Saturday, March 26, 2005

The War On Spam

How To Fight Spam From Your Website
by: Jim

While cruising the Internet I found this very useful website on how to take a preemptive approach to combating spam.

A lot of spam is generated by search robots that roam the web from site to site harvesting email addresses. These are then used to mail out tons of unsolicited emails. There are certain things that a person could do to mask the addresses from the robots. Take a look at this link for "Spam-proofing Your Website"

Note: Even if you are using a form on your website for contact information, the address still may be seen by the bots. Refer to the article above. JavaScript seems to be the answer right now. Most browsers can handle JavaScript.

The Battle Lines Are Drawn

As more sophisticated robots are employed for scavenging, the other side will continue to implement stronger measures to fight this war. It is a constant battle between making your e-mail address available to a potential new customer or having it hidden from the scavengers. While using forms might be the way to go, it is not always the best way from a marketing perspective. There are some that will simply not fill out a form. It can be a turn off if too much information is required. Allowing a prospect to use their own email cliental to handle the request for information provides a means of freedom for an individual to customize their own message.

The War Will Never End

One thing can be certain on the Internet is this war will never end. Many organizations and ISPs have implemented spam blocking techniques to prevent the messages from getting through. While this may be helping block spam, it is also having a negative impact on solicited mail getting through.

Share Your Email Fighting Thoughts

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