# Why Can't I Get 'Re-Captcha' To Work For Me? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 27, 2015, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-get-re-captcha-to-work-for-me/718679 "2015-04-27T22:15:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2015, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-get-re-captcha-to-work-for-me/718679/1 "2015-04-27T22:15:36Z")
I just recently tried to send an email to a site I was interested in. They had “Re-Captcha” there to make sure I wasn’t a mailbot. I get all that. There was a picture of a couple of numbers on an address sign, and I typed the text in just as I saw it. The only thing is, it failed for me repeatedly! I tried spacing the numbers. I tried typing them in as words. Nothing worked. Now I think I am banned from the whole site (which is really a bummer for me–I really wanted to be part of the site). Does anyone know what gives? And could it be a software issue for me–or a problem at the site itself? :):)🙂 ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2015, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-get-re-captcha-to-work-for-me/718679/2 "2015-04-27T22:40:05Z")
Are you, in fact, a human? ETA: I’m assuming you used the little rotate button if you couldn’t quite make out the current blorb of text? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2015, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-get-re-captcha-to-work-for-me/718679/3 "2015-04-27T23:10:17Z")
They should have given you two images of numbers, and asked you to fill in both of them (one is the actual test for you, and the other is using you to calibrate that test for future humans). If for whatever reason you were only entering one (it didn’t show up on the page, or you didn’t notice it), that’d be a fail. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2015, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-get-re-captcha-to-work-for-me/718679/4 "2015-04-27T23:16:39Z")
Also, there’s usually a button to load a different image. Sometimes you can’t figure out the text in one image but the second one is clearer. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2015, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-get-re-captcha-to-work-for-me/718679/5 "2015-04-28T01:29:14Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > They should have given you two images of numbers, and asked you to fill in both of them (one is the actual test for you, and the other is using you to calibrate that test for future humans). If for whatever reason you were only entering one (it didn’t show up on the page, or you didn’t notice it), that’d be a fail. I don’t think they do that anymore. These days it’s mostly (single) [house numbers from Street View](https://db.tt/OQpUV5Oq): [ReCAPTCHA demo](https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api2/demo) (refresh a few times until you see an actual captcha instead of the “nocaptcha” images test). ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2015, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-get-re-captcha-to-work-for-me/718679/6 "2015-04-28T02:09:53Z")
I have the same problem. Many time I enter the numbers very carefully and Captcha rejects it. I find the audio Captcha easier and use that if its offered. ---
**Author:** ![Personal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Personal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Personal)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2015, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-get-re-captcha-to-work-for-me/718679/7 "2015-04-28T02:38:41Z")
I had that problem before once or twice, and it turned out to be a browser issue. I switched to IE for just the registration process, and it worked. ---
**Author:** ![JacobSwan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@JacobSwan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JacobSwan)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2015, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-get-re-captcha-to-work-for-me/718679/8 "2015-04-28T06:49:21Z")
Were you doing this at work? A couple of places I’ve worked have had odd proxy servers that don’t seem to like captchas. I could never get them to work on the office network. If I dropped off and tethered to my phone they’d work first time. ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2015, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-get-re-captcha-to-work-for-me/718679/9 "2015-04-28T12:43:39Z")
This happens to me constantly, on Firefox. I suspect browser also, but haven’t checked into it. It is frustrating as hell. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-get-re-captcha-to-work-for-me/718679/10 "2015-04-29T05:50:03Z")
I just tried my old Internet Explorer program, as **Personal** suggested. Doesn’t work. Also, **aceplace57** brought up a good point–use the audio feature. That actually was one of the first things I did. And I already know that is pointless too. I am at my wits’ end. I do have a slightly older computer (_“couple”_ years old). Could that have anything to do with it? Anyways, thanks, all, for your help, in any event:). ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-get-re-captcha-to-work-for-me/718679/11 "2015-04-29T14:38:33Z")
Can you share the link with us? You could also try e-mailing them about your difficulties with the Re-Captcha, if you’re having trouble there are probably others with the same problem. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-get-re-captcha-to-work-for-me/718679/12 "2015-04-29T21:46:48Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > Can you share the link with us? [http://www.unsealedfiles.com/contact](http://www.unsealedfiles.com/contact) ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2015, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-get-re-captcha-to-work-for-me/718679/13 "2015-04-30T00:59:04Z")
I generally find sites that do things like this (re-captcha), especially ones that don’t work well or with all browsers, aren’t worth joining. Their content is seldom that valuable or unique. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2015, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-get-re-captcha-to-work-for-me/718679/15 "2015-04-30T14:32:40Z")
> [@Jim\_B](#): > > [http://www.unsealedfiles.com/contact](http://www.unsealedfiles.com/contact) I concur that their ReCaptcha does not work, I tried it 5 or 6 times. I’m on Firefox 29.0.1 on PC. You might try emailing [webmaster@unsealedfiles.com](mailto:webmaster@unsealedfiles.com) about it. Most properly run sites have a webmaster account. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2015, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-get-re-captcha-to-work-for-me/718679/16 "2015-05-01T04:25:25Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > I concur that their ReCaptcha does not work, I tried it 5 or 6 times. I’m on Firefox 29.0.1 on PC. > > You might try emailing [webmaster@unsealedfiles.com](mailto:webmaster@unsealedfiles.com) about it. Most properly run sites have a webmaster account. Not that it matters at this point. But I tried emailing [webmaster@unsealedfiles.com](mailto:webmaster@unsealedfiles.com) and it doesn’t work. But you’re all right. Any site that apparently just doesn’t care if you try to contact them, is not worth bothering with:). ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2015, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-get-re-captcha-to-work-for-me/718679/17 "2015-05-01T04:49:51Z")
One last thing though, you all can help me with. If I had the postal address to [http://www.unsealedfiles.com/](http://www.unsealedfiles.com/) I could simply send them a letter (that’s right, you heard it here first, I still use snail mail). I scoured the site for a postal address, but couldn’t find one. But some of you might be more resourceful than me. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2015, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-get-re-captcha-to-work-for-me/718679/18 "2015-05-01T05:12:48Z")
Why don’t you just ask them on Facebook? They’re active there: > **[Unsealed Alien and Conspiracy Files](https://www.facebook.com/Unsealedfiles)** > > Unsealed Alien and Conspiracy Files. 81,983 likes · 5 talking about this. We unseal documents declassified by the FBI and get to the bottom of what is real and what is fake. This is Unsealed! Or here’s the mailing address of the guy who manages the domain name (not necessarily the website): > **[ICANN Lookup](https://lookup.icann.org?name=unsealedfiles.com)** > > The ICANN registration data lookup tool gives you the ability to look up the current registration data for domain names and Internet number resources.