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| If I make it any larger, it hangs off the page. Click if you're interested. ;-) |
A CAPTCHA is a program that protects websites against bots by generating and grading tests that humans can pass but current computer programs cannot.
The term CAPTCHA (for Completely Automated Public Turing Test To Tell Computers and Humans Apart) was coined in 2000 by Luis von Ahn, Manuel Blum, Nicholas Hopper and John Langford of Carnegie Mellon University.
You've seen them, right? Well, I have often thought that some of them would actually make
great words,
real words,
useful words. But, alas, they are not words at all.
Yet!
Friends of ours used to play a game called
Fictionary:
Fictionary, also known as the Dictionary Game or simply Dictionary, is a word game in which players guess the definition of an obscure word.
A turn consists of one player picking a word from the dictionary and each other player composing a fake definition. A round is completed when each player has selected a word to be guessed.
Players earn points (1) by guessing the correct definition of a word, (2) by composing a fake definition that other players guess is the correct one, and (3) as Picker, selecting a genuine definition that no players vote for.
The winner is the player who has earned the most points after a pre-determined number of rounds.
What I am proposing is a little game I will call
CAPTCHAnary. It's a cooperative game that goes like this:
1. You and I snag interesting examples from word recognition boxes -- letters that we are asked to supply when we leave comments on blogs. (You do leave comments on blogs, don't you?)
2. Then, we click on the sidebar link that says, "CAPTCHAnary," and submit our words in the comment box on that page. Just write the single word in each box -- nothing else.
3. As I receive the words, I'll turn them into CAPTCHAnary posts.
4. When players see a CAPTCHAnary post, they may compose definitions (with or without sentences using that word) and add their submissions to the comment box below the word. I'll make it all look official-dictionary-like on the page, and together we'll form our very own glossary of coined words.
5.
Bonus: If you would like to submit a picture to illustrate the word, as you have defined it, just email it to me or post it somewhere for me to
riiiiiiiiiiip.
6. If you don't want to play, it's OK! I know how to play solitaire, and spectators are welcome. ;-)
Ready? I'll start.
First word is "snoise."
Definition:
snoise - n. that has to be the technical term for my husband providing white noise* for my sleeping pleasure (read snoring)...
*chuckle* (Thanks, Hendel D'bu!)
If you want to define this new word, head to the comment box below, write your little heart out, and have a nice day!
