New security feature?

[*Alex]

I have noticed from time to time when visiting the galleries in the last couple of days that I am being asked if I am a robot and have to solve a puzzle to prove I am human before being allowed to proceed.
Is this a new security feature that FORVM has introduced?

Alex

[Mat]

I had that too and whenever I click on something to read, it goes to "Human Verifacation" and then transfers to the post I want to read.

Weird changes here, lately.

[Joe Sermarini]

Hmm, I sure did not ask for this "improvement." We have, however, had some recent DOS (Denial of Service) attacks, which are done using automated page requests to overwhelm the site and make it unusable. Sorin must have added this to stop them. If these things are too inconvenient, we can consider something else.

[v-drome]

I would not mind once, but it is asking me when I press REPLY, and then asks again after I write something and press POST.  When I answer the test the second time it takes me back to the board and my post is gone!  I've started copying my comment before I press POST, so I can paste it back in instead of having to write it all over again.  It works fine on the second try, and also for subsequent posts in the same session.   ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I know the spam has been a problem, so I am happy to do whatever is necessary!

[Jay GT4]

It's very annoying.  I'm asked to verify I'm a human with almost every click.  With a VPN turned on it refuses to give me the puzzle to solve, no matter which location it is set to.  The page also displays in French for some reason. 

[David Atherton]

This new security feature has made navigating the boards cumbersome and wonky. I can understand having one when you' first log in, but to have it appear randomly after doing so is annoying!

Plus, as others have said, the site seems less stable with random errors occurring.

[Mat]

This new security feature has made navigating the boards cumbersome and wonky. I can understand having one when you' first log in, but to have it appear randomly after doing so is annoying!

Plus, as others have said, the site seems less stable with random errors occurring.

It seems to be getting swept under the rug. I continue to have the issue and it's frustrating.

[Joe Sermarini]

I just asked Sorin to change it. I am not sure how long it will take him.

[Joe Sermarini]

Sorin turned it off.

[Mat]

Much better, thank you!

[SC]

I still get asked for it every once in a while, including yesterday and last Friday.

I have never answered it as I didn't know if it was official or some parasitic spear-phishing style attack.

SC

[Joe Sermarini]

It apparently only comes up if it suspects a VPN and it should not repeat again for the same IP.

[SC]

Maybe it keeps coming up for me as I have never completed it.  I always just end my session when it comes up.  Now that I know it is legit I have no problem doing it next time it appears.

SC

[Virgil H]

I am probably uninformed on things these days, but I thought a VPN was a good idea to attempt to protect privacy in the world of today's Internet, particularly the United States, where we have the weakest privacy protections. But, when I used it, most sites I used didn't work any longer, including Forum. I turned off the VPN and wasted my money on it. I finally just gave up trying to protect myself because if one is on the Internet today or has a smartphone, you just have to accept you have no privacy. That said, please never implement a captcha where you have to pick pictures out of a matrix or input a string of letters and numbers you can't read. LOL They have captchas where all you have to do is check a box that says you are human.

Virgil

[Joe Sermarini]

I have never believed privacy is actually possible. At least not for me with an online business. I just hope nobody with that ability hates me enough to use it.