Off-topic: Yahoo registration inaccessible to all blind users

David Poehlman poehlman1 at home.com
Thu Jan 24 13:19:13 EST 2002 

how much has it actually cut down on spam?  the bots could still collect
the addresses and some humans can still crank out sign ups quickly so
the spam truck keeps delivering.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Amanda Lee" <amanda at shellworld.net>
To: <speakup at braille.uwo.ca>
Sent: Thursday, January 24, 2002 1:12 PM
Subject: Re: Off-topic: Yahoo registration inaccessible to all blind
users


Yes I do however, I still can think of other methods for avoiding this
sort of thing and to deny persons who are print disabled access is still
absolute stupidity and I won't back down on this.  Have these idiots
ever
heard of setting up limits?  Have they heard of limiting the number of
access, number of registrations, I probably could type in pages here.
They are really being very short-sighted as to dealing with the real
problem and so their solution is to barr everyone when I'd say that only
a
few created this situation in the first place.

I feel their pain but I bet you this won't stop abuse.

Amanda Lee



On Thu, 24 Jan 2002, Victor Tsaran wrote:

> Amanda, it is not only about mailing lists. It also has to do with the
fact
> that several "bad people" decided to perform, say, 1000 automatic
> registrations at a time. They would like to register 1000 Email
accounts on
> Yahoo. Do you see any implications?
> Victor
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Amanda Lee" <amanda at shellworld.net>
> To: <speakup at braille.uwo.ca>
> Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2002 9:25 PM
> Subject: Re: Off-topic: Yahoo registration inaccessible to all blind
users
>
>
> > A text only interface of course!  Wonder how they are serving
Wireless
> > Phone and PDA users?  These devices typically can't handle a lot of
high
> > resolution graphics and junk!  Bessides, what the hell! is so damn!
secure
> > about a stupid email list?  If the FBI wants an Email list I daresay
> > they're not going to go to Yahoo dot bomb to get one.  This is just
a
> > stupid excuse for not wanting to think in any different direction
than
> > stupidity.  Many sites have secure and not secured options for doing
> > anything from ordering merchandise to signing up for newsletters.
> >
> > Amanda Lee
> >
> >
> >
> > On Wed, 23 Jan 2002, Victor Tsaran wrote:
> >
> > > What would you suggest instead of just complaining?
> > > Best,
> > > Vic
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "Steve Holmes" <steve at holmesgrown.com>
> > > To: <speakup at braille.uwo.ca>
> > > Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2002 7:01 PM
> > > Subject: Re: Off-topic: Yahoo registration inaccessible to all
blind
> users
> > >
> > >
> > > > That's our whole point! If this kind of shit is used with Yahoo,
> what's to
> > > > stop other services from using that garbage in the name of
tighter
> > > > security? It reminds me of some products introduced some years
back
> that
> > > > would play some kind of hand-eye cordination game with the user
to
> prove
> > > > it is who he says he is to connect to the local dial-up network
at
> work.
> > > > thank God, this stuff was never implemented at my work but they
did
> talk
> > > > about it briefly til I talked them out of it.
> > > >
> > > > A web site or application should *NEVER* *NEVER* use bit mapped
text
> that
> > > > cannot be read by any adaptive screen reader products!  The only
good
> > > > thing about that crap was those banner ads we could never read.
We
> didn't
> > > > see them nor hear them so they didn't bother us and we never
clicked
> > > > them:).
> > > >
> > > > 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.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > _______________________________________________
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> > > > > > Speakup at braille.uwo.ca
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> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > > Speakup mailing list
> > > > > Speakup at braille.uwo.ca
> > > > > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > Speakup mailing list
> > > > Speakup at braille.uwo.ca
> > > > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
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> > > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup
> > >
> >
> >
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> >
> >
>
>
>
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