Hints for getting around email addrs harvested from web pages?

[David Dorward]

Now, of course, I'm getting spammed daily to the link's address.

Are there any strategies for avoiding or mitigating this - short of the
brute force approach of constantly changing the address?

Get some decent anti-spam software on your server, such as Spam Assassin or
Pure Message.

 

[Domestos]

Interesting one that...

I'm sure there is some clever way to do it - cos i'd be interested too !!

I've cut down on my spam ten fold by not including it in my NG profile
though... don;t forget all these get put online too !!!

Domestos

 

[(PeteCresswell)]

I foolishly embedded a bunch of "MailTo" links in a high school class reunion
site.

Now, of course, I'm getting spammed daily to the link's address.

Are there any strategies for avoiding or mitigating this - short of the brute
force approach of constantly changing the address?

Also, if changing the addr is the only option, is there a workaround for the
legitimate users who would use it in the future? i.e. some kind of
forwarding/bounce scheme where the user gets a note telling them what the
revised address is - but which wouldn't be read by a spam generator?

 

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per Domestos:

I've cut down on my spam ten fold by not including it in my NG profile
though... don;t forget all these get put online too !!!

As you can see by the return address on this message....

I learned that one the hard way too. Way back, I had unlimited addresses so I
thought I'd be cute and supply a NG-specific address on each post.

Now, however, I'd say that the dictionary attacks outweigh the spams from those
NG posts 10:1. But, since my domain gets 7,000-8,000 spams per day that's
still a significant number.

The other bit of advice I'd offer up is to not use your name, nickname, or
anything remotely resembling same. Instead use initials or, better yet,
meaningless combinations like "(e-mail address removed)". That should thwart the
dictionary attacks.

 

[Roy Schestowitz]

I foolishly embedded a bunch of "MailTo" links in a high school class
reunion site.

Now, of course, I'm getting spammed daily to the link's address.

Are there any strategies for avoiding or mitigating this - short of the
brute force approach of constantly changing the address?

1) The best solution is to avoid the disclosure of your address to begin
with, or having a hierarchy of mail boxes. Each box should have a different
set of rules applied, e.g. some will sit behind a boxtrapper, some will be
checked periodically yet only once a week, and some will have software like
SpamAssassin in place.

2) Since you already got 'filth' in one of your live boxes, create a new
one, forward all mail from the old one to the new one, but also flag
forwarded mail so that you know which message came from (to) where. Change
your reply-to address to ensure that all correspondents slowly begin to
write to the new address. At some stage, the old address (the flagged
messages) will contain nothing but spam so you can say farewell and refer
to point (1). Unfortunately, I learned this the hard way after some
unpleasant experiences.

Also, if changing the addr is the only option, is there a workaround for
the
legitimate users who would use it in the future? i.e. some kind of
forwarding/bounce scheme where the user gets a note telling them what the
revised address is - but which wouldn't be read by a spam generator?

Add a 'Vacation message' to the old account. Everyone who writes to the old
account will know that you may check that address once a week. Clarify that
and do _not_ include your new E-mail address, or else spammers will receive
that too.

Here is my automatic reply for deprecated accounts:

---
*** THIS MESSAGE IS AUTOMATICALLY GENERATED ***

This E-mail account was closed due to the high volume of incoming bulk mail.
It may take me a while to read your message.

Apologies,
<Your Name>

 

[Toby Inkster]

I foolishly embedded a bunch of "MailTo" links in a high school class
reunion site.

Crazy fool!

http://examples.tobyinkster.co.uk/email-hide

 

[Simon]

Crazy fool!

http://examples.tobyinkster.co.uk/email-hide

I don't allow JavaScript so I would not be able to contact you.
..
And _if_ the spambot were interested it would not take too long to break
your code.
The get enough addresses without having to bother about breaking your
script, but if they wanted to they could.

Simon

 

[N Cook]

I foolishly embedded a bunch of "MailTo" links in a high school class reunion
site.

Now, of course, I'm getting spammed daily to the link's address.

Are there any strategies for avoiding or mitigating this - short of the brute
force approach of constantly changing the address?

Also, if changing the addr is the only option, is there a workaround for the
legitimate users who would use it in the future? i.e. some kind of
forwarding/bounce scheme where the user gets a note telling them what the
revised address is - but which wouldn't be read by a spam generator?

I use fudging eg mailto

(e-mail address removed).....k (please remove all 5 dots between the u and k for valid
email address)

as active HTML and visible text.

AFAIK anyone trying to email to that address as it stands will not even exit
their
email handler as 5 dots in a line is invalid structure, so no one left
thinking that it is a dead
email address after it bounces.
They know from the outset.
The fudge is on the correct side of the commercial at so
no wasted checks with valid company designations on right of the @.
I have used this structure for some years, loose a few people
with very poor use of English I suppose is the only down side

 

[Mitja]

I don't allow JavaScript so I would not be able to contact you.

Sure you would. What you see is "you can mail me at user at example.com".

And _if_ the spambot were interested it would not take too long to break
your code. They get enough addresses without having to bother about
breaking your
script,

That's the whole point
Practicality beats purism...

but if they wanted to they could.

Sure, we all know that. But they don't, they'll rather find another Pete
out there who is yet to start receiving spam.

 

[Toby Inkster]

I don't allow JavaScript so I would not be able to contact you.

Clearly you *do* allow Javascript.

I know this because if you actually *looked* at the site without
Javascript, you would notice that you would still be able to contact
me.

And _if_ the spambot were interested it would not take too long to break
your code.
The get enough addresses without having to bother about breaking your
script, but if they wanted to they could.

Yeah probably, but why would anyone bother when there are a million other
addresses out there to harvest with less effort?

 

[AF]

I foolishly embedded a bunch of "MailTo" links in a high school class reunion
site.

Now, of course, I'm getting spammed daily to the link's address.

Are there any strategies for avoiding or mitigating this - short of the brute
force approach of constantly changing the address?

Also, if changing the addr is the only option, is there a workaround for the
legitimate users who would use it in the future? i.e. some kind of
forwarding/bounce scheme where the user gets a note telling them what the
revised address is - but which wouldn't be read by a spam generator?

I too had the same problems you do. Spam blockers give some
protection, but not all.

I tried cgi scripts and php. The problem is that I had to maintain
the scripts and if I made a typo, I had problems.

Finally I found Forms To Go at www.bebosoft.com. Think of it like a
script generator for you. It is a shareware. You can try it for
free, but they ask you pay them $18 if you use it regularly. The $18
is worth it.

Here is why. (be warned though I am not an html expert, so some of
this may not be quite correct.)

1. You can create a form on an html page using just about an means
you want. I have tested Forms to Go with Frontpage, NEtobjects
fusion, and some hand generated html. It worked with all of them.

2. Save the web page to your local computer or a web site.

3. Run Forms To Go and give it the name or location of the web page
with the form.

4. Forms to Go then allows you to fill in some settings, like where
to email to, subject, format of email message.

5. You can pick the output method: php, asp, perl, and it creates the
script for you.

6. Put the script's name in your form actions on the html page

7 Load the script and page to your web site, and you are in business.

No typos in your script, no errors.

It took me longer to type this message then it normally takes for me
to set up a form.

I love it. By the way I have no connection to them, so this is
entirely uncompensated.

Good luck.

5. Finally you have your choice
Best regards,

Al
http://www.affordablefloridainsurance.com
http://www.americanbestmortgages.com

 

[AF]

snip

It took me longer to type this message then it normally takes for me
to set up a form.

I love it. By the way I have no connection to them, so this is
entirely uncompensated.

Good luck.

5. Finally you have your choice
Best regards,

snip

Whoops, I should not have left in the part about

"5. Finally you have your choice " above the signature line

I am late to an appointment and missed that. So please ignore that
line.

Also when I typed "It took me longer to type this message then it
normally takes for me to set up a form." I should have said "set up
the mail feature on the form with Forms To Go."

In my original post, it sounds like Forms To Go helps set up forms
quickly, when in fact you have to have the form already set up.

What I meant to say is that once the form and the html page is done,
then to get it working with email, Forms to Go is quick.

By the way I just realize I forgot one important thing:

Fising you email problem essemntially means you have to have a contact
form on your web page.

You need at least

1. A return email address field, if you are to contact a writer

2. and a body field for the email message.

So this means you have to use forms.

The first time using a form is tedious, but once done it becomes a
snap to set up.

I have redone most of my web sites and the junk mail is going down
significantly.

Again good luck.
Best regards,

Al
http://www.affordablefloridainsurance.com
http://www.americanbestmortgages.com

 

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per Toby Inkster:

Crazy fool!

http://examples.tobyinkster.co.uk/email-hide

Thanks Toby - I'm gonna play around with that.

 

[N Cook]

I use fudging eg mailto

(e-mail address removed).....k (please remove all 5 dots between the u and k for valid
email address)

as active HTML and visible text.

AFAIK anyone trying to email to that address as it stands will not even exit
their
email handler as 5 dots in a line is invalid structure, so no one left
thinking that it is a dead
email address after it bounces.
They know from the outset.
The fudge is on the correct side of the commercial at so
no wasted checks with valid company designations on right of the @.
I have used this structure for some years, loose a few people
with very poor use of English I suppose is the only down side

This thread has reminded me that ages ago I was going to add a small jpg of
my email address as an aid but forgot to do so.