Off-topic: Yahoo registration inaccessible to all blind users

[David Poehlman]

but the bots they are trying to avoid would still pick it up.  this was
already taken into account.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Charles Hallenbeck" <chuckh at mhonline.net>
To: <speakup at braille.uwo.ca>
Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2002 2:44 PM
Subject: Re: Off-topic: Yahoo registration inaccessible to all blind
users


There is a lot they can do. For starters, they could print their
magic word on the screen using the same foreground color and
background color. It would be invisible to viewers of the screen
but would be spoken on a voice synthesizer... (I think)

Chuck


On Wed, 23 Jan 2002, Amanda Lee wrote:

> That is ridiculous! I've use yahoo a lot over the years I guess it's
time
> to stop.  Hope they have no contracts with the U.S. Federal Government
and
> are blatant enough to hold to this stupidity
>
>
>
> On Wed, 23 Jan 2002, Victor Tsaran wrote:
>
> > Hi,
> > There is really nothing Yahoo can do for you in this case. Unless
you have
> > some ideas on how the subscription process can be changed, send your
> > suggestion to them. From the programming point of view, there is
nothing
> > they can do to better the situation. I know it sounds harsh, but
there is
> > not much else to say. No kind of alt tag or picture description can
be
> > employed to make the "word" accessible.
> > Vic
> >
> > ----- 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 12:23 PM
> > 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.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Speakup mailing list
> > > Speakup at braille.uwo.ca
> > > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> >
>
>
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