Help! I’m getting spam!

Hello everyone, my name is Jake, and I’m a partner and developer at Dirigible Studio. Today, I want to discuss a necessary but unfortunate aspect of conducting business online: spam. You may have started receiving spam notifications in your email inbox through Gravity Forms, and that’s what I’ll be addressing today.

To begin, let me explain some of the technologies we use and how we mitigate spam. We utilize a WordPress plugin called Gravity Forms, which you likely have on your contact us page or other pages with forms. These forms incorporate Google reCAPTCHA, a method used to deter automated or spam form submissions.

You’re probably familiar with reCAPTCHA—it usually appears at the bottom of the form and requires you to click a button or checkbox and select specific images, such as all the airplanes. This is one of the methods we use to deter spam. Additionally, Gravity Forms often includes hidden fields that, if filled out by an automated robot, would be discarded by the form.

By explaining these technologies, I want to emphasize that we are already doing our best to prevent spam from reaching your inbox. Unfortunately, spam is an ongoing issue when you have an online presence that accepts form submissions. There are some types of spam that we cannot eliminate, such as someone manually typing nonsense and completing the reCAPTCHA themselves. There are services available worldwide where people are paid to do this.

It’s important to understand that technology and spammers are in an ongoing race to outsmart each other. While we strive to keep everything up to date, spam remains a part of the game. There are additional steps we can take, but they usually involve paid methods or subscriptions, which require extra investment. Personally, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend these options.

That’s why we have things set up the way we do. The stricter you become in restricting spam, the more it can impact legitimate inquiries and form responses from your customers. Making it more difficult for spammers can inadvertently make it more challenging for genuine people who want to get in touch with you. At Dirigible Studio, we actually recommend allowing some spam to come through to minimize any harm to your legitimate customers.

I understand that it doesn’t feel good, but it’s about prioritizing your customers over spammers. I hope this clarifies some aspects of spam for you. If you have any questions or if you’re interested in exploring more advanced methods of spam restriction, please feel free to contact us. Thank you for your time, and have a great day!

Spam and Web Accessibility

Hello and welcome back! My name is Jake, and I’m a partner and developer at Dirigible Studio. In the previous video, we discussed how to combat spam. Today, I want to draw attention to another crucial aspect: web accessibility.

Web accessibility may not be a term you’re familiar with, and that’s okay. We take care of as much of it as possible on your behalf. Essentially, web accessibility is about making websites usable for people with different abilities. Some individuals may have vision or hearing impairments, and they use various tools to navigate the internet.

Now, how does web accessibility tie in with spam? Well, the tools we use, such as the reCAPTCHA tool mentioned in the previous video, are accessible. They provide both audio and visual components, and you can switch between them. These tools are compliant with screen readers and other accessibility features. By utilizing them, we aim to prevent spam in a manner that doesn’t hinder or challenge people with different abilities. It’s important to ensure that their experience on your website remains positive.

When implementing these tools, we also need to keep in mind certain rules and guidelines, such as ADA requirements and WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines). As a website owner, it’s essential to follow these regulations and make your website accessible to as many people as possible.

These considerations are crucial, especially when you’re striving to minimize spam. It’s not just about avoiding unwanted emails. There are broader implications at play, and ensuring web accessibility is part of doing the right thing.

I wanted to emphasize this point because it’s a vital aspect of your website. Thank you for taking the time to understand its importance. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please feel free to reach out. Thank you!