E-mail List Archives
Thread: Hiding mailto: links
Number of posts in this thread: 8 (In chronological order)
From: Dejan Kozina
Date: Mon, Feb 26 2007 6:30PM
Subject: Hiding mailto: links
No previous message | Next message →
Hello list.
I stumbled upon this:
http://www.htaccesselite.com/htaccess/use-htaccess-to-hide-mailto-links-vt181.html
and just can't make up my mind if it makes sense or not.
djn
--
-----------------------------------------
Dejan Kozina Web design studio
Dolina 346 (TS) - I-34018 Italy
tel./fax: +39 040 228 436 - cell.: +39 348 7355 225 skype: dejankozina
http://www.kozina.com/ - e-mail: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
From: Jared Smith
Date: Mon, Feb 26 2007 8:30PM
Subject: Re: Hiding mailto: links
← Previous message | Next message →
On 2/26/07, Dejan Kozina < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> I stumbled upon this:
> http://www.htaccesselite.com/htaccess/use-htaccess-to-hide-mailto-links-vt181.html
> and just can't make up my mind if it makes sense or not.
I don't see that this technique has any direct accessibility issues.
As long as the link label is descriptive, it will appear as a normal
link in the browser, but when clicked it will redirect to the mailto:
link.
Of course, this doesn't account for the fact that mailto: links no
longer really work on the many computers (perhaps the majority of
computers?) that do not have an e-mail client configured. So, the
bigger issue would probably be the use of the mailto link itself, not
the fact that the server is rewriting the URL.
Also, the e-mail address is still being sent to the browser, so this
doesn't guarantee that it won't be picked up by harvesters.
Jared Smith
WebAIM.org
From: Emma Duke-Williams
Date: Tue, Feb 27 2007 1:30AM
Subject: Re: Hiding mailto: links
← Previous message | Next message →
On 2/27/07, Jared Smith < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> Of course, this doesn't account for the fact that mailto: links no
> longer really work on the many computers (perhaps the majority of
> computers?) that do not have an e-mail client configured.
Do you have some stats on this, Jared?
Clearly, I can only speak from the experience of the UK, but all the
computers I've bought (earliest 1998), have had IE and OUtlook Express
(or AOL) set up and installed - the problem you have is persuading
Windows that you want to use an alternative client. By default, they
do have an email client configured.
As I say, maybe that's something that doesn't happen in other countries.
However, it is a useful point, as I can review what I tell my students
now! (I used to tell them to avoid mailto: links primarily because of
the problems of spam - though I did tell them there was a chance that
mailto doesn't work. I'll emphasise more the Mailto probably won't
work anyway).
Emma
From: Peter Krantz
Date: Tue, Feb 27 2007 2:00AM
Subject: Re: Hiding mailto: links
← Previous message | Next message →
On 2/27/07, Emma Duke-Williams < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> However, it is a useful point, as I can review what I tell my students
> now! (I used to tell them to avoid mailto: links primarily because of
> the problems of spam - though I did tell them there was a chance that
> mailto doesn't work. I'll emphasise more the Mailto probably won't
> work anyway).
In my experience most OS:es come with a default email client
configured. However, to make sure as many as possible can send an
email you have to put the email address information in the page
content (not only in the mailto link).
I have been struggling to find a decent solution. Currently I am
looking at an unobtrusive javascript that turns constructs like these:
<span class="email">user dot = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = </span>
...into
<a href="mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = "> = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = </a>
This is nothing new, but what do you think? Obvious drawback is the
javascript requirement. Some advantages include that it is possible to
understand what the email adress is without javascript (although more
difficlut, especially for users with cognitive disporders I guess).
In many cases I would argue that from a user perspective you should
put the email address in the content without obfuscation and get a
decent spam filter instead.
Regards,
Peter Krantz
http://www.standards-schmandards.com
From: Jared Smith
Date: Tue, Feb 27 2007 8:10AM
Subject: Re: Hiding mailto: links
← Previous message | Next message →
On 2/27/07, Emma Duke-Williams < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> Do you have some stats on this, Jared?
Nope. Just my own observations that many people are now using
web-based mail solutions (Exchange, GMail, Yahoo, etc.) rather than
installed clients (Outlook, Thunderbird, etc.). I did find this small
study that showed 64% used web-based e-mail -
http://www.lyris.com/news/pr/pr-111705.html
Does anybody else have additional stats?
> However, it is a useful point, as I can review what I tell my students
> now! (I used to tell them to avoid mailto: links primarily because of
> the problems of spam - though I did tell them there was a chance that
> mailto doesn't work. I'll emphasise more the Mailto probably won't
> work anyway).
It's not that it won't work - it just is likely to be problematic for
the end user. Many users of web-based have learned to find and copy
the e-mail address. There are a few apps that will allow the mailto
links to work with web-based mail (GTalk and GMail notifier on Firefox
come to mind). The best solution to all of this is well designed
contact forms, though some will argue that users are less likely to
use them than to send an e-mail.
Jared
From: Keith Parks
Date: Tue, Feb 27 2007 10:40AM
Subject: Re: Hiding mailto: links
← Previous message | Next message →
On Feb 27, 2007, at 7:00 AM, Jared Smith wrote:
> On 2/27/07, Emma Duke-Williams < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
>> Do you have some stats on this, Jared?
>
> Nope. Just my own observations that many people are now using
> web-based mail solutions (Exchange, GMail, Yahoo, etc.) rather than
> installed clients (Outlook, Thunderbird, etc.).
In the same vain are people using computers in public locations, like
libraries and (I imagine) internet cafes and such. Or, dare I say it,
people *without* e-mail. I always try to keep in mind that if someone
is accessing one of our Web sites, the only thing I really know about
them is that they have Web access.
We have a number of contact form on our site, and I occasionally get
submissions from people who leave only their phone number as a
contact point. (Whether they are just worried about their e-mail
getting out or what, I don't know.)
But the mailto link brings up another thought in general, in terms of
how accessible e-mail programs are? Does JAWS or other screen-readers
run on top of Outlook or Eudora, or other e-mail programs? Is a
mailto link in a way like a link to Flash content, or a PDF?
> (m) When a web page requires that an applet, plug-in or other
> application be present on the client system to interpret page
> content, the page must provide a link to a plug-in or applet that
> complies with §1194.21(a) through (l).
Seems like if you create a mailto link, you need to know that *if* it
calls up an e-mail app, that the e-mail app will be accessible.
OK, a stretch maybe, but it seems like a strong argument in favor of
using an accessible contact form over e-mail links.
******************************
Keith Parks
Graphic Designer/Web Designer
Student Affairs Communications Services
San Diego State University
San Diego, CA 92182-7444
(619) 594-1046
mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
http://www.sdsu.edu
http://www.sa.sdsu.edu/communications
----------------------------------------------------------
(Objects on your screen may be closer than they appear)
From: Jim Allan
Date: Tue, Feb 27 2007 11:00AM
Subject: Re: Hiding mailto: links
← Previous message | Next message →
In general (there are always exceptions) screen readers run on top of (or
more appropriately, next to) applications (email or otherwise) in the
operating system. So...if a user is using a screen reader, you could assume
that they are using an accessible email client that works with their
assistive technology. The client may be a stand-alone application or a
web-mail client. Whether this email client is configured to be the default
email client in the browser is a different issue.
Mailto: is not like Flash or PDF.
Jim Allan, Webmaster & Statewide Technical Support Specialist
Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired
1100 W. 45th St., Austin, Texas 78756
voice 512.206.9315 fax: 512.206.9264 http://www.tsbvi.edu/
---> Share to Win!! <---
> But the mailto link brings up another thought in general, in terms of
> how accessible e-mail programs are? Does JAWS or other screen-readers
> run on top of Outlook or Eudora, or other e-mail programs? Is a
> mailto link in a way like a link to Flash content, or a PDF?
From: Alastair Campbell
Date: Wed, Feb 28 2007 3:20AM
Subject: Re: Hiding mailto: links
← Previous message | No next message
Jared Smith wrote:
> I did find this small study that showed 64% used web-based e-mail
It's worth noting that you can use web-based email and use mailto links.
I can't remember how, but Gmail has been registered as my default email
client at home. Selecting a mailto link opens a compose window in Gmail.
Kind regards,
-Alastair
--
Alastair Campbell | Director of User Experience
Nomensa Email Disclaimer:
http://www.nomensa.com/email-disclaimer.html