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RE: Anti-spam email links in Javascript

for

From: Cheryl D. Wise
Date: Apr 16, 2004 1:20PM

I suspect that those using verification required autoresponders sending
codes may in turn either be blocked by other people's spam filters or that
the recipients will not respond with the appropriate confirmation.

I tend to be in the latter group. I get requests for "verification" and
usually can them. I simply don't trust them. Too many reports that some of
the verification systems (especially free ones) have sold the "verified"
email addresses. Many businesses also limit internet access for their
employees, allowing only "approved" sites, frequently cached versions. Which
would eliminate their ability to be verified. I know a couple of
corporations that to that.

Personally I prefer either a form which has the added benefit that those
using a public computer and online email as opposed to pop/imap mail can
still easily send a response or a plain unadorned email address that can be
run through spam filters. Yes, no matter what you do you risk missing some
people which is why a telephone number and/or snail mail address is still
important.


Cheryl D. Wise
Certified Professional Web Developer
MS-MVP-FrontPage
www.wiserways.com
mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED>
713.353.0139 Office

-----Original Message-----
From: Terence de Giere

Besides obfusticating an email address in various ways, some of which are
not accessible, there are other ways of handling spam, although a slight
inconvenience or an annoyance for those wanting to contact you may be a
side-effect the first time they try to contact you.

There are applications like Zaep that check for valid e-mail addresses
before accepting an e-mail; if it is valid, it sends out an e-mail message
(which you can customize) with a software key to the person contacting you
for confirmation that they actually sent you a message from that address.

<snipped>

And the main drawback is some users are annoyed when receiving an e-mail
message that tells them their e-mail will only be delivered to you if they
respond to the verification e-mail, which typically involves visiting a site
from a passkey link in the e-mail.
Once they visit the site, they see a web page confirming that their email
will then be allowed from then on. It would appear that this particular
system involves the software vendor's server to display the confirmation
message page and send the passkey to the anti-spam application on your
computer to unblock that e-mail address.


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