Email link on site not a good idea?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Newsie
  • Start date Start date
N

Newsie

Hi, not sure this is the right group for this question....

I was told that you should not put your email on your website, like
'contact' with a link because that's how you get alot of spam, etc.

Is this true?
 
What happens with those email addresses is that they get read by the
collection robots. Then they get sold to spammers, etc. It is a big
business.

A couple of years ago, I created a page on my web to solve this problem:
In my graphics program I create a 'picture' of my email address: type the
text, select it, save it as a jpg. Import it to the Images folder in
FrontPage. Insert Picture > As a File onto this new page.

Now go to your border on your index page if that's where your email address
is. Select it, click on the Links button from the menu bar, and link it to
the new page you created for your "email picture." You can add a small note
on that page to request viewers to call up their email program and type into
the TO window, the text of your email address. This has cut my SPAM to 1/3.
You can use this same page for any other email address you use on your site.
Just make sure when you've finished the job that you go back and re-direct
any email address to this new page.
DSG
...........................................

: Hi, not sure this is the right group for this question....
:
: I was told that you should not put your email on your website, like
: 'contact' with a link because that's how you get alot of spam, etc.
:
: Is this true?
:
: --
: N
:
: thanks much
:
:
 
Yes. Spammers and the people who harvest email addresses have utilities that
scan web sites for valid email addresses (and they do it for newsgroups as
well). It's often best to have a contact form that will send the contact
email to the desired email address when the user submits a request.

Hope this helps,
Mark Fitzpatrick
Microsoft MVP - FrontPage
 
Thats a great idea. Thanks for elaborating how email actually works with
spammers. I'll do as you suggested.

thanks for all the replys

N
 
One of my websites I do for a group who was getting too much SPAM at their
office. They also have me using their ISP for their internet connection
where I upload their web from *my* office. Their ISP UNIX server does not
have Front Page Extensions, therefore, not possible to use a contact form.

I figured out this method a couple of years ago before I heard it could
(should) be done,


: Yes. If at all possible, it's much better to use a contact form.
:
: --
: Patty Ayers | www.WebDevBiz.com
: Free Articles on the Business of Web Development
: Web Design Contract, Estimate Request Form, Estimate Worksheet
: --
:
:
:
: : > Hi, not sure this is the right group for this question....
: >
: > I was told that you should not put your email on your website, like
: > 'contact' with a link because that's how you get alot of spam, etc.
: >
: > Is this true?
: >
: > --
: > N
: >
: > thanks much
: >
:
:
 
You can always use a third party script if the ISP supports the server side
technology for it, or get your client to get a devoted host (not an ISP)
with such things like support for PHP or Perl or Frontpage extensions.
(except the FPSE are no use since it still displays an email address visible
in the HTML code and still open to (smart) spam harvest-bots that don't
necessarily search for the "mailto:" bit of any email address, just look for
a string in the format of an email address such as (e-mail address removed).

You need a script where the email address is written into the script (and
not visible in the HTML).
 
Andrew said:
You need a script where the email address is written into the script
(and not visible in the HTML).
Click to expand...

Jimco's SpamSpoiler http://www.jimcosoftware.com/

It stores the different parts of the address in variables
e.g.
"you" in var1
"somewhere" in var2
".com" in var 3
and then joins them to form the address
so the address looks like var1 + '@' + var2 + var3 which is rather difficult
for a spam harvester to find (to say the least ) :-))
 
Hi Trevor, I installed the spam spoiler to a text link, would you happen to
know how its done using a button link? If possible.

thanks again
 
Newsie said:
Hi Trevor, I installed the spam spoiler to a text link, would you
happen to know how its done using a button link? If possible.

thanks again
Click to expand...

I have a couple of problems.
1. I have forgotten the original context of your request
2. I don't have SpamSpoiler anymore. I just use the principle that underlies
it - splitting an address into parts.

Anyway this might help
HTML
<input type="button" value="Send Email"
onclick="sendEMail()" />

Javascript

function sendEMail()
{
var userTo = 'me'
var domainTo = 'mydomain'
var domainext = '.com.au'
var address = userTo + '@' + domainTo + domainext

var subj = "Subject"
var text = "Some text"
var content = "mailto:"
+ address
+ "?subject=" + subj
+ "&body=" + text
window.location = content
}
 
DSG said:
... Their ISP UNIX server does not
have Front Page Extensions, therefore, not possible to use a contact form.
Click to expand...

Sure you can - it can be any other type of script - CGI/Perl, ASP, PHP,
ColdFusion, etc.
 
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