A screenshot from 12306.cn (Photo/Chinanews.com)
(ECNS) -- 12306.cn, China’s official train ticketing website, has adopted an image recognition CAPTCHA system that requires a user to not only enter a username and password, but also choose the right images according to a clue presented.
One insider stated that with the new system, one can no longer log into software with plug-ins that allow users to cut ahead of others when buying tickets online.
A CAPTCHA, short for completely automated public turing test to tell computers and humans apart, is a type of challenge-response test used in computing to determine whether or not the user is real.
12306.cn has been the subject of numerous complaints, particularly around national holidays and Spring Festival, as it is often overwhelmed because of excessive use.
Such problems have spawned the creation of a number of "cut-in-line" services and websites designed to get around the system.
