Encoded Email Link
Home / Site Building & Testing / Encoded Email Link
With so much spam going around, many people want to encode their email addresses to prevent spam bots from getting it. However the text they use for the link is something like
"Email Us"
From what I know, using "Email Us" for the text of a mailto link isn't good for accessibility.
Any feedback on this?
Share: 
Not sure about the wording, but here's how Hiveware (www.hiveware.com) do it:
| Code: |
| <p>
<strong>Website Feedback:</strong><br /> <script type="text/javascript"> <!-- var data=new Array( 269,257,265,268,276,271,346,279, 261,258,269,257,275,276,261,274, 288,264,265,278,261,279,257,274, 261,334,259,271,269,352,293,269, 257,265,268,320,276,264,261,320, 279,261,258,269,257,275,276,261, 274,352,279,261,258,269,257,275, 276,261,274,288,264,265,278,261, 279,257,274,261,334,259,271,269, 352 ); var idx=0, n=data[data.length-1]; document.write('<a href="'); while( data[idx]!=n ) { document.write('&#'+(data[idx++]^n)+';'); } idx++; document.write('" title="'); while( data[idx]!=n ) { document.write('&#'+(data[idx++]^n)+';'); } idx++; document.write('">'); while( data[idx]!=n ) { document.write('&#'+(data[idx++]^n)+';'); } idx++; document.write('</a>'); //--> </script> <noscript> <p> JavaScript must be enabled to display this email address. </p> </noscript> </p> |
(Notice how the mailto:xxx has each character as an array number. Takes a while, but you can suss out the numbers and build your own spam-proof email link)
Again, any opinion on whether this is good practice would be great.
A client of ours bandied their email round like a cheap whore, and recently had to have a full domain change to beat the baddies...
_________________
Designory :: Design & Marketing
tel: (0845) 056 8392
www.designory.co.uk
Share:
And if JavaScript is disabled in the users' browser? 
_________________
Web Accessibility News | The Obligatory Blog
Share:
Not sure...
Answers on a postcard?
Sorry, just sussing this one out ourselves
_________________
Designory :: Design & Marketing
tel: (0845) 056 8392
www.designory.co.uk
Share:
| kalidust wrote: |
| However the text they use for the link is something like
"Email Us" |
Well, a spidering program will be looking at the source of your HTML, so it doesn't matter what you have as the text for the link if the email address is still plainly available in the <a href="mailto:..."> - it will be picked up.
| Quote: |
| From what I know, using "Email Us" for the text of a mailto link isn't good for accessibility. |
The only thing I can think of is it won't be read aloud by speech readers (though if they follow the link, I suppose it would be, depending how their computer is set up); plus if your page is printed out, it won't show the email address.
ATB,
Matthew
_________________
Accessible: Live Departure Boards, UK Train Timetables, Odeon no more
Share:
| designory wrote: |
| Answers on a postcard? |
What I do (and I admit it's probably annoying to some, but it touch wood seems to work) is have my email address as an image, and then the alt text gives my email address in a wordy way, so a spidering program won't be able to discover the address.
ATB,
Matthew
_________________
Accessible: Live Departure Boards, UK Train Timetables, Odeon no more
Share:
I always use the email address in standard format, my view is that spam is the problem of the person receiving the email not the problem of the person trying to send mail to you.
Cheers,
Nigel
Added:
I also think it's bad accessibility practice, if someone with a cognitive disability has trouble understanding things, how are they supposed to work out what
blah DOT blah AT blah DOT com
is all about?
If anything like this becomes standard enough that alot of people are using it then it defeats it's purpose anyway because those writing the bots will just change their programs to pick up on it.
_________________
Nigel Peck / MIS Web Design
Share:
This issue was covered recently on the GAWDS discussion list.
To see how we tackled the problem:
http://www.gawds.org/...
_________________
Web Accessibility News | The Obligatory Blog
Share:
Page 1 of 1
All times are GMT
You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum