E-mail encoder

We all know it's a bad idea to post your e-mail address on the Internet, but the main way new clients find me is through word of mouth or via that webmaster contact link on existing clients' sites, so it's a necessary evil.

Some of the more popular bot deterrents offer worst-case scenarios that are unappealing to those of us who depend on a steady stream of new clients to make a decent living:

- dirtied addresses (e.g. build REMOVE EVERYTHING YOURSELF ing A [*****] T gwenharlow DAHT c*m) can be very confusing for the unsavvy, and if I don't notice those extra characters, I'll send without removing, get a bounce, decide you're inept, and take my business elsewhere.

- mail forms: Maybe you missed it and never responded. I really like your work, but I can't remember where that form was to try again, and I've forgotten all about you anyway since I didn't get a copy, so I'm taking my business elsewhere.

- text images: I can't click it, I can't copy it, my text browser can't see it, it's way too much trouble. I'm taking my business elsewhere.

My preferred solution
This handy little script converts your plain text link to numeric entities so bots miss it when they spider your site.

I've been using it for several years now, and it seems to work well -- the only e-mail I ever receive at the converted addresses that appear on a variety of sites is from Live Humans who want to give me money. It allows prospective clients (in my case, mostly small businesses or individuals who don't have a whole lot of technical know-how) a very simple, recognizable way to contact me.

building@gwenharlow.com

It's clickable, it's one step, you can copy and paste to your heart's content, and you get something in your outbox to remind you of how much you like me.

Convert your address

Get it: Control-click or right-click to download html file including script and form.

Original source unknown; it was passed on to me by a very kind SFWOWer, who got it from someone else; I can't remember who either of them was, and there's not attribution in the code.

Related
Jish Mukerji has a trick of his own

Posted by gwen at February 16, 2004 08:24 PM | TrackBack