Interesting method of user-authentication

Posted by Ian Holsman Thu, 25 Aug 2005 21:51:00 GMT

Google’s Gmail will be using a innovative method to confirm a person’s details, by requiring a person receive a SMS on their mobile phone.

Normally web sites require a confirmation key (double-opt-in), which is sent to you via an existing email address to confirm you are a person, or use a captcha-encoded image that you need to type in.

This way google has a way to directly connect a ‘virtual’ person with a ‘real’ one.

It will be interesting to see if other companies go down this route, especially since Captcha isn’t as effective as one would have hoped.

Personally I liked paypal’s method of depositing a couple of cents into your account and you telling them how much it was the best.

Anyone know of any other ways web sites are using to proove that it really is a person on the other end of the connection?

Posted in  | Tags , , ,  | no comments | no trackbacks

Letting people down nicely

Posted by Ian Holsman Fri, 08 Apr 2005 20:32:00 GMT

So I've progress quite well, my ajax-based application. It slices, It dices.. it looks nice.. I start demoing it to the users.. and what do I hear.. the A@!#!@ still use text-based browsers.. sigh.. so 80's. anyways.. I can understand their viewpoint, and they also have to use the app over a mobile phone..

so 2 questions..

a) are there any text-based javascript browsers out there? I doubt it. b) how are people/frameworks dealing with this? how do they gracefully degrade to server-based only. Or are people just ignoring this or foisting it back on the web-app developer to deal with (2 sepearate screens to maintain.. yuck!)

Posted in ,  | no trackbacks