Keep Your email address safe

[PhilG]

When creating your contact us page it is important nowadays to hide your email address. Instead of using the mailto:email@domain.com format with the hyperlink tag, use either javascript or create a feedback form using a server side language.

A javascript email can be created quite easily bu using the following code:<SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript" TYPE="text/javascript">
<!--
document.write('<a href="mail' + 'to:email' + '@' + 'domain.com'"></a>');
//-->
</SCRIPT>
What this does is makes it unreadable from email harvesters (sometimes called spiders or robots) that search your website and collect any email addresses. When they find an address it is usually used to send unwanted emails (aka spam) to it.

[KeithMcL]

The only bad thing about this method is, if the visitor has JS turned off on their computer they won't get your email address at all.

You might be better off providing a feedback form or using an alternative email encoding method like this nifty little script:
http://www.wbwip.com/wbw/emailencoder.html

[PhilC]

The problem with the encoding method is that it is easy to parse and get the email address. Unfortunately, there is no perfect on-page method. I prefer the Javascript method because the degree that an email address can be camouflaged is unlimited, and email harvesters aren't going to have a built-in Javascript interpreter in a hurry.

[bryan1656]

I currently working on a huge site update where I am replacing all of the email referrences with images. We're going to phase out all of the old addresses which have been overun by spam. The new main email addy will be posted as a graphic. It won't be as convenient as a mail to: or form... but a human can certainly write the address down and re-enter it into their mail.

For some of our other mail addys, I'll be using a graphic just for the @ and won't be using a mail to:

Has anyone tried this particular method before, as oposed to a JS or form script?

[SSJ2 Gohan]

they can see ur address if u send them an email and u reply

[dk40k]

Now a days, people have to get used to spam.. I get quite a bit, everyday or two.. I use the Spam blocking features and stuff.

[SSJ2 Gohan]

spam and viruses...spam blocker doesn't block it when they send from random email addresses they steal

[dk40k]

Good thing that there is a new law the CAN SPAM law or policy. Most junk mailers have to include an option to remove you from their list. And you can use that as an advantage, get your email off the spam lists.

[SSJ2 Gohan]

yeah unsubscribe at the bottom of the emails

[dk40k]

For hotmail users, you have to reply to the email with "REMOVE" at the subject line.

[SSJ2 Gohan]

depends on the subcription to what

[dk40k]

Well 80% the times its like that for hotmail.

[SSJ2 Gohan]

you just block the address

[dk40k]

That's too time consuming, then other email address which has a slight change from the original one will keep emailing/spamming.

[SSJ2 Gohan]

thats the bad spam, where they keep changing the address, they use anonymous users adresses ive seen stuff from ppl i know viruses in compressed folders

[bellweather]

Or use a email generator :)

http://www.emailsig.info/

I have this one for sale currently.

[SSJ2 Gohan]

yeah that was on another thread wasn't it

[dk40k]

I have this free anonymous emailer which works well.

[SSJ2 Gohan]

to what send your own spam?