> better performance of Yahoo! services.
>
> If no image appears, please make sure your browser is set to display
> images and try again. If you are not sure what the word is, make your
> best guess. If you guess incorrectly, you will have an opportunity to
> enter a different word on the next screen.
>
> This is pretty damning. They are conceeding that they know it's
> inaccessibal to blind people and expect me as a blind person to hand
> over
> my phone number so that they can walk me through the registration
> process.
> Quite aside from the fact that I do not want to give out my phone
> number,
> I'm highly doubtful that someone's going to spare the international
> expence
> to call me in Australia. And even if someone from Yahoo Australia calls
> me, what if I live somewhere where there is no local yahoo branch?
> someone
> will still have to call me, and I wonder how bothered they'll be to do
> that?
>
> So what to do? Firstly, give yahoo a hard time about it, both the main
> yahoo in the USA and any local affiliates (e.g. yahoo UK, yahoo Japan,
> yahoo Australia, etc). I'd suggest boycotting them altogether, but I
> realise that's not always possible. I'd also urge any group moderators
> to
> stop using any of the features requiring a yahoo ID until this is
> resolved.
> If you're a member of a yahoo group, ask your list moderator not to use
> any
> of these features, as you as a blind person won't be able to access
> them.
>
> The yahoo signup page also says that the word verification technology
> was
> developed in conjunction with the Captcha project (note the spelling) at
> Carnegie Mellon University. So I think we should give these people a
> hard
> time too.
>
> Geoff.
>
>
>
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>
>
>
