As a developer, I agree that captchas can be a drag on users, and I think we should put serious thought into whether or not their UX-cost is justified. Persona

As a developer, I agree that captchas can be a drag on users, and I think we should put serious thought into whether or not their UX-cost is justified. Personally, I try to avoid using them on sites I build. That said, as a user, it's hard to hate ReCaptcha after hearing Luis von Ahn talk about and defend his invention: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ht4qiDRZE8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ht4qiDRZE8 It's a clever way to digitize books (and now street signs) while keeping out spambots, and when I combine that knowledge with my affinity for Luis von Ahn as a person I find myself less annoyed every time I have to prove I'm not a robot.