On 1 Nov 99, 8:02, HumorHelper wrote:
> I remember reading somewhere something about using Mailto: as a
> prefix to email addys and some sort of <hrf something or other as
> prefix for web page addies. Supposedly because they would make the
> addresses more universal or something. In other words my email addy of
> [EMAIL PROTECTED] might not be clickable without the Mailto:
> prefix and my http://www.HumorMall.com might not be clickable wihtout
> the <hrf format. Could you please clarify proper usuage and reasons
> of these functions?
I've never read an actual explanation, but based on observation, the
AOL e-mail agent within it's propietary software does not properly
detect a URL unless it is in HTML format.
A "mailto:" is a special URL that rather than pointing to some remote
file in the Internet, points to an e-mail address of someone that can
be reached in the Internet. Most of our modern e-mail agents have a
routine written into the program to recognize by form the various URL
schemes, as well as standard e-mail addresses and then making it
possible to click onto URL link or a mailto: URL in a message, to open
a new message composition window. Apparently the AOL e-mail client
does not do this unless the the incoming e-mail has their URL's shown
in HTML format. AOL should not be disparaged here, for the mailto:
scheme has not been universally accepted by all. A majority, yes...but
not yet all.
In HTML, a link to a file or e-mail address is designated with the
anchor tag = <A> </A>
This pared tag takes a second part, an attribute. To make a link to a
file or e-mail address, we use the attribute HREF and set it equal to
our link or e-mail address URL in quotes. Example:
<A HREF="http://members.xoom.com/seeknfind/>Your SeeknFind List Site</A>
In showing a mailto: in an e-mail message to make it where clients that
do not have the capability, be able to click onto the URL and bring up
a new message composition window, we can use the same <A HREF> code:
<A HREF="mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>[EMAIL PROTECTED]</A>
For most of our clients, my just typing: [EMAIL PROTECTED] would be
sufficient for it to show in the recipient's message window as a
clickable link. But for my AOL correspondents, should I definitely
want that to show to them as a clickable link, I would have to enter
the HTML code I show above.
You will see the larger mailing lists that serve many AOL subscribers,
use a combination of the A HREF tag and standard notation. As large as
AOL is, you cannot ignore their needs.
Now it maybe that the new AOL version 5.0 addresses the mailto:
situation. I don't know myself. Perhaps a user of version 5.0 can add
some insight here.
Alan
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
