What Is a CAPTCHA?
Many people have seen them and used them, but they don't understand what a CAPTCHA is. What is a CAPTCHA anyway?
First of all, CAPTCHA is not a word. Instead, it is an acronym for "Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart."
It is a program that protects websites by generating tests that only humans can pass. CAPTCHAs prevent automatic form submissions. For example, only humans and not computers can read distorted text or numbers.
Visual CAPTCHA
CAPTCHAs prevent automatic form submissions. For example, only humans and not computers can read distorted text or numbers that users are asked to type to prove it is human activity. The letters or digits come from a distorted image that appears on the screen that only humans can understand.
If at first, the CAPTCHA is not successful, a person can try another image until he is successful.
CAPTCHAs are not limited to letters and numbers. CAPTCHAs may also include other tests. One might have to identify an object that does not belong in a particular set of objects, locate the center of a distorted image, or identify distorted shapes.
Audio CAPTCHA
While the first choice for a CAPTCHA is visual, there is another way to prove someone is a human. If a person cannot see the CAPTCHA, he can use the audio device that has been provided.
CAPTCHAs Are Useful
CAPTCHAs weren't designed to make people's lives miserable. They are useful. The test is supposed to be simple, but sometimes they are difficult to read. Sometimes it takes at least three tries to prove that a person is human.
The visual ones are hard to read, and the audio ones are difficult to hear. Both methods are time-consuming especially for people who can't figure out the letters and are hard of hearing.
While CAPTCHAs are useful and beneficial for those who want them filled out, they seem to be a nuisance for many who want immediate access to the site.
