HTML form - ‘mailto:you@yourdomain.com’ method. 2

[Pyrrhus]

Help please?

I have just set up a HTML form for a low-volume data collection site - even occasional would be a better description. Although low-volume, each submission is potentially quite valuable.

Since I haven't done this for a long time, and had forgotten how, I looked up a tutorial site and noticed the following advice:
"One quick and simple method is to use the ‘mailto:you@yourdomain.com’ in the ‘action’ field of the form. This method is very simple; but has many drawbacks."

Can anyone tell me what thise drawbacks might be??

Thanks (I hope).

 

[feherke]

Hi

Just a quick list, I probably forgot some drawbacks :
[ul]
[li]Spam bots will collect your e-mail address and you will receive spam.[/li]
[li]Only users with installed and configured mail client will be able to use it.[/li]
[li]Users can not withhold their own e-mail, so those concerned by their privacy will possibly refrain using it.[/li]
[li]There can be character encoding problems with certain browser and mail client combinations.[/li]
[li]Ultimately you will have no control on the content and format of the mails you will receive.[/li]
[/ul]


Feherke.
[link feherke.github.com/]

http://feherke.github.com/

[/url]

 

[Pyrrhus]

Thanks, Feherke. Much appreciated. It's a great list and helps me a lot.

Actually, I have always disliked forms, so I have included my email address on the form page anyway, and suggested the option to use normal email just using the form field headings and supporting comments in formatting the email.

And I don't want to talk with anyone who withholds their email (it's one of the form fields, anyway). Just like I don't take calls from blocked numbers. I have found in the past that both are usually tyre-kickers or smart-arses, and life's too short and I'm not that desperate.

Also, I have a dozen or so emails spread around various sites already, and spam doesn't seem to be much of a problem - although it has been worse in the past.

So it seems like there are no major issues in my situation.

Thanks again for taking the time!

Pyrrhus.

 

[spamjim]

So it seems like there are no major issues in my situation.

Are you saying that you still want to make a form with a mailto action, despite this list of problems? While you may think you you have no issues in your situation, others will have issues. Approximately 20% use web based email accounts, which fails on forms like these (as noted in feherke's 2nd bullet). And if you simply display your email address as a plain mailto link, this 20% won't be able to reach you either.

Forms are not a challenge to create. For your lower submission rate, you can use the free service levels from places like these:

http://webform.com/

http://www.jotform.com/

 

[Pyrrhus]

Thanks, Spamjim.

You've convinced me. I had overlooked the online service approach - despite the fact that last time I did a similar form application I used SurveyMonkey, which seemed to work well. I'll take a look at your 2 suggestions later.

My real motivation in taking the mailto: approach was to avoid using my hosting service tools, since I don't really like them but am locked in at the moment - plus don't want to go through the hassle of shifting a number of sites right now. Your suggestions should avoid this. Of course, I realise that the server interface I need is probably hosting-service-independent/transferable anyway, but I don't know enought about it, except that most hosting services seem to make it as difficult as possible to do anything.

Thanks, again. You may have saved me from my own stupidity.

Pyrrhus.