[LINK] Fwd: vip-l: Do not call register

[Craig Sanders]

On Thu, May 03, 2007 at 08:33:25AM +1000, Jan Whitaker wrote:
> These guys are quick!
> 
> >anybody tried to use the new do not call register?
> >http://www.donotcall.gov.au
> >The on-line form has one of these graphical texts you have to enter 
> >in a field.
> >I have a sited wife so it is not a problem for me. However many of 
> >you aren't in the same position.
> >We should send our government a star for another step forward in 
> >Internet access ( I don't think).
> 
> Looks like once again the government can't get its accessibility 
> requirements right. <sigh>

no, but they've got the marketing industry's inaccessibility
requirements just right.

- it's hideously, unbearably, slow. that kind of slowness takes a lot of
  expert tuning.

- unneccesary use of https, so that it's even slower and there's no
  caching

- the site is completely blank (zero content at all) unless you have
  javascript enabled

- CAPTCHA to make it difficult for anyone to automate entering multiple
  phone numbers.


why is CAPTCHA and encryption necessary for a site like this where there
is no sensitive information (and, indeed, the worst result from abuse is
that someone who didn't actually register for it themselves might get
less phone spam in the future), when other government sites that do deal
with sensitive information don't always have appropriate encryption?

the obvious answer to that question is "to discourage anyone from using
it by making it slow and annoying to use".



also, any attempt to register a number gets the response:

   Sorry, there's been an error.

   Our staff have been notified and are working on the problem.



craig

-- 
craig sanders <cas at taz.net.au>

Surgeon General's Warning: Quitting Religion Now
Greatly Increases the Chances of World Peace.