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How to cloak email addresses in SMF posts?

Started by websites, February 10, 2011, 01:05:13 PM

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websites

Dear Community,

We have been using SMF for quite some time now, but unfortunately we are now getting many complaints from our members in regards to spam and scammers "mostly Nigerian fraudsters" who are contacting our members who's email address is left for contacting purposes for genuine enquiries.

We simply don't have the time or the resources to interview every new member and I was wondering if there was any way we might be able to provide a contact link that would alert posters of a contact, without giving out their email address in the forum... Mind you, we are manuually posting the posts... So I am looking for a way that would just cloak the email addresses so all the rogue members could not simply gain access to same?

Any ideas would be most appreciated


Thank you in advance..


James


Matthew K.

So, basically, you want to provide email forms to members that does not reveal their email addresses but allows someone to contact a member?

NanoSector

Quote from: Labradoodle-360 on February 10, 2011, 02:18:40 PM
So, basically, you want to provide email forms to members that does not reveal their email addresses but allows someone to contact a member?
That is pretty useless :-\

The email address isn't revealed but the spammers still have a tool to email them...
My Mods / Mod Builder - A tool to easily create mods / Blog
"I've heard from a reliable source that the Answer is 42. But, still no word on what the question is."

Matthew K.

I don't think so at all. I think it's a great idea - Actually.
Quote from: Simple Series team on February 10, 2011, 02:24:55 PM
Quote from: Labradoodle-360 on February 10, 2011, 02:18:40 PM
So, basically, you want to provide email forms to members that does not reveal their email addresses but allows someone to contact a member?
That is pretty useless :-\

The email address isn't revealed but the spammers still have a tool to email them.

Toosmart


NanoSector

Quote from: Labradoodle-360 on February 10, 2011, 02:25:58 PM
I don't think so at all. I think it's a great idea - Actually.
Quote from: Simple Series team on February 10, 2011, 02:24:55 PM
Quote from: Labradoodle-360 on February 10, 2011, 02:18:40 PM
So, basically, you want to provide email forms to members that does not reveal their email addresses but allows someone to contact a member?
That is pretty useless :-\

The email address isn't revealed but the spammers still have a tool to email them.
Which is something I don't agree with -- the spammers are still able to spam.
My Mods / Mod Builder - A tool to easily create mods / Blog
"I've heard from a reliable source that the Answer is 42. But, still no word on what the question is."

NanoSector

Quote from: Arantor on February 11, 2011, 09:57:55 AM
So remove the permission of newer users from using the send email function!
Arantor... That does not solve the issue. Many forum owners want the function to be available for new members.
My Mods / Mod Builder - A tool to easily create mods / Blog
"I've heard from a reliable source that the Answer is 42. But, still no word on what the question is."

websites

#7
Thanks for the interaction guys... I looked at something like an email cloaker program via www.xinbox.com [nofollow] but I am not sure that their system is still active, though in theory it looked worthwhile.  You set up a quick account with them, then when someone clicks on a link to contact someone "Lets say via a link posted in an SMF forum" then it opens up a nother window and the contactee can contact the poster using a CAPTCHA verification process. You can also choose to hide or not hide the email address it is going to (Annonymous).

Something like this would be very handy, if it was active?  Oops.. I spoke to soon.. it worked this time. See: http://xinbox.com/business [nofollow] which might be an annonymous link for people to contact me for example.

There seems to be quite a few options you can use for setting up the link page too, like including a default subject heading for email if required, hiding or showing a name and email address if required and of course the captcha image verification code.

In our forum, we have made it a read only forum and not an interactive one (on purpose) and we post the information manually (on purpose) with the postee's email address so that members can contact them. Something like xinbox looks handy if we can readily create an account for each postee (letting them know that we will do so first) and then create a link page for contact by members like my link above, which does not reveal the email address.

This should weed out email list farmers and at the very least, make sure that there is less spam.. Not much that can be done about frausters contacting them (Nigerians and Alike) but it should help if xinbox proves to be reliable?

James

Pause

If you are doing it manually, perhaps the URL option of reCAPTCHA Mailhide would suffice?

EDIT: Oops, didn't realise that this topic was a few weeks old.
"You and me, inside that box, now." - The Doctor

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KathyT

I am also looking for a way to keep members from emailing or seeing email addresses, but have yet found nothing.  I have see a few posts of people saying they are using a mod to not show emails by default, or hide the option of showing it, but I haven't see anything at all.  I tell members to keep it off, but they do whatever they want to do anyway.  I just want it default,   

I know if I switch to 2.0 and use the mail system that will hide the email addresses (or do I even have to upgrade to 2.0?) - but then can I just turn off the mail system and have email communication at a complete halt?   Is it difficult to upgrade?   I cannot afford to have my forum down for any extended period of time and if I mess it up I'd be in deep 'caca'. 

anil.singh

So, basically, you want to provide email forms to members that does not reveal their email addresses but allows someone to contact a member?

anil.singh


aishaweb

also, taking steps to prevent the spammers joining in the first place would be good, plus not allowing guests to view members email addys.

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