Prove You're Not a Robot

By Randy Moody

Okay.  So I went to my favorite URL shortener site to trade in a long Internet address for a short one.  And they did it to me again!

Before they would surrender my short URL, they stipulated that I must first enter a string of characters to prove that I am a human being and not a robot.

First of all, is this really a problem?  Have I been missing something in the news?

Are Internet robots now randomly shortening URLs willy-nilly with malicious intent all over the Internet? 

Is it causing people difficulty to the point that hard-ball defensive tactics must now be employed?

INTERNATIONAL GANG OF INTERNET ROBOTS APPREHENDED –
THOUGHT RESPONSIBLE FOR THOUSANDS OF SHORT URLs!
Anti-terrorist ties suspected.  Congressional investigation pending…

What, exactly, would be the downside to lots of shorter URLs? 
Our fingertip typing callouses might begin to soften? 
Broken finger nails might grow back?

Second, my URL shortener site always presents me with a string of characters that no human being could possibly identify – to prove that I am human.  Is anybody else seeing the irony here?
(By the way, these ARE real unaltered screen shots.)

That shorter URL could simplify things a lot for me and our customers. 
But first, I have to overcome the obstacle of deciphering something I don’t understand.

SharePoint is like that. 

If you know how to use it effectively, it can streamline your work and make your productivity soar! But if you “can’t figure it out,” SharePoint becomes an obstacle to productivity – a hindrance instead of a help.

Nobody is ever going to come along to help me decipher that string of characters.  I’m just going to have to keep pushing that “Different Text” button until they show me one that looks like real letters. And with every click I’m losing daylight.

But WE can certainly help you with SharePoint.  We’ve been demystifying this very complex but very powerful product for office professionals for nine years.  We can have you proficient and confident in just 2 to 4 days. And we promise to always treat you like a human being.