~ Bad Web-Spiders ~

WARNING!  If you post your e-mail address on your website, then you should be aware that you can be victimized by e-mail spiders which are beginning to roam the Web collecting our e-mail addresses for distribution in e-mail SPAM lists.      This activity has been increasing over the past few months, so here's a couple of tips for you on how to combat this nuisance.      You should consider switching from a simple e-mail link to a more complex e-mail link. There are various methods, such as a javascript code, which breaks your addy up into separate parts that the spiders cannot read. Form-mailers may also block the spam well.      These methods will mask your address from spiders, which should eliminate the problem of having your e-mail address collected and sold to distribution SPAM companies.      Another more simple method masks the mailer code by using their HTML Tag character counterparts. For example, this is the traditional e-mailer code in common use which the spiders can now read: <img height="75"width="150"border="0"src="/kdine4/gif/scrapbookFiles/importD31.gif"ALT="Mail Gif"><BR><A HREF="MAILTO:kdine@webtv.net">kdine@webtv.net</a>      This is the same tag using several HTML Tag character counterparts to disguise it; for example, the "@" symbol is instead made by using &#64; ...some of the letters in "MAILTO" are also changed, but despite its looks, the code still works normally: <img height="75"width="150"border="0"src="/kdine4/gif/scrapbookFiles/importD31.gif"ALT="Mail Gif"><BR><A HREF="M&#65;IL&#84;&#79;:kdine3&#64;webtv.net">kdine&#64;webtv.net</a>      The above code looks like this on the page: kdine4@webtv.net      You can easily copy the code in the form-box below ...replace "YOU" in the e-mailer code with your own e-mail addy: CC&P the code here: <a href="M&#65;IL&#84;&#79;:YOU&#64;webtv.net">e-mail me</a>       JaxRed has kindly tweaked this javascript code to work on Pagebuilder - just rewrite the variables to suit your needs: CC&P the script here: <script language="javascript"> var showlink="E-Mail Me"; var showname="YourUserName"; var showhost="webtv.net"; document.write('<a href="'+'mail'+'to:'+showname+'@'+showhost+'"'+'>'+showlink+'</a>'); </script>      There are more solutions to the spider problem at JaxRed's E-mail Page.       Trick the spam-spiders into reporting themslves to the spam-cops - merely hide these MAILTO: links to the proper authorities at the bottom of your page: <!-- Spam-bot Traps: --> <a href="mailto:spam@corp.webtv.net, spam@webtv.net, postmaster@spamcop.net, abuse@webtv.net, uce@ftc.gov">`</a><a href="http://www.lecb.ncifcrf.gov/~toms/spam/trap.html">`</a><a href="http://www.turnstep.com/cgi-bin/Shovel.pl">`</a><A HREF=http://www.hostedscripts.com/scripts/antispam.html> Fight Spam! Click Here! </A><!-- End Spam-bot Traps -->      Another option is feedback forms. Feedback forms will allow you also to set-up display options to better collect information from your users.      Using forms for collecting site mail not only reduces your risk of being spidered by spam agents, it also allows you to format response input right into your form. ~ Links ~ Spider FAQs Privacy.Net - (Explains How Companies Can Track Your Movements on the Internet) Spam Notice More good info on fighting Spam Hostedscripts.com Free form-mailers Resonse-O-Matic Free form-mailers CC&P 10 major tools Add a counter to your mailer: Ken's Krazy Kounters ~ META Tag Help ~ [Back to Main Page]

The Truth is Out There!

We are Microsoft, resistance is futile Escati Counters