0
Usenet Posted 22 years ago
Usage

The business of America is Halliburton

Somebody I think it was Dena Jo commented recently on the futility of trying to foil harvesters of e-mail addresses.
A trick I've seen at a certain Web site suggests what may be the ultimate way: If you put your e-mail address in a graphic, only a human observer can see what it is.

For example, suppose I say that I will not read any more e-mail sent to my former e-mail address. Instead, I ask the reader to go to to retrieve the e-mail address that I will henceforth exclusively monitor.
I'm sure it's possible to write software that will cruise the Web, extract text from every graphics file it finds, and test that text to see if it contains an e-mail address, but it seems like a lot of trouble, even for a harvester.

There are flaws in this approach, but it's the best idea I've heard of so far.
  

Top answer

Bob Cunningham filted: [nq:1]Somebody I think it was Dena Jo commented recently on the futility of trying to foil harvesters of ... even for a harvester. agra", knowing that the average wetware reader won't even be slowed down by the substitution..

  • Bob Cunningham filted: [nq:1]Somebody I think it was Dena Jo commented recently on the futility of trying to foil harvesters of ...
  • even for a harvester.
  • agra", knowing that the average wetware reader won't even be slowed down by the substitution..
  • r
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

149 Answers
0
Bob Cunningham filted:
[nq:1]Somebody I think it was Dena Jo commented recently on the futility of trying to foil harvesters of ... even for a harvester. There are flaws in this approach, but it's the best idea I've heard of so far.[/nq]
Not least of which is that in some addresses a human has to decide whether a certain character is a lowercase L or the numeral 1 (or in certain fonts a ca
0
[nq:1]Bob Cunningham filted:[/nq]
[nq:2]Somebody I think it was Dena Jo commented ... but it's the best idea I've heard of so far.[/nq]
[nq:1]Not least of which is that in some addresses a human has to decide whethera certain character is a lowercase ... hints to augment the more troublesome letters...when the signup package arrived, they had it as "dsdoctar"...a whopping 75% accuracy rati
0
[nq:2]I remember when I first got online; they took down ... arrived, they had it as "dsdoctar"...a whopping 75% accuracy rating..r[/nq]
[nq:1]Whether scanned from a typed or handwritten list, that is typical OCR madness.[/nq]
I think you're a bit too pessimistic, at least regarding typed or printed matter. The last time I OCRed something, I found one mistake (an omitted space) out of 900
0
[nq:2]Whether scanned from a typed or handwritten list, that is typical OCR madness.[/nq]
[nq:1]I think you're a bit too pessimistic, at least regarding typed or printed matter. The last time I OCRed something, ... the cheap OCR software that came bundled with a scanner. As for scanning handwritten text, I would expect dismal performance.[/nq]
My scanner's OCR software makes many mistakes
0
On 19 Feb 2004 10:26:24 -0800, R H Draney
[nq:1]Bob Cunningham filted:[/nq]
[nq:2]Somebody I think it was Dena Jo commented ... but it's the best idea I've heard of so far.[/nq]
[nq:1]Not least of which is that in some addresses a human has to decide whether a certain character is a ... fool regularly send messages advertising "V!agra", knowing that the average wetware reader won't eve
0
[nq:1]For example, suppose I say that I will not read any more e-mail sent to my former e-mail address. Instead, I ask the reader to go to to retrieve the e-mail address that I will henceforth exclusively monitor.[/nq]
Is that a valid e-mail address for you in that
particular graphic, or were you just kidding?
Ah, I see. Now I get it.

Christopher
(Change 3032 to 3232 to
0
Pat Durkin filted:
[nq:1]My scanner's OCR software makes many mistakes on 30-year-old many-times-copied typewritten legal text. (Scanning condominium letters of association). Conversion of ... defective carbon ribbon and type or clogged ink jets in the mix somewhere. Maybe dot matrix to fax to scanner/OCR.[/nq]
I may have primed the pump, but honestly this is the first I've even considered
0
[nq:1]For example, suppose I say that I will not read any more e-mail sent to my former e-mail address. Instead, I ask the reader to go to to retrieve the e-mail address that I will henceforth exclusively monitor.[/nq]
I like this idea, but it won't work for those of us without a web page. that don't got a web address.

Dena Jo
Email goes to denajo2 at the dot com version of the
0
[nq:2]For example, suppose I say that I will not read ... retrieve the e-mail address that I will henceforth exclusively monitor.[/nq]
[nq:1]I like this idea, but it won't work for those of us without a web page. that don't got a web address.[/nq]
Maybe the AUE webmaster could be persuaded to make space for the files for AUE regulars who don't have their own Web site. I know I would do it
0
[nq:2]For example, suppose I say that I will not read ... retrieve the e-mail address that I will henceforth exclusively monitor.[/nq]
[nq:1]Is that a valid e-mail address for you in that particular graphic, or were you just kidding? Ah, I see. Now I get it.[/nq]
I know what you mean, and I understand your reaction, but actually the address is valid. In fact, Dejagoogle finds 27 hits with

Related Questions