Receiving a lot of spam from reply links

M

mikel2634

I get mail everyday that is from spammers getting the addresses from my
website, also mail is sent with virus's to other people from one of my reply
addresses on my website. Is there any way to fix this problem? Can anyone
offer advice as to what I can do?
 
K

Kevin Spencer

One thing you can do is to use Form handlers that supply the email address,
rather than putting "mailto" links on your site. The problem is the email
address in the HTML of the web page. Harvesters can mine email addresses
from HTML. If your form handler (on the server) provides the email address
when emailing, it won't appear in the web page.

--
HTH,
Kevin Spencer
..Net Developer
Microsoft MVP
Neither a follower
nor a lender be.
 
M

mikel2634

Hello Kevin,
Thanks for the prompt reply. It's not really a form, it's a hyperlink to
"customer Service", sorry I miss-informed you.
 
K

Kevin Spencer

That's what I'm trying to tell you. When you say "it's a hyperlink to
"customer Service" you're saying it's a link, probably a "mailto" link. What
you need instead is a form that the user can fill out, and the form handler
sends the email.

--
HTH,
Kevin Spencer
..Net Developer
Microsoft MVP
Neither a follower
nor a lender be.
 
M

mikel2634

Thank you Kevin, I must be having a "seniors day" today but I finally got the
message.
 
M

Mike Mueller

All mailto: links and FP form emails are subject to spam
harvesting. Options are to use javascripts to scramble /
disassemble the mailto link or to use a form going to a
custom server side script. Server side scripts are pretty
secure from the harvesters, I cannot vouch for the
javascript. Another disadvantage is that using mailto links
in general is now the client has you email address, and you
are subject to whatever they do with it. Not that people
are inherently evil, but saving your address in their
address book opens you up to whatever virus they get

Mike



message
:I get mail everyday that is from spammers getting the
addresses from my
: website, also mail is sent with virus's to other people
from one of my reply
: addresses on my website. Is there any way to fix this
problem? Can anyone
: offer advice as to what I can do?
 
M

Michael Hoeben

I have found this piece of code to be quite effective. I don't know for how
long it will be safe, but I receive no spam on certain purpose made spam
traps on some of my sites.

recipient<code>@</code>yourwebsite.com
I also have a comment to ask the site visitor to cut and paste that into
their email, so its not a mailto: link, but it does the job.

I'm not sure where I picked it up, and what the tags actually mean, so if
anyone has any comments or something I should be aware of then please let me
know. I do however, also use the form option, but the above is a failsafe in
the event the form takes a day off. ;-)


Michael
www.kleeneze-people.co.uk
 
Q

qersoft

Make an image of your email address and save that on your page.
Not as convenient for the user, but webbots wont pick it up.
 
T

Tom Pepper Willett

The mailto code is stored in the html of the page..whether you use an image
or not. They scroll the code.
--
===
Tom "Pepper" Willett
Microsoft MVP - FrontPage
---
About FrontPage 2003:
http://office.microsoft.com/home/office.aspx?assetid=FX01085802
FrontPage 2003 Product Information:
http://www.microsoft.com/office/frontpage/prodinfo/default.mspx
Understanding FrontPage:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/office/understanding/frontpage/
FrontPage 2002 Server Extensions Support Center:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;en-us;fp10se
===
| Make an image of your email address and save that on your page.
| Not as convenient for the user, but webbots wont pick it up.
|
| "Michael Hoeben" wrote:
|
| > I have found this piece of code to be quite effective. I don't know for
how
| > long it will be safe, but I receive no spam on certain purpose made spam
| > traps on some of my sites.
| >
| > recipient<code>@</code>yourwebsite.com
| > I also have a comment to ask the site visitor to cut and paste that into
| > their email, so its not a mailto: link, but it does the job.
| >
| > I'm not sure where I picked it up, and what the tags actually mean, so
if
| > anyone has any comments or something I should be aware of then please
let me
| > know. I do however, also use the form option, but the above is a
failsafe in
| > the event the form takes a day off. ;-)
| >
| >
| > Michael
| > www.kleeneze-people.co.uk
| > "Mike Mueller" wrote:
| >
| > > All mailto: links and FP form emails are subject to spam
| > > harvesting. Options are to use javascripts to scramble /
| > > disassemble the mailto link or to use a form going to a
| > > custom server side script. Server side scripts are pretty
| > > secure from the harvesters, I cannot vouch for the
| > > javascript. Another disadvantage is that using mailto links
| > > in general is now the client has you email address, and you
| > > are subject to whatever they do with it. Not that people
| > > are inherently evil, but saving your address in their
| > > address book opens you up to whatever virus they get
| > >
| > > Mike
| > >
| > >
| > >
| > > message
| > > | > > :I get mail everyday that is from spammers getting the
| > > addresses from my
| > > : website, also mail is sent with virus's to other people
| > > from one of my reply
| > > : addresses on my website. Is there any way to fix this
| > > problem? Can anyone
| > > : offer advice as to what I can do?
| > >
| > >
| > >
 
Q

qersoft

Remove mailto and leave visitors to create their own email using the address
seen on the page
 
T

Tom Pepper Willett

Okay, I understand.
As long as you place instructions on the page telling them to open their
email client and input the address manually. IMO, not many people will want
to do that.
--
===
Tom "Pepper" Willett
Microsoft MVP - FrontPage
---
About FrontPage 2003:
http://office.microsoft.com/home/office.aspx?assetid=FX01085802
FrontPage 2003 Product Information:
http://www.microsoft.com/office/frontpage/prodinfo/default.mspx
Understanding FrontPage:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/office/understanding/frontpage/
===
| Remove mailto and leave visitors to create their own email using the
address
| seen on the page
|
| "Tom Pepper Willett" wrote:
|
| > The mailto code is stored in the html of the page..whether you use an
image
| > or not. They scroll the code.
| > --
| > ===
| > Tom "Pepper" Willett
| > Microsoft MVP - FrontPage
| > ---
| > About FrontPage 2003:
| > http://office.microsoft.com/home/office.aspx?assetid=FX01085802
| > FrontPage 2003 Product Information:
| > http://www.microsoft.com/office/frontpage/prodinfo/default.mspx
| > Understanding FrontPage:
| > http://msdn.microsoft.com/office/understanding/frontpage/
| > FrontPage 2002 Server Extensions Support Center:
| > http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;en-us;fp10se
| > ===
| > | > | Make an image of your email address and save that on your page.
| > | Not as convenient for the user, but webbots wont pick it up.
| > |
| > | "Michael Hoeben" wrote:
| > |
| > | > I have found this piece of code to be quite effective. I don't know
for
| > how
| > | > long it will be safe, but I receive no spam on certain purpose made
spam
| > | > traps on some of my sites.
| > | >
| > | > recipient<code>@</code>yourwebsite.com
| > | > I also have a comment to ask the site visitor to cut and paste that
into
| > | > their email, so its not a mailto: link, but it does the job.
| > | >
| > | > I'm not sure where I picked it up, and what the tags actually mean,
so
| > if
| > | > anyone has any comments or something I should be aware of then
please
| > let me
| > | > know. I do however, also use the form option, but the above is a
| > failsafe in
| > | > the event the form takes a day off. ;-)
| > | >
| > | >
| > | > Michael
| > | > www.kleeneze-people.co.uk
| > | > "Mike Mueller" wrote:
| > | >
| > | > > All mailto: links and FP form emails are subject to spam
| > | > > harvesting. Options are to use javascripts to scramble /
| > | > > disassemble the mailto link or to use a form going to a
| > | > > custom server side script. Server side scripts are pretty
| > | > > secure from the harvesters, I cannot vouch for the
| > | > > javascript. Another disadvantage is that using mailto links
| > | > > in general is now the client has you email address, and you
| > | > > are subject to whatever they do with it. Not that people
| > | > > are inherently evil, but saving your address in their
| > | > > address book opens you up to whatever virus they get
| > | > >
| > | > > Mike
| > | > >
| > | > >
| > | > >
| > | > > message
| > | > > | > | > > :I get mail everyday that is from spammers getting the
| > | > > addresses from my
| > | > > : website, also mail is sent with virus's to other people
| > | > > from one of my reply
| > | > > : addresses on my website. Is there any way to fix this
| > | > > problem? Can anyone
| > | > > : offer advice as to what I can do?
| > | > >
| > | > >
| > | > >
| >
| >
| >
 
Q

qersoft

In that case, you need a reply form. It's easy enough in FrontPage.
But you still probably want to show people what your email address is, hence
the image is useful
 
D

David Rance

In that case, you need a reply form. It's easy enough in FrontPage.
But you still probably want to show people what your email address is, hence
the image is useful

I'm surprised no-one has suggested this bit of javascript (or did I miss
it?):

<!-- Begin
var atext = "Your real name";
var mail1 = "your.name";
var mail2 = "address.org.uk";
var subject = "subject=response%20from%20web%20site"
document.write("<a href=mailto:" + mail1 + "@" + mail2 + "?"
+ subject + ">" + atext + "</a>")
// End -->

(obviously you would substitute your own details in the right places)

and you would call it up on your HTML page with:

<script type="text/javascript" src="emailme.js"></script>

David
 

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