anti-spam counter-measures

[EmperorNero]

since there are spiders that search the web looking for email addresses, what is the chance a contact email address on a homepage will be uncovered by these spiders? also, how would I be able to let visitors know my email address so they can contact me but NOT let spiders read it?

 

[mosdef]

emperor@_NOSPAM_nero.com

Visitors will just have to understand that the _NOSPAM_ is meant to be removed.

-mosdef

 

[EmperorNero]

*sigh* mosdef, never underestimate a person's stupidity

it's a web site for a school club so the majority of the visitors will be students who use aol (sort of a stereotype..but it holds true for most aol users) and I seriously believe a handful of them will actually think _NOSPAM_ is part of the address.

do spiders search the content of the web page or do they search the source code of the web page? if it's the former situation, can I just do something like <a href=mailto:beer@myplace.com>CLICK HERE TO EMAIL ME</A> ?

as for the latter, I can't think of any solution.

 

[cipher00]

I can't vouch for the following, but try this: enter your e-mail with _NOSPAM_ and somewhere near that on the page list an instruction to remove the _NOSPAM_ moniker. I've seen this on several pages. Plus, why not open a web-based e-mail account and use that for a while? If you get no spam there, you're ok. If you do, all you're out is another free e-mail account you'll just drop.

 

[mosdef]

Well if you could figure out a way to tactfully include both my initial suggestion and a note that the _NOSPAM_ is to be removed you're set, but I don't know if that's possible .

-mosdef

 

[EmperorNero]

and do spiders check the content of a page of source code, or both?

 

[CrazeeDonkee]

I think they use programs that will automatically take out NO SPAM type things in the emails listed on the webpages. Their programs evolve

Maybe you should just use a form?

 

[LadyNiniane]

<< I think they use programs that will automatically take out NO SPAM type things in the emails listed on the webpages. Their programs evolve

Maybe you should just use a form? >>



I second this motion. The most current of the spiders do read both page content and (when available) source code, so burying the address in the code doesn't always do the trick either.

Forms also take care of the problem where no default e-mail program is available, i.e., someone is looking at the page from a public computer (library or internet cafe setting) and doesn't have access to an e-mail program on that computer. If you click on a mailto: in that circumstance, you will end up with an error indicating that the action could not be performed - not a good way to win friends.

If you have to use a mailto:, set not only the To: address but the Subject: header as well - then use a throwaway account (as others have noted) and filter the Inbox on that subject header. It will cull out a large percentage of the SPAM and allow you to concentrate on the real response messages.

Lady Niniane

 

[hyperphate]

CrazeeDonkee might be right... If you go that route, I would use something more masked, like 'n0_sp4m'

However, I wouldn't use the nospam thing for a school page, I really don't think you want to confuse people about something like an email address...

Forms sound like a good idea, but don't you have to include the email address destination in the source code, At least, I think that's what you need to do for FormMail....

Another idea is that you can make a small image that has your email address on it, that way there will be no source...

Or, better yet, how bout this?

Why don't you encrypt the source code of your page with this cool javascript thing I got from cyberarmy.com, check this out, it may be what you're looking for:


Cyberarmy HTML encryption

 

[perry]

If the address is on the page, and the page in a search engine, it will be found. I get emails about once a month quoting the title of my webpage and telling me I need to improve my rankings in search engines. Or trying to get me to put banner ads up. Or wanting me to host my page with them since they have three dozen OC-3 lines peered to their neighbor's attic or some such nonsense.

I'd say the best way to avoid that spam is setting up a form on the webpage. I've been meaning to do that for a while, just too lazy.