Does anyone know WHY?

Question

Why (e.g.when you want to sing up for mail) you have to enter a "code" that appears? And, most importantly, WHY do those letters/numbers look the way they do and are hard to make out?

Answer 1

Its a trick so no spammers can get accounts.

Answer 2

This is a security step to prevent your email address from being used to send SPAM email. Usually, a program is configured to send spam mails to email addresses. When you send or forward an email to incredibly large number of contacts, the security code is launch, (of course the program could not detect the letters if they are misaligned) only a real, living, breathing person can forward funny emails, thus when the code is entered correctly, your email is allowed to be sent.

Answer 3

Spam mailers have to make up multiple names because tehy are constantly being kicked off for spaming. Some spammers have a program that automatically signs you up for a new e-mail address but teh programs can't figure out what that box is or what the letters say since it is not typed but is a picture.

Answer 4

Why: Because spammers use programs (bots) to exploits forums, blogs and comments systems and insert mass advertisements and links back to their websites.

What's the code:
These are all variations on CAPTCHA images. The idea is to create an image that a human can easily discern, but a machine can't. More on the idea in the link below.

Answer 5

so that robots can't make an account to spam everyone, only a human could read that, right?

Answer 6

They claim security. If hackers can get your other info, they can get that too. It's stupid.

Answer 7

i have no idea.. either