No Comment

The other day I was trying to make a comment on a family members blog. I wrote the comment, entered my name, smiled happily and then it happened…the dreaded “Please prove you arent a robot” message appeared, and the fuzzy combination of letters and numbers that were unreadable and made absolutely NO sense taunted me.

Not one to be outdone by a computer, I set to work to crack this code. Except that this code – was unreadable. There was no way I could even make out the fuzzy numbers. I blinked. Closed my eyes for 10 seconds, shook my head, danced around, and even hit refresh a time or two, but was having no luck, each combination more and more complicated…and more and more unreadable. It was then I noticed a little button beside the fuzzy combo. An audio button.

“AHA!” I thought to myself. “I will hear the numbers!” and so it was.

But the person saying the numbers and letters? Was just as fuzzy as the letters themselves, as if she was reading it – fuzz and all! I could not understand WHAT she was saying. It was then I felt really stupid. Unable to crack the fuzzy code, and unable to understand the person. But again, not wanting to admit “Defeat by a computer” I pressed on.

I tried this and that. I did my best to make out the letters and numbers, and tried my hardest to make sense of them, which is when it hit me – its possible the code wasn’t supposed to make sense! I heard somewhere (pretty sure Amanda told me this) that they don’t HAVE to make the codes fuzzy. As long as it is an image and not just letters – computers cant copy it.

But apparently, these codes are not to prevent computers from commenting – but rather the weak and unmotivated. It was as if it was saying “You want to comment? You really have to WANT to comment!” and that I did…I typed and pleaded, and shook and stumbled, and slurred out more combinations that I have ever done in my entire life – and just as I was about to lay down my keyboard and admit defeat – it happened.

“Thank you for ~~being so stupid and humoring us all by your numerous attempts at posting a comment you have won the award for the most attempts at~~ leaving a comment.”

And there it sat:

“Aw cute pictures!”

Staring back at me.

Now that I think about it, this might have been the internets way of telling me to leave a better comment moron, you would think after all that work, I would be satisfied with myself and/or comment, but instead I was annoyed. All that work – for three words.

So if you get a comment from me – big or small, with or without spelling errors – know that I went through great lengths to post it. And that I am NOT a robot! Because if I were, it would have taken me ½ as much time.

Also, I realize that people who comment here go through great lengths as well – leaving a comment should NOT be so difficult, but apparently the internet powers to be want to keep us all safe from spam, even if our sanity is at stake!