1. A method, comprising: initiating an account registration procedure; receiving a proposed username at a computer-implemented server device from a device during the account registration procedure; determining, at the computer-implemented server device, whether the proposed username is available for use with a new account; communicating, from the computer-implemented server device, a response to the device indicating whether the proposed username is available for use with the new account, wherein the response comprises an image that contains a visually obfuscated representation of an alphanumeric message that indicates either a success when the proposed username is available for use with the new account or a failure when the proposed username is not available for use with the new account; and presenting the response at the device.