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CATEGORIESUsing mailto: links — Really, We’re still doing this?
October 28th, 2006Recently I’ve come across two major sites using “mailto:” links on their pages. Seriously… I thought this went out of practice years ago.
Unless I’m really missing something, it seems that using web forms is far, far better practice, mainly because most people don’t use the default mail client in windows to send email. (I hate it when Outlook opens in this situation and pops up all these absurd alerts that I have no interest in because I don’t use the damn program!) I think it is possible to change the mail client, but I’ve never even tried to figure that out, because I use webmail.
1) AOL Video — “Email to a Friend” link
So you’re watching a video on AOL and want to send it to a friend, and click this button, and it tries to open the default mail client. I actually was facilitating a usability test on this site and the user attempted to do this; needless to say she immediately gave up once she realized there was no form involved. (She was a Yahoo! Mail user, btw.)
2) Gap.com Customer Service
Same thing, mailto:custserv@gap.com, plus use of the “subject” parameter to populate the subject field. (And this is the AJAX site of the future???) I wonder how much spam they get to this address!
> it seems that using web forms is far, far better practice, mainly because
> most people don’t use the default mail client in windows to send email.
Really??? All my family uses real email clients. Using webmail as your only exclusive access to email is just stupid. No way to refer back to old emails, no locally searchable archives, dependence upon someone *else* to stay in business, or lock-in to one mail provider if you intend to keep any back emails. Yep, just oputright stupid to rely on webmail.
So yes, easy links for your **REAL** email client is still a requirement. Sorry that it offends your insular little world.
Well, I stand corrected. If everyone in James’ family still use real email clients, and James thinks anyone who uses webmail is stupid, this must no longer be a problem. Thanks James for clearing that up! I feel much better now.