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RE: Anti-spam email links in Javascript

for

From: julian.rickards@ndm.gov.on.ca
Date: Apr 15, 2004 9:26AM

Mike:

I suspect that from your intro that option 5 would not be an option for your
client whatever we have to say so you can strike that from the option list.

1, 3 and 4 depend on obfuscation which I would vote against. JS obfuscation
may create accessibility issues. Secondly, if a person were to try to
copy/paste an obfuscated email address into either a web-based email form
(such as Hotmail), would the email address remain obfuscated or would it be
converted? I don't know but someone else might.

I like 2 because (assuming a properly coded form) it can provide
accessibility and it hides the email in the backend. However, the advantage
of an email link is that the user has the option of saving their sent
message whereas a form may not. If you haven't considered it, you might want
to include an option (or a requirement) to insert the sender's email so that
they can have a copy of the message they sent and the address of the person
they contacted so that they may then email directly should their message
require a response.

My vote: 2 with a CC option/requirement.

---------------------------------------------------------
Julian Rickards
Digital Publications Distribution Coordinator
Publications Services Section
Ontario Ministry of Northern Development and Mines
Phone: (705) 670-5608
Fax: (705) 670-5690


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mike Brockington [mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ]

> I am currently waiting for my client to make a decision, but
> the choices seem to be:
> 1. Mailto: link, obfuscated with Javascript.
> 2. Form-based page, where the link uses an ID reference to my
> database.
> 3. Both, with option 2 within a <noscript> tag
> 4. Both, side-by-side
> 5. No email contact.
>
> Can we please try and cut out the rhetoric and possibly give
> a vote/score on the above? (I am fairly confident that if
> there were any other alternatives I would know of them by
> know - but feel free to correct me.)


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