Trying to register on this forum??

[Nickytam]

28 July 2011..

My Wife tried to register here today - impossible!

1st problem during attempted registration here, is the letters/figures she was requested to 'type in the box' are totally indistinguishable - impossible to read. After many attempts, she gave up!

2nd problem during attempted registration here, is the question asked.. 'what is another name for an electric bike'?

Hmmmm let's try.. Electric Bicycle? Pedal powerer? Easy Rider? Leg warmer? Battery-on-Wheels? Power Ride? What a stupid question and why ask it? The mind boggles!!

What is the point of it all and why make it so difficult for folks to register here?

 

[flecc]

I'm not an administrator, but I understand there is a problem is with spam advertisers joining only to post adverts for their goods. The question ensures some knowledge of what the forum is about and that and the test letters rule out automatic methods of entry.

Can't help on reading the characters, but I suggest you try again to get a different set of characters. Alternative names for electric bicycle are e-bike or pedelec, the latter being the name of this site.

 

[Alex728]

unfortunately these days it has to be done because otherwise the forum is overrun with folk who use automated logon software to post spam adverts everywhere. I've seen what happens to forums without this and it is not pretty, they are destroyed within days as the decent users are driven away, and often the spam contains items such as pornography many might find offensive. Nearly every forum uses it nowadays.

I haven't looked recently at the page on this site for new registrations, but if you have loudspeakers on your computer, many of these have a "loudspeaker" icon where the letters are read out, for the benefit of those whose eyesight isn't so good due to age or other problems.

whilst I am young and my (corrected) eyesight is good, I admit I also have problems with these things now and then, but if the letters aren't deliberately distorted the spammers even use software against them.

I am sure if Russ (who runs the site) sees this or you PM the name your wife tried to register under he will be able to sort this out. One reason it might seem a lot harder to register here than many other forums is that there is only one moderator/admin working in his free time - in contrast, a youth lifestyle site I help moderate has 5 or more moderators watching 24/7 (and even then they have to deal with many spammers).

 

[rsscott]

The letters/numbers part is controlled by the vBulletin forum software so you will see this on any site which uses vBulletin. Unfortunately in order to deter spammers and automated software the downside is it can be difficult to read.

The second question, the clue is in the helper text underneath the field where you enter your response.

 

[b0331e]

I would just like to add its the hardest Captcha I have expirenced yet.......
nice to know where secure in here

cheers
B0331E