Site Critique - nonspamability

Would anyone care to have a look at my site and offer any design or
techical suggestions? I'm particularly concerned about the
non-spamability of the email address on the "author" page.

http://randyfarnsworth.com/

The visual email is just a graphic, but the code behind it sends a key
to a PHP script, that pulls the address out of a mySQL database. I
haven't received any spam on that address yet, so I think it may be
working.

Randy Farnsworth

On 28 May 2004 13:31:18 -0700, Randy Farnsworth
<lists (AT) randyfarnsworth (DOT) com> wrote:

Would anyone care to have a look at my site and offer any design or
techical suggestions? I'm particularly concerned about the
non-spamability of the email address on the "author" page.

http://randyfarnsworth.com/

The visual email is just a graphic, but the code behind it sends a key
to a PHP script, that pulls the address out of a mySQL database. I
haven't received any spam on that address yet, so I think it may be
working.

Randy Farnsworth

I'm not particularly good at commenting on the "spammability", but a few
points:

1) The text and image don't necessarily line up. If you put the image as a
second line, that would eliminate the problem.

2) If a user wants to email you but does not have an email client attached
to their browser, they cannot. Recommend including an email form in
addition to the mailto: link. The NMS Formmail
(http://nms-cgi.sourceforge.net/scripts.shtml) can be configured to not
include the email address in the source, and is pretty easy to use and
secure.

In message <1e007d4e.0405281231.66bef59d (AT) posting (DOT) google.com>, Randy
Farnsworth <lists (AT) randyfarnsworth (DOT) com> writes

Would anyone care to have a look at my site and offer any design or
techical suggestions? I'm particularly concerned about the
non-spamability of the email address on the "author" page.

http://randyfarnsworth.com/

The visual email is just a graphic, but the code behind it sends a key
to a PHP script, that pulls the address out of a mySQL database. I
haven't received any spam on that address yet, so I think it may be
working.

Randy Farnsworth

A few thoughts:

(a) Go through your code and ensure that all images have a valid
'alternative text' entry; this can be ALT="" if the image is not
significant.
http://www.gododdin.demon.co.uk/ng/RF1X.JPG
(40k -- opening page)

(b) Use "%" for font sizes instead of "px" so that IE users can resize
the text. For body text -- " font-size : 100%; ".

(c) Advise users that activating 'Sample Chapters' is going to result in
a 590kb (approx.) download of a .pdf file. Maybe making an HTML version
available would be a much better idea?

(d) My version of Acrobat (v4) couldn't open the file. I tried it twice,
but with the same result.

regards.

--
Jake

lists (AT) randyfarnsworth (DOT) com (Randy Farnsworth) wrote:

http://randyfarnsworth.com/

"Dammit, Jim, I'm a writer not a web designer!"

*snerkles*

=)

The Doormouse

--
The Doormouse cannot be reached by e-mail without her permission.

Thanks for the help. I'd forgotten about the acrobat version. I have
it saved as version 5 because I've included some security in the file.
I don't really need that security, though - I guess I should be
flattered if someone want's to steal some of my writing :-)


Randy Farnsworth
Author of "A Stand Yet Taken"
http://randyfarnsworth.com/



jake <jake (AT) gododdin (DOT) demon.co.uk> wrote


<snip>

(c) Advise users that activating 'Sample Chapters' is going to result in
a 590kb (approx.) download of a .pdf file. Maybe making an HTML version
available would be a much better idea?

(d) My version of Acrobat (v4) couldn't open the file. I tried it twice,
but with the same result.

lists (AT) randyfarnsworth (DOT) com (Randy Farnsworth) wrote in message news:<1e007d4e.0405281231.66bef59d (AT) posting (DOT) google.com>...

Would anyone care to have a look at my site and offer any design or
techical suggestions? I'm particularly concerned about the
non-spamability of the email address on the "author" page.

http://randyfarnsworth.com/

The visual email is just a graphic, but the code behind it sends a key
to a PHP script, that pulls the address out of a mySQL database. I
haven't received any spam on that address yet, so I think it may be
working.

Randy Farnsworth

I won't comment on the code just the pretty pictures.

Clean, well thought out, the hooks sound straight out of a Clancy
novel.
I am not a huge fan of green (Unless there're greenbacks)....but my
wife is and she loved the site. The only thing I'd do is try to get
the map backing a little more gold like in color, gold and green are a
really eye poping combo.

Those are only my private feelings.....the site looks very nice.

very best regards,

I can only hope I'd sell 1/10 what Clancy does!

I chose the green for a "jungle" feel, and because everyone else seems
to use blue. Thanks for the comments.

Randy Farnsworth
Author of "A Stand Yet Taken"
http://randyfarnsworth.com/



sub_dev_null (AT) yahoo (DOT) com (sub_dev_null) wrote in message news:<fe9a2123.0406011544.65625792 (AT) posting (DOT) google.com>...

I won't comment on the code just the pretty pictures.

Clean, well thought out, the hooks sound straight out of a Clancy
novel.
I am not a huge fan of green (Unless there're greenbacks)....but my
wife is and she loved the site. The only thing I'd do is try to get
the map backing a little more gold like in color, gold and green are a
really eye poping combo.

Those are only my private feelings.....the site looks very nice.

Randy Farnsworth wrote:

Would anyone care to have a look at my site and offer any design or
techical suggestions? I'm particularly concerned about the
non-spamability of the email address on the "author" page.

http://randyfarnsworth.com/

The visual email is just a graphic, but the code behind it sends a key
to a PHP script, that pulls the address out of a mySQL database. I
haven't received any spam on that address yet, so I think it may be
working.

Depends on what you call working: If I click on the 'Click
here to send email' link, nothing happens. I hear a sound
which in my Netscape 7.1 means there is an error.
The url in the statusbar reads
"http://randyfarnsworth.com/mail.php?userid=7"

After investigating, I found that the sounds means a popup
is blocked. After enabling popups, I get a new message
window from my email client, but also a little square empty
pop-up. What's that for?

--
Els
http://locusmeus.com/
Sonhos vem. Sonhos vão. O resto é imperfeito.
- Renato Russo -

The box is because I'm not good enough at PHP scripting to figure out
another way. The box points to a second php file that has the mail
script in it, which on most browsers will close after opening the
email client. I've noticed that on my Macs, the box doesn't always
close, but does seem to in Windows. I tried putting the script in the
original php file, but for some reason, it didn't work.

In most cases, I think that popup blockers won't block the small
window, because it's acting more like a regular link than a true
popup.

I tested this on Netscape for Mac and Win, Opera for Win, IE for Mac
and Win, and Safari. The only one it didn't work on was Netscape 7.x
for Mac, and that was because I didn't have an email client associated
with Netscape. Interestingly though, it did work in Netscape 4.7 for
Mac.

I built this using Dreamweaver's PHP functions, which are somewhat
limited. But my knowledge of PHP is even more limited, so it worked
out.

Els <els.aNOSPAM (AT) tiscali (DOT) nl> wrote

Depends on what you call working: If I click on the 'Click
here to send email' link, nothing happens. I hear a sound
which in my Netscape 7.1 means there is an error.
The url in the statusbar reads
"http://randyfarnsworth.com/mail.php?userid=7"

After investigating, I found that the sounds means a popup
is blocked. After enabling popups, I get a new message
window from my email client, but also a little square empty
pop-up. What's that for?