# Posting your email address in threads



## Joe Blow (16 May 2007)

I have noticed recently that some people have been posting their email addresses in various threads on ASF. This is not a practice I would encourage unless you like deleting spam.

Many may not be aware of it but there are spam bots roaming the internet scanning web pages (including forum threads) seeking out email addresses. Rest assured that when your email is harvested by one of these bots it will be mercilessly pounded with spam. I know first hand, it has happened to some of mine.

Read more about spam bots here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spambot

I suggest that if people are going to post their email they do it in a format that is not recognisable as an email address such as myemail [at] myisp [dot] com. However, even this is probably not safe as these kind of tactics are well known to spammers and bots now or in the future may be programmed to identify emails addresses posted in this way.  

All things considered, emails are best exchanged via PM or email. That is the only way to ensure they are not compromised.


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## Happy (16 May 2007)

It might be interesting to include e-mail address of the Internet regulator body.

Maybe they will do something serious, if they start to get annoyed by unwanted e-mail. 

Just a thought


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## marklar (16 May 2007)

Happy said:


> It might be interesting to include e-mail address of the Internet regulator body.
> 
> Maybe they will do something serious, if they start to get annoyed by unwanted e-mail.
> 
> Just a thought



You're new here, aren't you?  

The Internet isn't really regulated, politicians think they can, but ultimately they fail!

m.


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## doctorj (16 May 2007)

Happy said:


> It might be interesting to include e-mail address of the Internet regulator body.



I like your sense of irony


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## Joe Blow (29 August 2007)

I keep seeing people posting their email addresses in various threads on the forums.

Please be aware that doing this *will* result in your email address being pounded with copious amounts of spam.

Passing on email addresses via ASF's private message system is a far safer alternative.


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## black_bird2 (29 August 2007)

No offence Happy as I am new to all this and no where near experienced compared to your posts, but I agree with Joe, Dr J, and Marklar. The regulators have tried to ban pr0n for a while and they do not seem to make much headway in that realm and making that a basis for my argument, what chance have they at making a dent in a legal forum?? 
Just my


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## Nicks (30 August 2007)

I agree. I would certainly love to post some politicians email addresses here so a spam bot can get them.

But you know there are laws against spamming (in this country and others) doesnt do much good for the Russian or Nigerian spammers though.


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## Stan 101 (1 September 2007)

charging a nominal fee for every email that is sent through an ISP would soon fix it...

maybe .01 cent per email might go some way to stopping spam...


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## silence (3 September 2007)

You could probably get away with posting it in this form so bots don't pick it up:

john (dot) smith (at) gmail (dot) com


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## Juan Mortyme (9 September 2008)

Another way is to remove KNICKERS to Email:

eg. j.citizen@KNICKERSgmail.com


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