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List Moderator:                     Published by:
Adam Audette                          LED Digest
adam, led-digest.com     http://www.led-digest.com
..............................................
May 25, 2006                       Issue no. 2168
..............................................



            .....IN THIS DIGEST.....


====== NEW =====================

        --== Postcard Marketing ==--

                ~ Beth Earle
"And, now, for something completely different..."


==== CONTINUING =================

        --== Email Cloaking ==--

                ~ Dan Thies
"...we've never had an address picked up by a spider."

                ~ Will Bontrager
"Spiders are software. Browsers are software."

                ~ Kevin Houston
"Turn the email address into a small distorted .gif..."

        --== Eudora & Outlook [was: Feedback Forms] ==--

                ~ Tom Anson
"I found some really troubling things with Eudora."


==== BILLBOARD ===================

        --== Go Daddy ==--
                ~ Rod Aries

        --== Fighting Spam - A Study ==--
                ~ Tamra Heathershaw-Hart
                ~ Tom Aman


========== NEW ===================================

From: Beth Ann Earle
Subject: New Post - Postcard Marketing

Hi, guys.

And, now, for something completely different: We're planning on
doing a postcard campaign later this year, and we're trying to
decide what sort of postcard to use.

We'll be targeting b2b companies concerning our SEO services and web
design. A few people here really like those wacky 3D postcards (sort
of like the prizes in Cracker Jack boxes), where if you move the
card, the image moves or changes.

But ... I'm not so sure. Maybe if we could pick an animation that
graphically represents the benefits we provide our clients (a frowny
face to smiley face? - bleh!), it would be OK. But ... it just seems
a little cheesy for a b2b message -- not that b2c is a cheesy
market; it just seems like you might have more leeway with certain
sets of consumers.

What do you guys think? What sort of postcard campaigns have gotten
your attention? What's worked in your own campaigns?

Thanks a bunch for all of the great participation and support that
all LED'ers (even the lurkers) continually provide,

Beth Earle
www.pilotfishseo.com


======== CONTINUING ===============================

From: Dan Thies
Subject: Email cloaking

> Anyone have the technical knowledge to KNOW
> for sure whether encoding no longer works?
        - Michael Linehan, LED 2167

Re: Michael Linehan's question:

I have been using js to conceal email addresses for several years,
and AFAIK we've never had an address picked up by a spider. I've
seen email scraper applications that can handle simple character /
hex encoding with no trouble, but I haven't seen any that can crack
a well-crafted JavaScript solution.

1. If the email address is exposed in the js code, it will be read -
so something like email=' This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it ' in the source
code would be easily picked up by your run-of-the-mill email
scraper. Ditto if you put the address in a form <.input>.

2. If the scraper is capable of parsing the js code within the
page's source code, to find email addresses or mailtos, then one
possible solution would be to put the function in an external js
file, forcing the spider to also fetch and parse those files.

For spammers, anything that slows the spider down will reduce the
number of addresses they can collect, so I can't imagine why anyone
would want an application that parsed all of the JavaScript on a
site. While it's technically possible, it's not worth the bother as
long as there are jillions of web pages with plain text email
addresses on display.

Dan Thies

SEO Research Labs
http://www.seoresearchlabs.com


-------- new post - same topic ---------

From: Will Bontrager
Subject: Email cloaking

Spiders are software. Browsers are software.

Browsers can run JavaScript and decode anything that's designed to
obfuscate an email address.

Now think about this, the Mozilla source code (used in Netscape and
Firefox browsers, for examples) has been available for a long time.
It's free for the download.

While certainly more involved than a simple copy 'n paste from
browser code to harvester code, email address harvesting spiders can
be made to parse JavaScript and decode HTML entities just like
browsers can. If they don't do it now, it is a safe and certain
prediction that they will.

Ever since I delved into the email address obfuscation game I have
thought it silly to assume harvesting software programmers can not
do what browser programmers can. Underestimate thine enemy and ye
shall suffer spam.

> "... There are 2 ways to protect your email
> an image of your email or don't publish it."
        - Quoted by Michael Linehan, LED 2167

Yes. Those are the only two options I'm aware of that work
consistently for all browsers.

However, because the above quote was said to come from a harvesting
software sales site, I must now doubt the protection an image might
previously have afforded. You can't trust spammers. If they promote
something, like the "use images to protect your email" instance, one
must wonder what they gain from it.

Sharp characters in an image might now be readable by harvesters. It
may be prudent to distort the character shapes and use color shifts
for better protection.

Image:

When an image is used, do not then link it with a mailto: address!
That defeats the purpose. Harvesting spiders look at the source
code. They'll grab that mailto: address so fast it will make your
mailbox spin.

Non-publication:

Use contact forms for feedback, forms that do not require your email
address anywhere on the form or in the source code, not even in a
hidden field. If your address is anywhere on or in a web page, it
will be found.

There is software available, both free and commercial, that will let
you have forms without publishing your email address.

Pseudo-Immunity:

Some folks publish their email on their web sites but receive little
or no spam at that address. Yet, it's only a matter of time. Once
their web site gets more traffic and has more links from other
sites, spiders will follow a link and find the email.

Now is the time to remove it, before it gets on spammers' lists.
Once on the lists, it's there for the duration. ("It happened to me"
story: An email address that had been deleted for over a year,
originally removed because of spam, was recreated. Even after all
that time, the address was still a spam destination!)

Will Bontrager
http://bontragerconnection.com/contact.shtml


-------- new post - same topic ---------

From: Kevin Houston
Subject: Email cloaking

Seems to me the best way to cloak an email would be to use a turing-
test.  Turn the email address into a small distorted .gif and
display that.  No known computer program can decode these images
(although human-aided networks can)

Another trick (not foolproof by any means, but perhaps it will fool
the harvesters if no one looks into it) would be to have a bogus
mailto: tag, but hide the real email in the title of the tag.

<.a xhref="mailto:plausable.random.name@2130706433"
title=" This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it ">Hover here to see the real email.<./a>

Humans can hover their mouse to see the tool-tip window, but most
email harvesters will be misled by the mailto tag (if they do
attempt to send using the bogus email, it will just bounce back to
the mahcine that sends it.  (2130706433=127.0.0.1=loopback) };->

Finally, you could use public key encryption (i.e. PGP) a user would
have to solve a turing test in order to receive the decryption key
as a cookie.   Then the javascript decoder could use that cookie to
decrypt the email link at the time of clicking.

Later,

Kevin Houston


-------- new post - new topic ---------

From: Tom Anson
Subject: Spam study

I appreciate the help offered by Viggie Bala and Kathy Wilson, as
well as Tom Aman.  I took a look and found the header very easily.
That's great.

About Eudora: I tried using it for a while (back when I first
installed FireFox).  There are many things about it that I really
liked.  However, I like to send out my email in HTML format, and I
copy and paste quite a lot in my work.  I found some really
troubling things with Eudora.

Although everything looked great on my monitor (maybe even
artistic), when I sent it out, the recipient often received a
garbled mass of unintellible code (along with a little of the
intended text).

When I sent out messages in either text or HTML, the recipient often
had to scroll side-to-side to read the message.  Eudora would not
include text-wrap.

These problems were unknown to me until a couple of my customers
mailed back samples of what came to them.  I was shocked and
horrified (I guess I have a delicate disposition).

I'd love to use Eudora again.  I'm just wondering if that would
require that I use only plain text or if there is a way to make HTML
actually work in Eudora.  Any ideas on this?  My computer techie
didn't even try on this one; he just helped me switch back to
OutLook Express.

By the way: even in OutLook Express, I tend to clean up the code in
my HTML messages -- so it's not all that wonderful, either.

Tom Anson

Anson Aromatic Essentials
http://www.therapeutic-grade.com


==== BILLBOARD ===================================

From: Rod Aries
Subject: Go Daddy

> ... I really do not like Go Daddy... PLEASE sign
> up with Tucows.com (opensrs.org) -- it costs
> a little more, but the service is fantastic...
        - John Smart, LED 2165

I own over 15,000 domains and I have 2,000+ with godaddy - and price
was a major concern when they were bought at godaddy. There are a
number of issues I have with their admin panel for domain changes
with this many domains - I would give them about a C+ grade, but for
single domains, it works just great maybe a B++

I have a number of friends who I give grief to when they email using
something like This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it I have had
many go to the godaddy to register a single domain (their
FirstNameLastName.com) and yesterday, with a coupon, I got a friend
their name as a URL, with free privacy, free email and a free single
web page.. all for $6.95 a year.  Sure godaddy isn't perfect, but at
this price, it is a great deal for single users.

I don't have a reseller account nor stock options in the upcoming
IPO.

> ... if you really want excellent service you should
> use PairNic.com to register your domains and
> Pair.com to host. Period. THE best.
        - Nancy Cardinali, LED 2167

I agree. EVERY domain that I own that I rely on for income, I HOST
at pair. They are never down, great customer service... and they are
downright cheap on their fees.

> I've used GoDaddy as well and totally dislike the
> misrepresentation and overly zealous advertising
> concepts. Anyways, my experience with Tucows
> (OpenSRS) isn't so good either. We elected to
> use Bulkregister.com.
        - Lee Roberts, LED 2166

We probably have domains at 50+ different registrars.  Godaddy is
annoying as they bombard you with all the add-ons to purcahse - but
we just ignore that and use the quick check out feature. Tucows and
BulkRegister I have found to be "OK." The vast majority of domains
we keep at eNom.com because of the price and ease to use their
domain name admin panel.

Rod Aries


-------- new post - new topic --------

From: Tamra Heathershaw-Hart
Subject: Spam study

> I use OutLook Express, which doesn't
> provide the header.
        - Tom Anson, LED 2166

I also use Outlook Express on the PC and the headers are actually
available -- they aren't front-n-center, but they're there. Select
the message you want the headers for, and right-click to pop up the
contextual menu. Select Properties (the last item). In the top of
the little window that pops up select the Details tab, and there
you'll see the headers. Copy and paste that entire window's content
into your website form (alt-tab to get to your browser window, then
alt-tab back), and click OK or Cancel on the little popup to make it
go away (you'll want to do that because while it's open it's the
only email window you'll have for some weird reason).

Since it's a convoluted process I only go to all the work of finding
the headers when there's phishing involved (ebay, banks), not just
for run of the mill spam.

BTW, out of curiosity I tried the "unsubscribe from every spam"
method when it was suggested here. I think my spam has doubled, and
it's all the same stuff (identical sales pitches) as the ones I
unsub'd from. Go figure.

Tamra Heathershaw-Hart

Brand-forward Design
Crendo www.crendo.com


-------- new post - same topic ---------

From: Tom Aman
Subject: Spam study

> The "Sweet George Sound Big Band" mentioned
> by Tom Aman has their email completely exposed.
> And Tom, you... put your email in your post today.
> So it is now exposed in the LED archives (or will be).
        - Michael Linehan, LED 2165

While I agree that having your email address exposed on your site
*may* (likely) result in it being harvested for SPAM purposes, I
have had my email appear in a number of LED posts and it does not
seem to have caused any problems there (no increase in SPAM).

My personal thoughts about unsubscribing: I suspect that some time
ago (several years ago) this may well have been a bad thing to try
but with the various cases where SPAMMERS have been sued, in some
cases very successfully (millions awarded), and the fact that
anti-SPAM laws exist in various countries in addition to the US, I
suspect that many SPAMMERS are being a bit more careful.  Failing to
respond appropriately to unsubscribe requests has become potentially
dangerous for the SPAMMER since there is no way they can know
whether or not the unsubscriber may be someone who will sue.  And
even if the lawsuit does not succeed, the cost of defending could be
expensive.

> ... almost all of my spam email does not have an
> unsubscribe link. However, about 95% of what I get
> is affiliate spam from one website.
        - Tom Anson, LED 2166

When a spam email does not have an unsubscribe link, it is worth
going to the Web site advertised and looking for an unsubscribe
there.  You will often find one (look carefully, it may be buried in
small type at the bottom of the page).

As for the affiliate spam from one Web site, I used to receive a lot
of that and I had to report / unsubscribe many, many times, but
eventually it disappeared.

> I have no confidence in the Viagra, Cialis type sites
> & haven't ventured unsubscribing there. Some of
> these unsubscribe links goes to an idential looking
> newsletter unsubscribe forms.
        - Viggie Bala, LED 2167

The Viagra, Cialis type sites are no different from the others and
you can unsubscribe from them, too.  Only thing is that at least one
of them makes the unsubscribe process a bit more complex in that
they ask for copies of the email headers and the email body and
other info to be entered in a form. But eventually the unsubscribe
works.

With regard to the unsubscribe links going to identical looking
forms, these probably originate from some kind of pyramid marketing
scheme. I hit a number of these, mostly low rate mortgage offers,
but just kept unsubscribing and eventually they disappeared.

Tom Aman

Aman Software
http://www.cyberspyder.com
Home of CyberSpyder Link Test


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