https://bugzilla.wikimedia.org/show_bug.cgi?id=40347
Web browser: ---
Bug #: 40347
Summary: Implement ability to safely link e-mail addresses
Product: MediaWiki
Version: unspecified
Platform: All
OS/Version: All
Status: NEW
Severity: normal
Priority: Unprioritized
Component: General/Unknown
AssignedTo: [email protected]
ReportedBy: [email protected]
Classification: Unclassified
Mobile Platform: ---
Wiki users are worried about spam when they use mailto: links, particularly as
Wikimedia wikis are so well indexed by search engines and so readily available
on the Internet. So people have come up with methods of obfuscating e-mail
addresses, but these solutions all kind of suck. Examples:
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:@
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:No_spam
The problem with these obfuscation methods is that they kill any link
altogether and they disrupt copy and paste ability. This sucks.
I think this general usability problem needs more focus, so I'm filing a bug.
There are various solutions possible here:
* rely on a distinction in the parsing of mailto: links in a page based on user
status; e.g., you could only auto-link the mailto: links if the user is
autoconfirmed, otherwise, output (obfuscated) plaintext
* auto-link e-mail addresses or strings that look like e-mail addresses and
ignore the spam problem (the "don't let the terrorists win" option,
essentially)
* introduce some kind of {{#mailto:}} parser function that can vary behavior
based on user logged-in status (similar to what's described in bullet one)
Probably some other solutions can be thought of as well. Basically, it'd be
nice if the links actually worked. And if the current obfuscation methods are
just getting in the way of legitimate users and not doing anything to stop bad
bots and scripts, that should be improved as well.
--
Configure bugmail: https://bugzilla.wikimedia.org/userprefs.cgi?tab=email
------- You are receiving this mail because: -------
You are the assignee for the bug.
You are on the CC list for the bug.
_______________________________________________
Wikibugs-l mailing list
[email protected]
https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikibugs-l
