[thelist] Security code images

[Luther, Ron]

Richard Davey noted:

>>Then again, I do feel this is slight overkill to just avoid a script 
>>bot from registering on your site :)


Hi Richard,

Okay ... then lets look at it from another side.  Competitive 
information is worth protecting. Suppose the site provides some 
kind of price quote ... fasteners ... electronic bits ... auto 
parts ... something like that.

* Do you want your competitors to be able to run a quick script and 
gather in a complete copy of your price structure? (Heck, if quantity 
is another parameter they could see your discount structure as well.)

* Do you want your customers to be able to run a quick script and 
gather in the your price structure and the price structures of all 
of your largest competitors?

* Do you want some kid squeezing in between you and your customers 
with a 'lowest price guaranteed' service by running these scripts 
-for- your customers? Then again, maybe some of us want to *be* 
that kid!  ;-)

Anyway, I think it's an interesting solution to a thorny problem, 
you want to make information available on a 'piece by piece' basis 
but put in a barrier to bulk data mining.

I wonder what the next step in the 'arms race' will be ... current 
events trivia? "Who won the game last night?" ... audio questions? 
"The password is .... 'plugh'! Type it in now." ... video game 
coordination? "Shoot three Geico logos without shooting an AllState 
logo and we'll give you a price quote."


RonL.
(Who thinks 'Counting Bunnies' is kinda cool {tangential thought 
remembering Snoopy's "Six Bunny Wunnies in an XKE"} ... although 
it seems like it would be susceptible to a 'dictionary attack'.)