Authors CurseForge

I am no longer able to download files from CurseForge due to the new CAPTCHA feature.

First of all, clicking the download links from the file's page does nothing. If I turn off plugins (Flash) and reload the page, I get plain text links which I am able to click, but clicking them brings me to a page that informs me I must pass a CAPTCHA before I can download the file... except I can't see the CAPTCHA.

Re-enabling Flash and reloading the page has no effect. Enabling JavaScript (I normally have it disabled for CurseForge) has no effect. Enabling inline frames (I normally have them disabled globally for security reasons) has no effect.

I have verified that all other features are enabled, and that all content blocking is disabled, and the most I can get to show up is this:

http://www.hdimage.org/images/wni2dbi3oqnmrc4f7h_urseorge.jpg

The audio CAPTCHA link does not work; it speaks instructions that reflect the text instructions to type the two words, but then speaks a full or partial sentence (way more than two words) that is very difficult to understand. Even after playing it a dozen times, getting a new one and playing THAT one a dozen times, I can't figure out what every word is. All attempts at typing any two adjacent intelligible words result in "Incorrect. Try again."

Opera 9.64, Windows XP x64 Edition.

Edit: I also posted a ticket on CurseForge, but so far I've gotten an official response for 2 of about 30 tickets, versus a much higher success rate posting things here. :(

Craptcha worked for me, no flash loaded but yes javascript... emailink

Here you go.

Yes, there is. That's irrelevant to this discussion, though.

recaptcha.net user tracking and JavaScript to download files from wowace.com is UNACCEPTABLE !!!
Even if you are logged in you must use the recaptcha.net/JavaScript CRAP!

UNACCEPTABLE!!!

Kaelten, please remove this!

recaptcha.net-authentication(!)/JavaScript is one more reason why people should/would use other sites to download addons!

Yeah, while I agree that something needed to be done, I do not agree that CAPTCHAs are an acceptable solution. They are famously terrible for accessibility, and while having to pass one to register with a site is doable, having to pass one every time I want to download an update for an addon is simply ridiculous... especially when it isn't even possible to pass one on my system.

If it's going to be a permanent addition to all sites on the Curse network, I'm going to spend a lot more time pestering other addon authors to maintain release pages on WoWInterface. :(

The way I see it: If you've registered, and are logged in, you shouldn't have to provide a captcha. If you are downloading anonymously, then hell yes.

break19

Odd... I haven't seen a single CAPTCHA at all on either Curse.com or WowAce.com.

Sorry... I meant to mean that I haven't seen a single CAPTCHA and haven't been stopped from downloading anything. I've tried it both logged-in and logged-out and there's been no change.

Quote from break19

The way I see it: If you've registered, and are logged in, you shouldn't have to provide a captcha. If you are downloading anonymously, then hell yes.

break19

Wowmatrix signs up for a dummy account they'll never actually post on, so it won't be discovered. They program their downloader to log in as this user and get it's download. WM is back in business with curseforge.

I think not. Deal with the craptcha, it's not the end of the damn world :P

If this recaptcha.net/whatever CRAP to download files from wowace.com is not removed I will never ever use the wowace repository again.
Why? Because I want to download the addons I submit/support with fixes/update locales!

Sure, I make only small addons for a small user base, so I am not critical nor important for the whole curse/wowace-system. I am just a small cog in the wheel, but I liked the way the wowace repository worked in the past:
- check-in stuff (eg. svn)
- it's packed (nice zip with changelog and eg. libs)
- and than I can download exactly the same packed zip every user can download

This is not working anymore. Not for me, because I will not send anything to recaptcha.net via wowace.com!
In other words: I can check-in stuff (via svn), but I can not download my own addon!!!

Sorry, but this is plain stupid! This is by far the worst idea ever.


The only solution for me is to skip the whole repository thing and just use the forum with an attached file. Not a good solution...will you add the recaptcha.net/whatever-authentication thing to forum attachments too?

Or is it better to forget wowace and move to a better place?


From the wowace.com Homepage: (Announcements)

Curse and WoWInterface working together to help protect our authors and other site-users

Please protect me from recaptcha.net/whatever-authentication!

Please remove recaptcha.net/whatever-authentication!

QQ

reCaptcha isn't exactly bulletproof either. I've had it running on forums and it's been cracked by spam bots.

Clever metrics could catch an account if it was used for something like WoWMatrix though. Very few page impressions, a lot of direct downloads, no favorites? Suspicious, activate captcha on that account for a week.