It used to be that every time you submit a form on the AUS website, you had to type a distorted word into a box. This test, called CAPTCHA, is a way to help us eliminate spam that bots enter into our forms.
And it worked very well, for the most part. But the problem with CAPTCHA is that in some browsers, when you fail the CAPTCHA test (either because you made a typo or you misread the word), you have to fill out the form all over again. There’s also the issue that it wastes people’s time and is not very accessible for blind or reduced-vision users.
So, I’m getting rid of them.
Well, I’m doing this experimentally. Instead of CAPTCHAs, I will be relying on other security methods which should prevent spam, but it’s not entirely guaranteed. Therefore, if we start getting spam, then I will have no choice but to re-implement the CAPTCHAs. But, for now, you will not be seeing any CAPTCHAs on any AUS form.
Note: If you still see a CAPTCHA for the AUS Community Submission Form, just type in whatever you want. The backend accepts any answer.
