How to avoid email spam

The email munger is a tool to help you disguise (or obfuscate) an email address.

Here is an example of a "munged" email address as it would appear in your webpage: username@ unimelb.edu.au

It looks almost the same as any other email link but it doesn't work the same way. It works in a way that makes it harder for spammers to get their hands on your email address.

Why use it?

There are programs known as "spambots" (or email harvestors) that crawl around the web, searching for email addresses embedded in web pages. When your email address is found and collected by one of these programs your email address can be sold or otherwise circulated to unscrupulous people who want to send "spam" (unsolicited commercial email) to you. If you want to minimise the chances of having your email address harvested, use the email munger.

How does it work?

This particular email munger is based on the on an excellent email obfuscator available from www.gazingus.org. The email munger script places Unicode characters in place of alphanumerics and punctuation in the anchor link. The "munged" email link uses a Javascript function located in an external template file that has been customised to work within the university templates. The finished product work likes this:

• the email address on the web page looks like a regular email link but with a space inserted to rendering the email address non-harvestable
• in Javascript enabled browsers (around 90% of the market), clicking on the email link opens your mail client (standard behaviour) and the true email address is pre-entered into the address field of your email message window
• in browsers which are not Javascript enabled, clicking the email link sends the user to a new web page containing a contact form through which they can contact you

How do you use it?

Follow these steps and have Dreamweaver open so you can paste the "munged" address directly into your web page.

The instructions assume that the domain name portion of the email address that is being created is unimelb.edu.au.

Step 1

Enter the username portion of your email address.

Test: Your email will appear like this: username@ unimelb.edu.au

Technical note: the sendemail function that is called in the above script accepts two parameters - the username portion of the e-mail address and the domain name portion of the email address that is set to unimelb.edu.au by default.

Step 3

In Dreamweaver open the web page you want the munged email address to appear. You may want to

If you want to place the maintainer's email address in the footer of a web page based on the templates:

• Select Edit > Find and Replace.
• In the Find and Replace dialog box select Current Document from the Find in: drop down box.
• Select Source Code from the Search: drop down box.
• Place the contents of your clipboard in the Replace: textarea by selecting the textarea then and selecting Edit > Paste.
• Enter the phrase MAINTAINER'S EMAIL ADDRESS in the Find: textarea
• Press the Replace button

Otherwise, if you are not adding an email to a blank template footer, but rather are replacing an already pre-existing email address, then:

• Highlight the email address in Dreamweaver's 'Design' view.
• Click Code to view the source code.
• Make sure the whole link tags are selected, from the code begining with <a href all the way to </a>. eg:
  <a href="mailto:youremail@unimelb.edu.au">youremail@unimelb.edu.au</a>
• Paste the content of the clipboard over the selection by selecting Edit > Paste
• Return to the design view to confirm that changes appear correct before saving.

Need Help?

If the domain name portion of your email address is something other than unimelb.edu.au or if you need assistance with the email munger contact the Web Centre for additional instructions.