Twice today this has happened, and it's not just one test but often a half dozen of them.

I'm using a MacBook and VPN for login; no issues getting on.

have NEVER encountered a CAPTCHA challenge when logging on.  

I don't recall ever seeing captcha. I use NordVPN.

I'm using TOR. I spend more time solving captchas than reading TER. (Some of the captchas are more intelligent reading than than some TER posts, but that's for another topic.) I think that TER can dial in the degree of difficulty on their captcha service. Unless it really is just a TOR thing.  
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I have been logged out and lost posts and PMs that I was writing because of the captcha thing. I am typing; TOR changes the circuit; I hit send; I have to do captchas; I get back to TER but my posts/PMs are lost.  
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PITA

It started happening a few days ago.  It's quite annoying.

You can't even use TOR on an iPhone, and my home laptop stopped working with TOR some weeks ago causing me to install a VPN on it.

Pain in the ass. Went through several (about five) tests. I'm on the end of my VPN grace period and this isn't worth the hassle. This is the second time it's happened since I got the VPN. Don't know if it's TER or what but I'm not renewing and when the VPN is gone so am I.

only TOR.

VPNExpress, and got 15 months for $99, less than $6 a month, and have never had a CAPTCHA or another issue of any kind.  The speed is exceptional, IMO.  The same $99 got me three devices, so I put it on my iphone, desktop computer at work, and laptop at home.  

Not sure why the onion causes so many tears with TER. Annoying.

My account was imploded.

No issues since I switched to Turbo..

when all the CAPTCHA BS began.  

Now, is it for the benign amusement of some group of geeks, or something more nefarious?

Using Proton VPN - 100% free.  Never get CAPTCHA using TER, but occasionally when I log out of TER and still connected to VPN will get Captcha - but that's an easy fix.  Just exit VPN.

A Trumpanzee?  When you log on, you should stop trying to type with your toes.  

But this moron sounds a LOT like BBbecky AKA FatVern.

Some of the newer members here that the geeks are infiltrating everything. The only hope for humanity as we know it is if they make enough money to have a trophy wife. At least when they breed we may get another generation with some beautiful women who take after their mothers.

As a TOR user as well I know your pain quite well. It's probably over kill in my case as I use a VPN and then TOR a lot of times.

Tor scares me.

speed this Tor runs the mile.  

While largely means you are getting no protection so good thing you're not paying.

Seems that regardless of which VPN you are using, Captchas may be required – as excerpted from the PC Magazine link below, so even paid VPNs are not immune to Captchas:  “Lastly, keep in mind that some security conscious companies like banks may be confused by your VPN. If your bank sees you logging in from what appears to be another US state or even another country, it can raise red flags. Expect to see captchas and more frequent multifactor requests when your VPN is on.”

Yes, I've been getting them when I use TOR + NordVPN. Not when I just use the VPN.

My guess is it's your guard node in TOR. It's probably has a blacklisted IP address. I had some German IP as my guard node for a few weeks and I had the CAPTCHA issue at Eros, here, and Slixa. It was bad enough to where I stopped using TOR for a while. My guard node finally changed today and no issues so far (fingers crossed).

I am using TOR and I am no longer getting the interminable CAPTCHA challenges. I kind of miss them ... NOT!!!

With TOR + VPN. Able to get here, Eros, Slixa, etc. without CAPTCHA.

That was the real PITA.