Off-topic: Yahoo registration inaccessible to all blind us

[Amanda Lee]

Yes, absolutely, they have just slapped a big ole bandaid on top of a
festering wound!  Until they deal with root cause, those who really want
to rain on their parade will continue to make live difficult.  I'm not
certain they can stop spammers but YOu'd think they'd have sense enough to
prevent no more than so many registrations from one IP address in a given
period of time for more than just spam.  Of  course a more cumbersome
acknowledgement process may help those spammers who will happily automate
anything if they want it that badly!  I'm certain that many many other
measures are possible if anybody with S**! for brains puts some gray
matter to use!

Amanda Lee



On Thu, 24 Jan 2002, David Poehlman wrote:

> 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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> > > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
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> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
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> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
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> > > >
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> >
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