Fuser.com Blew My Fuse

While reading Lifehacker, I came across a post on a new web application Fuser that will retrieve all of your e-mail and social networking messages from Facebook, Gmail, Yahoo amongst others, and will display them in one place to allow for easy management. Since they are offering a free beta account, I decided to check it out.

Captcha Woes

Captcha on ManuKhanna.comI’ve spent the last 20 minutes trying to create an account for myself, but I keep failing to correctly enter the captcha code. I understand that captcha helps prevent bots from using Internet based services, but why did Fuser have to make their captcha code so tough?

At times I find it difficult to identify the letters that are printed on captcha images. IN the case of Fuser, it was exceptionally tough because their captcha algorithm generates images that have distorted dark-gray letters printed on a light-gray pattern (see image). I clicked the “I can’t read this” link several times to request for alternate images, what I got was equally tough, if not more than the original images.

I’m no captcha expert, but doesn’t it make sense to simplify the captcha identification a bit easier each time the user requests a new image?

Is Fuser Listening

Clearly, the brains behind Fuser have gone overboard in trying to safeguard their service from inappropriate use. My advice to Fuser is that they should make their own captcha more accessible than it currently is. Maybe W3C’s guidelines on Alternatives to Visual Turing Tests on the Web might point them to the right direction.

Defying Purpose

The irony is that Fuser’s USP promises to make e-mail and message management simple, but signing up to use this very service is anything but simple.

Adding Insult to Injury

Being a good netizen that I am, I tried tried providing the above as feedback to the folks who manage Fuser. But apparently they want none of it because the feedback form on their web site also requires the user to solve a captcha before sending the message. Yes, this captcha was as tough as the ones I wanted to complain about.

Upgraded to WordPress 2.3 Dexter

As always, the installation went off like a breeze. Tried upgrading using the plugin but something went horribly wrong and I quit in between. I tried this plugin while upgrading to WordPress 2.1, but it didn’t work then either.

In the end I followed the upgrade instructions on the codex pages. Maybe it’s the WPAU plugin, or maybe it’s just me, not to sure though.

Related Links

World Cup Comes to India, So what If It’s T20

photocms.jpg India last won the cricket World Cup in 1983. I was seven at that time, grown up enough to see Kapil Dev lift the coveted trophy, but then again far too young to to truly appreciate what it meant.

Now when India has once again won the World Cup, I have been able to enjoy and appreciate every ball, shot, and catch that the Indian players took. At least on three occasions it seemed as if Pakistan would take the Cup, but India kept coming back. What made it even more special was having Tina by my side to watch it with me.

Great going guys, India is proud of you.

IBM Employee Directory: Open to Public

Happened to pass by David Illsley’s post about IBM Employee Directory being available publicly. Using this directory, you can find out the official contact details of any of IBM’s 400,000 (approximate.) employees. Though David hasn’t used the exact words, it’s clear he isn’t too pleased about it.

Neither would I, but if and only if IBM were to make available my personal telephone number and e-mail. What IBM has made available is information it has allowed employees to use. So even though the email does have my name in it, I cannot consider this as invasion of my privacy.