LeDomduVin: When a computer asks you: Are you a Robot? Are you a real person?

When a computer asks you:

Are you a Robot? Are you a real person? 

It does not happen often, but occasionally, I like to write posts that have nothing to do with wine. For example, today, I would like to write about the recurring and most annoying question we now all have to answer when visiting most websites: "Are you a robot?"   

Nothing is more annoying than a computer program, a browser, or a website asking if you are a robot. Sometimes, I really want to respond to my computer aloud: "No, I'm not a robot. You are the robot, not me." 

Yet, it is even more annoying and downgrading when a computer program asks you an even more daring question: "Are you a real person?" (see picture below).  

I understand that, nowadays, AI is everywhere. Using bots, computer programs or systems, and algorithms programmed to replace humans for automated input or extraction of data, search, responses, etc.. makes it increasingly difficult for a computer program, a website, or a browser to distinguish between a Human and a Bot/AI and vice versa.    

Especially when performing repetitive tasks on a website or browser, you are more likely to receive the message or be redirected to the page with the annoying question: "Are you a Robot?". Then, you may have to answer by solving a captcha. 

For example, personally, it always happens when I do a "Market Analysis" via Wine-Searcher.  

I am the wine quality control director and the wine market analyst at the company I work for. This means I conduct all market analyses before making any wine purchases.

Basically, it is a very repetitive task, which consists of doing a comparative Market Analysis (to make sure that we buy at fair prices) between the cost prices of the offers I receive from suppliers and the Average Market Prices referred to in the following websites:

• Wine-Searcher (Retail Prices),
• Liv-Ex / Cellar|Watch (Trading Prices - Market Trend),
• Courtiers/Negociants/Brokers/Merchants (Winery Prices + around 15-25% Margin)
• Wine Market Journal (Auctions Prices - Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Acker Merrall & Condit, Hart Davis Hart, etc..)
• Other sources, if needed

It is essential to do a comparative Market Analysis between the cost prices and the market prices found in reliable, long-established websites (like those cited above) before each purchase to estimate the market trend and ensure that we buy at fair prices and from reliable sources. 

Doing these Market Analyses means checking dozens to even hundreds of prices manually, one by one, on Wine-Searcher, for example. 

It means entering the names of the wines (one by one) and checking the average market prices for each one (one by one). It is a tedious and very repetitive task that takes time and concentration. It also involves the human factor in the decision-making when some average market prices don't make sense (due to ridiculously low or high retail prices impacting the average market price).    

There are a few options to upload a limited amount of products (500 to 1000 items/lines, depending on the option), yet these options are pretty expensive. They could, therefore, cost a small fortune when I do 3 or 4 Market Analyses per week (or more), including 200+ items (or more) per Market Analysis.  

At the rate of 3 or 4 Market Analyses per week, each including dozens to hundreds of lines/items/lots/wines (e.g. the one I just finished had about 250 lines), (and I'm just starting another one for a Sotheby's auction tomorrow that includes 1530 lines/lots), it is a very repetitive task that I would definitely gladly leave for a computer program to do (if the human factor did not have to be involved).  

Due to the repetition of the search for each item, and sometimes how fast I do them, it often happens that some websites (e.g. Wine -Searcher) are asking me if "I'm a real person"... (see picture below)😊 

Somehow, and despite the fact that it is annoying and quite ironic coming from a computer program, I get quite a satisfaction from realizing that (apparently) I'm almost "as efficient as a Robot" when doing this repetitive task of looking through all these websites daily to find and compare the prices of hundreds of wines in different vintages and formats. It makes me feel kind of proud! 😉

For the third day in a row, Wine-Searcher has asked me a few times during the day if I'm a real person. I now find it so ridiculous that it is quite funny, so I decided to share it with you in a post. 

Funny, coming from a computer program, software, browser, or website to think that I'm looking through so much data daily that I could even be a Robot... 😂😂😂  .... and asking me if I'm a "real" person...

Ironic, isn't it? 

"ARE YOU A REAL PERSON?"

Wine Searcher - Are You a Real Person? - Screenshot 1 ©LeDomduVin 2017

Wine Searcher - Are You a Real Person? - Screenshot 2 ©LeDomduVin 2017

Wine Searcher - Are You a Real Person? - Screenshot 3 ©LeDomduVin 2017

Wine Searcher - Are You a Real Person? - Screenshot 4 ©LeDomduVin 2017

Sorry to disappoint Mr. Computer Program, but... No! I'm not a Robot... I'm a real person going through a vast amount of data manually due to a lack of cheaper and faster options to do the job (instead of me). 

That said, if only the options were cheaper, I would not mind having a "bot" do the job for me. It would be more efficient, time-saving, and make my life easier. Isn't that what a robot is all about? 😉 

Cheers! Santé! 

Dom 

LeDomduVin a.k.a. Dominique Noël

@ledomduvin #ledomduvin #winesearcher #marketanalysis #robot #bot #areyouarealperson #areyouarobot #imnotarobot #asefficientasarobot #winemarketanalyst #winequalitycontroldirector

NB: illustration and post revised in 2024 

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