Doh!
I’ve been forwarding a bunch of articles from my Google Account through Google Reader. Subjected to captcha challenges, I failed to read a few properly and now am locked out of Google Reader (IP block) for an indeterminate amount of time. Bummer.
The user experience here could have been better in two ways:
First, I knew I was having difficulty reading a few of the captchas — the text formatting was not clear to me — and I had no way to request a new captcha. Nor did the challenge offer me different challenges — instead when I got one wrong it offered me another and then the same challenge I didn’t get right the first time. These are best practices I’ve seen in other captcha programs that were missing (option to request a new captcha, presentation of a different one if one is entered incorrectly).
Second, the help page doesn’t set any clear timeframe for how long the IP block will persist, stating only: ”Once the automated traffic has stopped, the ban on your IP address should be automatically lifted.” As “network administrator,” I was given the option to submit a Web form to have the problem investigated. I’ve done so and am now waiting . . . .
Luckily for me, I happen to know the head of product marketing for consumer products at Google and so have emailed her hoping for relief from this minor inconvenience. :)
