Captcha: Annoying, But A Necessary Evil
By now, we’ve all encountered those pesky tests throughout the Internet, intent on ensuring content is only being accessed by humans. Although we may find them annoying, there is actually a very good reason for the whole system. Let us share some research with you!
CAPTCHA was developed by a team at Carnegie Mellon University back in 2000 in response to a request from Yahoo! to quell the use of their mail services sending out automated spam messages. The result was a computer program, CAPTCHA or Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart. The idea was to have a program where images are created that humans can decipher but not computers, therefore diminishing the ability for automated systems to go in and mess with Internet traffic.
CAPTCHA is now found on almost all interactive sites. Before you post a comment on a blog or news site, a CAPTCHA is there to make sure you’re not using spamming software to boost SEO. Rate limiting is a common use of CAPTCHA in order to protect the integrity of sites for their human users. The theory is that a CAPTCHA test will not be seen as an inconvenience to human users as they use the features on a site once or twice while a software program designed to spam a system will want access over and over. That theory is debatable, no?
Buying concert tickets? Better have your quick-type fingers ready to pass the CAPTCHA test before time runs out. Ticketmaster would rather have their tickets in the hands of actual fans instead of scooped up by scalpers whose only intention is to re-sell the tickets at ridiculous prices.
As with any system, there are always those rebels looking to circumvent CAPTCHA via software and human means. Some software programmers have developed programs that attempt to crack CAPTCHAs in one of three ways:
- Pre-processing: the removal of ‘background noise’ from an image
- Segmentation: splitting an image into single character segments
- Classification: identifying characters in the regions of images
Some attackers/spammers have set up whole businesses, hiring workers (mostly in developing countries) to solve CAPTCHAs that are then archived and sold off to other attackers intent on getting around CAPTCHAs.
Since its inception over 10 years ago CAPTCHA has continued to become more prevalent and advanced, as have those trying to hack the system. CAPTCHA has been (and will continue to be) the ‘water locks’ system of the Internet, keeping the spam at bay for all of our personal enjoyment.
Articles consulted for this piece:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1812084,00.html
http://tech4b.blogspot.ca/2012/04/beating-captchas.html
http://paper.ycsns.org/)7_book/200703/20070348.pdf
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~biglou/recaptcha_science.pdf
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/26/technology/26captcha.html?src=me&ref=technology&_r=1&
http://web.archive.org/web/20060613111749/http:/www.ceas.cc/papers-2005/160.pdf
Client News: CLGA & CCCA Host LGBTQ Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace Event
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TORONTO, ON (January 24, 2013) – The Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives (CLGA) and The Canadian Corporate Counsel Association (CCCA) will play host to a breakfast event and live webcast highlighting trailblazers of LGBTQ inclusion within the workplace on Monday, February 25, 2013.
Moderated by ProudFM’s Mike Chalut, this event will showcase pivotal Canadian LGBTQ inclusion employment cases and provide up to date legislative context. Partnering with the CLGA and CCCA to host this event is the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Conference (SOGIC) of the Canadian Bar Association and Pride at Work Canada.
Scott Kettles, General Manager of the CLGA said, “Our mission remains to keep LGBTQ stories alive. We’re pleased to offer such an informative session to people across the nation and further delve into topics like workplace diversity.”
Attendees of the event can expect a keynote from Canadian human rights activist, Michelle Douglas along with a panel of industry experts sharing insights on diversity and inclusion policies.
The in-person event starts at 7:30AM on February 25, 2013, with the webcast commencing at 8:00AM. Tickets for the event can be purchased online by visiting http://bit.ly/143714c. Those wishing to participate in the webcast can register by visiting http://bit.ly/148Ou6p. The Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives is located at 34 Isabella Street in Toronto.
About Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives:
Established in 1973, The Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives aids in the recovery and preservation of LGBT histories. Its mission: to acquire, preserve, organize, and give public access to information and materials in any medium, by and about LGBT people, primarily produced in or concerning Canada. To support this function, the Archives also maintain significant non-archival collections, which include a research library, international subject files, and an international collection of queer periodicals. It is the CLGA’s mandate to make this information available to the public for education and research. Over the years, the CLGA has helped hundreds of people – students, artists, journalists, lawyers, filmmakers complete numerous projects inside and outside of the LGBT community.
Website: http://www.clga.ca
Twitter: @CLGArchives
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CLGArchives
About The Canadian Corporate Counsel Association (CCCA):
An integral group within the 37,000-member Canadian Bar Association, the Canadian Corporate Counsel Association is dedicated to supporting and enhancing the interests of Canadian corporate counsel. CCCA provides uniquely Canadian perspectives, resources, tools, professional development, conferences and peer-to-peer networking opportunities.
Website: http://www.ccca-accje.org
Twitter: @CCCA_News
For Media Inquiries and Photos Contact:
Cory Stewart
Embrace Disruption PR
647.638.1586
For Media Accreditation Contact:
Karen Sadler
Marketing and Communications, CCCA
Why Consumers ‘GetGlue’d On Media Consumption
So you’re all ready to settle down on the couch with a bowl of potato chips. You’re dying to watch some prime time television, but soon realize there is so much on TV – you’re at a loss on what to watch. Never fear: just open up ‘GetGlue’ on your phone, tablet or laptop and take a peak at what your friends are indulging in! 
GetGlue is an entertainment-based social media tool that lets users ‘check-in’ to the shows, movies, music, books and sports they’re watching/listening to. In return, the user can earn virtual stickers to mark their check-ins. These stickers can include limited editions for premiere episodes or opening weekends, along with achievement stickers for using GetGlue often or checking into a particular show on a consistent basis. In the spirit of sharing, users can also connect their social media accounts and choose to share their GetGlue check-ins via Facebook, Twitter and/or Tumblr. The more media you check into, the better the recommendations GetGlue can give you when you’re in a bind. User information is compiled to provide expert recommendations on fellow user media consumption patterns.
Movies ‘cling’ to Top-of-Mind thanks to GetGlue
The nature of GetGlue lends itself very well to being used as a marketing tool for individual shows, as well as to networks and studios. Movie distributors have invited fans of upcoming releases to check-in to their movie before the release date to receive exclusive stickers or sneak-peeks. What a great way to create buzz for your movie, and garner organic virality on user’s social media feeds! Television networks have a bit of a different tactic. I noticed when I checked into the show ‘White Collar’ last night, there was a 15% merchandise discount being offered to those checking in. Clever, no?
Currently GetGlue has a variety of partners including 20th Century Fox, The CW, AMC, ABC Family, Disney Theatrical, Discovery, ESPN, FOX, Food Network, Hachette, HBO, HGTV, MTV, MSNBC, Showtime, Penguin, PBS, WWE, Random House, Simon and Schuster, Syfy, Sony Pictures, Travel Channel, USA Network, Universal Pictures, and Warner Bros. theatrical.
Direct TV is also a GetGlue partner. They offer viewers the opportunity to check in to shows on their television screen; doesn’t get much simpler than that, increasing the chances that people will actually use GetGlue.
The GetGlue system of ‘checking in’ to a movie or television program is also a good way to gauge the size of an audience watching at any given time. Users can monitor comments related to their check-ins, in order to get a feel for what other viewers like or dislike about the show.
The ‘stickers’ are definitely the MVP that makes GetGlue unique. Gamification remains a strong incentive for consumers, the act of collecting appeals to the competitive aspect of human nature.
GetGlue is a great combination of entertainment and marketing activation – a format they should definitely “stick” to. Get it?
Key Digital Trends For 2013 [INFOGRAPHIC]
The joy of entering a new year comes complete with predictions from digital industry experts on what will shape the trends in coming months. Adobe/Econsultancy Quarterly recently released an INFOGRAPHIC with a few key insights for marketer and communications professionals.
2013 will be the year of content
Content marketing remains top priority for both companies and agencies alike, followed closely by conversion rate optimization. In fact, 52% of marketers say the ability to target and personalize content is fundamental to their online strategy.
Boldly, 84% of marketers say their work will be more measurable in 2013 – no doubt due to more emphasis put in the digital areas (and shrinking budgets).
Mobile remains a close focus
However, marketers say they need to understand more on how users research and purchase products. Have a look at the INFOGRAPHIC below for all these stats and more (points if you can correctly identify the number of spelling errors within Adobe’s image).
President Obama Reigns in the Age of Social Media
The entire Internet is abuzz today with the second inauguration of U.S. President Barack Obama. Every one of my social media feeds is wall-to-wall Obama, from what everyone is wearing, to the performers and celebrities/politicians in attendance. The theme for the Inauguration (which also happens to fall on Martin Luther King Jr. Day) is “Faith in America’s Future” and if the crowd in this picture (below) from the National Mall is anything to go on, young and old alike believe that the re-election of Barack Obama will mean good things for the future of their nation.
The 57th Presidential Inauguration is live streamed both on television and the Internet simultaneously, with no delay in the Presidential address reaching the ears of the world. In the time before there was a television in every home, and a computer in pretty much everyone’s hand, the White House had to wait days or weeks for their news and mandates to reach the people, delaying timely communication that government strives for. Luckily, we’re living in the Internet Age of ‘instant gratification’, where users voice their opinions and share their thoughts immediately – sometimes to a fault!
Obama is #5 on the list of Twitter users with the most followers
Obama’s team seems very keen and knowledgeable on the use of social media and the effect it has and will continue to have on the President’s second term in office. This year’s Inaugural Address seemed full of quickly quotable anecdotes that convey a strong ‘untwist-able’ message. Hats off to the President’s publicity team, and here’s to 4 more years!
Film Friday: Nintendo Travels to Snowy Utah for the Sundance Film Festival
About a month ago I wrote a post about Nintendo harnessing the power of YouTube to create videos to promote the new WiiU console. In the article, I talked about how Nintendo had recruited a fleet of YouTube stars to create videos about the console. Not only did these YouTubers receive a WiiU for their troubles but also, the top 12 videographers (based on views/likes/comments/judges) were invited to Los Angeles to compete in the 48-hour film festival challenge. Here’s the update:
This week, the top 12 chosen YouTube stars travelled to Los Angeles for the next round of the competition. This round consisted of the contestants getting divided into teams, ‘locked up’ at the Redbury Hotel in Hollywood and given 48 hours to film & edit a video together about the Nintendo WiiU & the new Super Mario Bros U (which I’ve played and is super fun!). The 3 teams’ films were screened yesterday (January 17th) at the Sundance Film Festival, which is kind of a big deal. Below are a couple videos from YouTuber Alex Carpenter, one of the members of the winning team for this year; the first is the video he filmed in order to qualify for the 48-hour challenge and the second is a vlog he filmed in the middle of the challenge.
The films created out of the 48-hour challenge were screened at the Nintendo Lounge in front of film industry influencers, Nintendo executives and other VIPs. The audience voted for the eventual winner out of the 3 films.
But the WiiU film challenge is only part of the Nintendo marketing campaign at Sundance. The Nintendo Lounge will be open to festivalgoers and Park City residents alike to play with the new system, including trying out some unreleased games.
The Public Relations ‘RACE’ Formula
Believe it or not, there’s a method to the madness of PR. Cutlip & Center’s Effective Public Relations text (aka. the bible) outlines that there are 4 main principles to putting together an effective PR campaign. That said, there are many arguments out there that refute PR process can be summed up into 4 simple steps, but they do acknowledge these as being good guidelines. Have a look at the image below, and get a basic understanding of what PR pros do when putting together effective campaigns.
Facebook Launches Graph Search: The New And Improved Internal Search Tool
Earlier today, Mark Zuckerberg and alum invited press to come “see what we’re building” at Facebook HQ. Unsurprisingly, a media circus surrounded just what was likely to be unveiled at the press conference earlier this afternoon.
Check out the toddlers Mark Zuckerberg knew before 1999.
After addressing the fact that a Facebook phone was “not the right strategy” in an early interview from 2012, most predicted today’s event would talk about new and improved search features within Facebook’s UI.
The first version of Graph Search focuses on four main areas — people, photos, places, and interests. You’ll be able to type queries (examples listed below) to help access the content you’re truly looking for.
People: “friends who live in my city,” “people from my hometown who like hiking,” “friends of friends who have been to Yosemite National Park,” “software engineers who live in San Francisco and like skiing,” “people who like things I like,” “people who like tennis and live nearby”
Photos: “photos I like,” “photos of my family,” “photos of my friends before 1999,” “photos of my friends taken in New York,” “photos of the Eiffel Tower”
Places: “restaurants in San Francisco,” “cities visited by my family,” “Indian restaurants liked by my friends from India,” “tourist attractions in Italy visited by my friends,” “restaurants in New York liked by chefs,” “countries my friends have visited”
Interests: “music my friends like,” “movies liked by people who like movies I like,” “languages my friends speak,” “strategy games played by friends of my friends,” “movies liked by people who are film directors,” “books read by CEOs”
The Graph Search beta starts today. Go to www.facebook.com/graphsearch to get on the waitlist.
The roll out is going to be slow so Facebook can see how people use Graph Search and make improvements.
Report: Listening To Music Over 80BPM Could Put You In Serious Danger
When going on a drive, be it your daily commute or a fun road trip, the music chosen for the playlist is one of the most critical decisions to be made. It could also lead to friendship crippling fights, but that’s a conversation for a different blog. If you need some help narrowing down your song selection- never fear, Confused.com, creators of the MotorMate driving app, did a study on the safest and most dangerous songs to listen to while driving.
The study consisted of 4 men and 4 women driving a total of 500 miles, 250 without music and then 250 with music. Their entire journey was monitored using the MotorMate app for things such as speed, acceleration and braking. The drivers’ footage was then reviewed by psychologist Dr. Simon Moore.
So what makes a song safe? Here are the criteria:
- ideal volume: 55-65 decibels (for comparison, this is about the volume of conversation at a restaurant or office)
- the tempo of the song should mimic a human heartbeat, between 60-80 beats per minute
To encourage safe driving Confused.com put together a Spotify playlist of the 50 safest songs to play while driving. Take a look at the picture below for some of the highlights.
On the flipside, let’s take a look at the criteria for what makes a song ‘unsafe’ to listen to while driving:
- Songs with a fast tempo. Faster songs make drivers subconsciously speed up to match the beat of the song.
- Noisy, fast songs excite and arouse a driver. This stimulation means they’re more focused on the music than driving
Also, make sure you actually like the songs you are listening to. The stress and distraction of not liking a song, or constantly changing the music, will distract you from driving too.
So there you have it: you now know the songs to play and the tunes to avoid next time you hit the road. Your turn – which songs are your ‘go-to’ road trip songs? ABBA? Bon Jovi? Musical theatre classics? Share with us in the comments.
Happy listening & safe travels!
Film Friday: The Benefits Of Infographics
An EDPR favourite to convey information, INFOGRAPHICS are quickly revolutionizing the way people share and consume content. Check out this quick and informative video we spotted on the benefits of INFOGRAPHICS.
