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CAPTCHAs don't prove you're human – they prove you're American (2017)

92 points · 90 comments · theanonymousone

  1. kybernetikos · · focus · HN ↗
    Other common issues - crosswalks and fire hydrants are common questions too, and crosswalks are not called that in most of the world and fire hydrants look pretty different depending on country.
    1. TFNA · · focus · HN ↗
      This is perhaps a declining problem, as young people in so many countries are growing up as proficient US English speakers due to heavy social media consumption, to the point that US English CAPTCHA challenges would just feel normal. I suspect there are more young people around the world now for whom "crosswalk" is more natural than "zebra" -- in my country, the latter is already a shibboleth that one is an oldie who learned UK English, now regarded here as an antiquated standard after teaching switched to US English.
      1. pjc50 · · focus · HN ↗
        Maybe we should ask Americans what a Belisha beacon is.
        1. arrowsmith · · focus · HN ↗
          I'm British and I never knew that those yellow-ball-on-black-and-white-pole-by-pedestrian-crossing things had a name. TIL
          1. pjc50 · · focus · HN ↗
            <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Leslie_Hore-Belisha" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Leslie_Hore-Belisha

            Forgotten otherwise, but responsible for introducing speed limits and the driving test.

            (Before looking him up I had no idea there was a brief &#x27;fuck it no speed limit&#x27; period in the 30s, until obviously a number of people were killed)

            1. arrowsmith · · focus · HN ↗
              Interesting — so Belisha beacons were like the 1930s equivalent of Boris bikes.

              “Bobby” and (in Northern Ireland) “peeler” as slang terms for a policeman are two more examples of things named after a politician.

        2. wowczarek · · focus · HN ↗
          &quot;Please identify a [PELICAN&#x2F;PUFFIN&#x2F;toucan] crossing.&quot;

          I&#x27;d love that. Good luck.

          1. ben_w · · focus · HN ↗
            Don&#x27;t forget pegasus crossings. The one specifically for horse riders.
        3. biglyburrito · · focus · HN ↗
          It sounds delicious. I&#x27;ll take two, please.
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