I just want to add that extending your mailto: link to prepopulate the subject is a nice touch. It lets you filter the emails coming in and it saves the user from adding yet another step Href="mailto:[email protected]?subject=feedback from bar.com"
mailto: links are becoming more useful in our mobile world. While not completely supported, you can use the tel: link as well. -- Ted Drake Yahoo! Inclusive Design http://accessibility.yahoo.com Twitter: @yahooaccess Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/YahooAccessibility On 1/4/12 6:18 AM, "Lesley Binks" <[email protected]> wrote: > On 3 January 2012 20:51, Chris Price <[email protected]> wrote: >> Hi >> >> I've been discussing the mailto link with other designers on LinkedIn and >> wonder what the opinions of other standards based designers are. >> >> The original question had to do with the contact form. I suggested that many >> people don't like contact forms and prefer to email directly from their mail >> client. > > A mailto link is a mailto link; a contact form is a contact form. They are > two > separate entities. > > I'm not bothered by using either, although I tend not to pursue matters > where the on-line presentation is a contact form and no other reasonable > form of communication. I prefer to be able to find at least a full address > and email on the site, and that the email address pertains to > the correct domain. I don't count premium rate telephone numbers as a > reasonable form of alternative communication. > >> >> One response was that an email link follow through to a contact form as some >> users will be disconcerted when their default mail client opens >> unexpectedly. The point being that the savvy user will know to copy the >> email address and paste it in their client if they don't want to use the >> form. I use Gmail and tend to copy the email but I'm not copying the visible >> link I'm using the browser's option of copying the actual link. > > It has always been the default behaviour of the mailto link to fire the local > user mail client; likewise I often lift the actual email address off the site > and use it without recourse to a default mail client. > >> >> My argument is that I don't expect an email link to take me to another page >> and I instinctively feel I'm being led by the nose to do what the web >> designer wants not what I expect to happen. My rule of thumb is that a web >> page should do what's expected rather than what's expedient. Its not my job >> to cater for people's inadequacies, that's the browser's job. > > A properly formed mailto link doesn't open up a web page, it triggers the > local > mail client. I would regard creating a link to a contact form using an email > address as the link text to be both a misleading presentation of information, > however mild, and a poor use of information. > >> >> Another suggestion was that we should cater to the desires of the client. >> Unfortunately this could be likened to having a car designed by the salesman >> rather than the car manufacturer. I don't think there is a simple way to get >> the mailto link to open in a web based client (though there may be browser >> specific options). > > I think it is quite simple; a contact page, with names, address(es), telephone > numbers, email address(es) and a contact form with a select option on the > email address to use where multiple email addresses are available. > > For any business transaction, I would want to see the name of the company, > a contact address and a non-premium rate telephone number. Then I can > decide how to contact the company particular;y in the event of any problems. > > For anything else, at least an email address should be provided and contact > forms are more acceptable there. I still feel there should be some > form of contact address available on the site. > > Regards > > Lesley > > > ******************************************************************* > List Guidelines: http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfm > Unsubscribe: http://webstandardsgroup.org/join/unsubscribe.cfm > Help: [email protected] > ******************************************************************* > ******************************************************************* List Guidelines: http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfm Unsubscribe: http://webstandardsgroup.org/join/unsubscribe.cfm Help: [email protected] *******************************************************************
