email harvesters and PHP scripts

[Kysmiley]

How do I keep spam bots, email harvesters from harvesting email addresses in my PHP scripts. I have a contact form with a few email addresses that are only on that form yet I am getting spam email to these addresses even though others tell me harvesters can not look into scripts to get email addresses
Pat

[jatar_k]

they can't look into scripts as the source is never served to the browser/bot.

they can only read them if they are in the html source

[Kysmiley]

thanks, so that means I will have to try to figure out how thses email addresses are being harvested
Pat

[jatar_k]

yup ;)

look for email adresses in mailto links or just statically on any html pages

I usually convert these to ascii or use images. Though really, give them a contact form and never display email addresses at all.

[nubbin]

Hi,
I agree with Jatar_K and since implementing that approach have cut down spam by 99%. I reckon fixing the problem with visible email addresses on my site was one of the best changes I made ot the site - it saves so much time not dealing with the spam.

A tiny amount of spam occasionally slips through. I think the bots must automatically fill in my contact form and then harvest the email address from the email reply sent by by form. It is quite rare though and I made that email address one only used for autoreplies saying "thanks for contacting me..." so if spam becomes a problem I'll just change that email address.

Good luck

[jatar_k]

also remember that accounts like

admin
webmaster
etc..

plus generic names

bob
joe
bill
etc...

are often hit just by random emailers, they didn't get it from somewhere, they just use a list of the most common geberic accounts and names

[hiker_jjw]

I like to use JavaScript to encode the email addresses. Split them up into parts and then recombine. Images are also a great solution.

[LeChuck]

You aren't using a form with action="mailto:[e-mail]"?

[Kysmiley]

I think it was hit on the head with addressed like jim bob john all my emails are buried in pjp contact scripts.
Pat