Register.com is doing this now, with a bit of a twist. They don't require typing in numbers, etc, but the entire whois result returned is converted into a .gif, then displayed. Here again, for the sight impaired who may use a computer generated "voice" to read text on a page, this might create just a bit of a hindrance.
----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Thomas Mon" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 12:17 PM Subject: Re: Registrar's in violation of WHOIS port 43 requirement; was re: InterNIC > This is a new trick that is gaining in popularity, of information based > businesses, due to spammers. It makes automated queries difficult if not > impossible. I don't know about godaddy, but I can understand why so many > have done this. At the current rate, automated submission programs, for > search engines, could be GONE in a few years. > > One thing is that none of the idiots that do this graphic thing understand > the latin characterset and numerals. They should ENSURE that visual cues > are ALWAYS there. Having O and 0, or l and 1 is DUMB. And that is without > the distortion, colors, sizes, and orientations they add. All they need > is skewing the characters(chosen intelligently) between 30 and 90 degrees, > and maybe adding odd borders and graphics, and they will make it easier > for a person to see while harder for a computer. > > What they SHOULD do is have an enforced relay system with limits as to usage. > In a way, this is how DNS servers already work. THAT way they can get > rid of spammers while INCREASING availability of the information. > > Steve > >-- Original Message -- > >From: "Thomas Mon" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Subject: Re: Registrar's in violation of WHOIS port 43 requirement; was > re: > >InterNIC > >Date: Wed, 15 Jan 2003 11:41:21 -0800 > > > > > >I just read this message from Bill and I was wondering if anyone had > >fowarded this message to any type of "Sight Impaired" organizations. This > >is clearly not a very friendly thing to do and they should be stopped. > > > >Tom. > > > >----- Original Message ----- > >From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Sent: Monday, December 30, 2002 10:54 AM > >Subject: Registrar's in violation of WHOIS port 43 requirement; was re: > >InterNIC > > > > > >> *I'm singling out Godaddy as a blatant violator of WHOIS port 43 due > to > >> the e-mail I received from the "assistant to the president" when I pointed > >> out politely that their port 43 WHOIS service (as required by ICANN) > >> wasn't working. Godaddy's assistant to the president stated that the > >> "standard way" (I haven't seen this RFC) to look up WHOIS information > is > >> to use the registrar's website; turn cookies on so they can track you; > >> turn images on; and manually type the number seen in the image... sight > >> impaired people can forget getting any WHOIS information at Godaddy. > > > > > >
