Every once in a while, a website will ask you to type in some random letters or words to submit a contact form or sign up for an account. These squiggly letters are called CAPTCHAs (which stands for “Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart”), and their purpose is to verify that you’re a real human. Spammers sometimes write computer programs that automatically fill out forms, so using CAPTCHAs can help to reduce spam. The CAPTCHA we use at eLYK Innovation is called reCAPTCHA, which includes an audio CAPTCHA for the visually impaired. Besides helping to prevent spam, reCAPTCHA also helps to digitize scanned books with surprisingly accurate results. So, the next time a web page asks you to type in “horsehair rutabega,” remember that it’s for your own good.

Filed under: Internet Strategy by Jarett Millard