Monday, January 11, 2010

Word Verification

I'm not sure how it started, but I've taken an interest in the letters blogger asks for as word verification. Love it or hate it, this little anti-spam device seems to be here to stay (and by the way, if anyone knows how I can avoid spam comments without it, please let me know). I've been writing them out in the comments I leave on other blogs for a while, and others have been leaving them in comments for me here (strange how traditions like this start, eh?).

Lately I've developed the sneaking suspicion that these apparently random strings of letters are not as random as they seem. Sometimes they're names, or verbs, or strange hybrid-compound words. Sometimes I think that there's a code inside the letters, or something that the blogger bots are trying to tell me about the future. And so I've decided to initiate a little experiment.

If you drop by and feel like leaving a comment, could you please type in the word verification that you are asked for in the comment window. Once I have enough letters I plan to put them together in an anagram generator and see what comes out. I'm betting that it'll be like playing a Beetles record backwards or staring at the sun for too long, and that some deep and mystical secret of the cosmos will be revealed. Either that, or whatever blogger has been trying to tell us in its own way could be cleared up.

Thanks in advance for your help. I'll post the results as soon as I have them...

25 comments:

Erika said...

Great idea Jon :)

wv= cultenom

bard said...

I had to get in on this one, although I must say that I have had more interesting word verifications than this particular one:

dantersv

That "v" could be problematic...

EDIT: Oh, this is good! Scratch that last one. When I went to submit, it informed me that my entry didn't match the word verification. My new word is:

Makewor

What a curious development. Coincidence?

Harlequin said...

inesli
hmmmm
great project, Jon... what was it Martin Luther is claimed to have said: love God and sin boldly

this, is bold!

Jon said...

Derliwall,
We'll see where it goes, eh?

Bard,
No coincidences here... the blogger gods have spoken!

Harle,
I'm hoping that the bold god of the blogger word verification prompts didn't hear you...

;D

the walking man said...

yerses

Good lord knows the WV is a PIA

Anonymous said...

I smile and WV 'bobeth' (so what does that mean? Now you have got me thinking/puzzling over such and no doubt will for evermore; every time I see the little buggers!)

Anonymous said...

I have been wondering about them some myself, after seeing some too-relevant words!

Secretia

Jenny said...

Hi Jon,

Good that you are ready to examine this strange fascinating thing called word verification, which does not seem so random at all.

Here we go. Word veri:

ablerit

Famous Last Words said...

Interesting! Looking forward to finding out if something comes of this idea of yours... and the word verification is ... scocout

Unknown said...

relest

If I write my thoughts for an entire day
Remove all the modifiers, junctions and joiners
Trip past the vacant observations
Filter what is left through some iconic cheesecloth
This might be what you would have left

relest

chook said...

Hi Jon, it has always struck me that rarely do they have a proper word or even one that can be made into an anagram. Perhaps the powers that be have a machine that stops this.

cocler

Anders Enochsson said...

interesting

zoigne

Anonymous said...

I think google trying say saometing to us.

alkies

that's almost "alkis" in Swedish, menas "boose man"

Anonymous said...

howdy jon,

a mighty interesting post. man, i sure wonder what these words are telling us. it may be something nasty or something neat.


here is my contribution: speriz

Charlie said...

Looking forward to the cryptic message Jon.

wv: mobugen

Francis Scudellari said...

I tried using several of them as "found" words to build my last poem. Some of the more gibberishy ones I had to manipulate a bit though.

wv = redifed

red, I fed?

the walking man said...

ofrows

Anonymous said...

word verf
is annoying

the point of leaving
[word verf] in comments
is a reminder to the blog owner
that they are annoying many visitors with word verf

i don't use word verf on any of my blogs, although i did early on -- instead, i look at the occasional spam meassage as a secret of the universe and play with it -- if it is truly offensive, then i remove it as a courtesy to my visitors -- this is a small price to pay to have a blog and not annoy my visitors

[mandu]

/t.

seventyniner said...

This is fantastic. Though I accept these letter-strings as a necessary evil, I HATE THEM. I don't know if it's my failing vision or what, but often I can't make out letters and fail, which can be agaonizing if it's a particularly long form. But anyway,

protiess

a female protege? how quaint.

human being said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
human being said...

wv's are more innocent
as they are spontaneous
spams have some intentions
and they are so superfluous

:D

Ganga Fondan said...

Hi Jon,
I haven't been around here lately so I came today to say hi. Hope your new year is off to a great start. I'll be back again. :)

Ganga Fondan said...

PS
There was no word verification needed.
Odd.
That never happens.
Did you turn something off?

zoinkyzooz said...

you're too genius! see you around soon hopefully :)

Vichea said...

Jon when you post more?