[Sussex] To javascript or not to javascript, that is the question (now)

[John D.]

Frances Fleming wrote:
>On Mon Jul 11 23:47:52 BST 2005, John D. wrote:
>  
>>I want to include a contact address (e-mail) but want to avoid
>>as much of the ubiquitous spam as possible,
>>    
>...
>  
>>I could just copy to provide the "mailto:"
>>address with javascript, but a couple of books I have say that they
>>don't like doing that as it necessitates having javascript enabled
>>    
>...
>  
>>looking at the options of providing a reply form, seem a little over my
>>head at the moment.
>>Which do you think is correct/the best approach (by way of a little
>>"straw poll")?
>>    
>
>I agree about avoiding JavaScript for something like displaying email
>addresses.
>
>As for the alternatives for displaying your email address, electronic
>collectors are aware of most of the anti-spam tricks employed and
>can probably get round them.
>If going for email contact, would you want it clickable to open a new
>mail message, because if so, your address could be collectable.
>The advantage of clickable is that you can pre-populate the subject,
>body, copy and blind copy, at least in Outlook <sorry />.
>But if it's to be static on the page, there's still the old image trick,
>where you create it as an image. This should evade electronic
>collectors. You'd have to decide whether someone who genuinely
>wanted to contact you would bother to copy and paste the address.
>
>As for which would be best (js vs. form) in any given situation, you
>may have answered your own question, if you feel you're not up to
>providing a form. You know you don't have to feed the submissions
>into a database: you can use a plain text file instead. This works
>well enough for low usage: you just script it to create a new file
>each day or week and have each submission added to the end
>of the file. You could get hold of a ready-made script for this.
>
>However, I'm a dedicated database person, and I tend to prefer
>form submission for site contact. It files the posts nicely, and
>allows you to offer the user options, such as problem / info
>required / etc, and to maybe offer one or two tiny survey questions
>(don't overdo it!!) Always display a confirmation and thank you page.
>You can then retrieve the results from the database into a form of
>your own and check each one off as you action it, even adding
>your own notes.
>But I'm talking about heavier usage here, where keeping track by
>email alone might be less convenient.
>
>It might also depend on whether your users wanted to send attachments.
Thanks Frances,

Most of this is very over my head, but it's pointing me towards what and 
what not to do. It looks rather like I'll have to just go with the basic 
javascript mailto link for the moment. Though the changing it for an 
image, which is presumably then linked to the mailto link, looks like a 
much better idea.

The whole site should be pretty low usage anyway. I know that it'll get 
picked up by the search engines, but as I'm not intending to use any 
meta data type stuff so it certainly shouldn't hit the top 10 anytime 
before the next millenium.

Databases? Hum, more "IT" mans magic. The idea is marvellous, but I 
wouldn't even know where too start. I've never had to look into mass 
info collection before and I shouldn't think that this will generate 
much as it's just aimed as a virtual meeting place/soapbox. We 
(colleagues) find any kind of meeting rather difficult to set up due to 
starting work at different times and travelling to the different parts 
or the region etc. Hence, it's really just a "whats going on" and if you 
have any snags/issues you want raised thing. So either a javascripted 
link or image should be excellent.

Thanks very much for your suggestions though, they've given me lots too 
think about.

regards

John D.