ANTI-S*P^A#M: Protecting Your Web Sites Email Address(es)

Did you know that there are software programs that viewweb sites and steal email addresses? It's called"harvesting" because they're harvesting your email addressfrom your site. This may be one of the reasons your web siteemail address is receiving more s*p^a#m than wanted email.

When I first started teaching web design classes, I stronglysuggested that students place their email address on eachpage - it makes your site a bit more "trustable." But itturns out this is just leaving you wide open to harvesting.

So now, what I suggest are links on each page directed to asingle contact information page, where your email address isencrypted. If the s*p^a#mmers end up figuring out theencryption, it's still easier for you to change one pageworth of information vs. many pages of information.Encrypting your email address makes the gathering process alittle more difficult while it provides that legitimateemail get through to you.

If you find that one encryption program has stopped working,see if the provider updated the code you were using (manyprovide regular updates) or change to another service.

Do you have PayPal payment or shopping cart links on yoursite? Up until about a month ago, the old PayPal codingincluded your email address. If you haven't upgradedrecently, update your PayPal links to include the encryptedcode they provide, too. Changing that code stopped quite abit of unwanted email from reaching me.

Here are some helpful encryption program resources:

http://automaticlabs.com/products/enkoderform/
http://www.robertgraham.com/tools/mailtoencoder.html
http://natata.hn3.net/antispam_encoder.htm
http://www.tucows.com/preview/266685.html
http://innerpeace.org/escrambler.shtml
http://www.wbwip.com/wbw/emailencoder.html
http://w2.syronex.com/jmr/safemailto/

Encryption programs - A VERY good thing to use onyour web site to reduce unwanted email.

© 2004 Maria Marsala, Business Builder and former WallStreet Trader. "Powering-UP service busine$$es andtheir owners". Providing articles, tips, classes, andbusiness resources in our ezine "SIMPLE Business Steps"Learn more at http://www.ElevatingYourBusiness.com