I don’t have to tell anyone that in the last year or so the sheer volume of food blogs, blogs in general and personal based web sites have absolutely exploded in all directions. Some are clearly paid writers, some are avid fans and some people are just plain having a good time. I say, go for it.
But if you’re going to take the the time to get your site up, designed and your content organized, WOULD YOU PLEASE PUT YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION up? There are instances where your readers need to contact you for one reason or another. One might be to let you know the method for blocking spam doesn’t really work. Or maybe you screwed up a comment and need some help either editing it or removing it completely. There have been a few times when the images you’ve installed aren’t registerging correct and need some work with the html end of things. Or maybe you’ve posted something that is misleading or incorrect. It would be nice to be able to contact you directly and not clutter up your comments section with it. And sometimes the conversation is better left private.
We all know one cannot post your true email address on a web page, the spam bots would overrun us with unwanted email. You also should not use the mailto function in html. However, you can use things such as drbiggles at nospam dot com or something simmilar.
In any case, a web site needs to have a contact. An email with someone behind it to administer to the needy. Please put contact information on your blogs. Thank you and good will towards us all.
ps – Just in case you’re interested in munging your email address, go HERE.
Biggles
MeatHenge
"If it ain't pork, it ain't sausage"
Does having my email address in my Profiles section with Blogger count?! I’m not savy enough to know how to have that show up on my template section without it being ugly. I’m going to Food Blog Scool right now though.
Hey Alice,
You bet it does. For blogger blogs I usually check there first. I don’t mind hunting for it, but it needs to be somewhere. Just gotta be!
Dr B – maybe you should join food blog scool and post your rant there. We’d love to have you join us.
I would like you to explain why you shouldn’t use mailto, especially because I just told someone how to do it and i dont want to give bad advice. Is it for the spam bot reason too? I use mailto with a dedicated to my blog only gmail account and all my spam ends up being caught by the spam filter so it’s not caused me a problem at all.
I don’t mind suggestions about the way I should or shouldn’t behave, but I need to know the reasoning behind “do this” or “don’t do that” so i can make up my own mind.
I agree that being able to contact someone is nice, but maybe some people don’t want to be contacted. As one of the main draws, for me at least, towards a blog, is that is has a personality, I am not going to stop long at a place where there is no personal info, anyway.
sigh. okay. i added it to my blogger profile. i’ve been shamed. i just hope i’m not the one with the glaring errors in my blog. but if i am, you can email me privately and NO ONE HAS TO KNOW!
Hey Sam,
Yeah, spammers got these bots that harvest your email address from the mailto in your code. That’s all that is.
I believe that if someone wants to remain, for the most part, anonymous they shouldn’t have a web site. We’ve got hundreds of people visiting out sites daily, to think we’re getting away with something is silly. Just put some dumb contact information in there, just in case.
I know it’s easier for me because I have several domains and with that comes 12 free email accounts with each. But what with gmail & yahoo, one can make an account there and use that for a contact and NOT use your real email address. Easy peasy.
Biggles
Hey Deepfry,
Shamed? Oh poo. It was a rant based upon my personal frustration with my daily rounds to food related web sites. This is all and nothing more. You’ll sleep better at night, I promise.
Biggles
It’s funny because I sent my blog to my ‘rents and others in that same age range and everyone said, “thanks for sending that along, it was nifty.” but I could tell that not a one of them knew it was MY blog!
The way I have it us contact me gets cliked on and peeps can email me. And my ABOUT says someone general but specific enough info about me…
Is this right?
I guess I wish i could figure out how to do what is being done here—- that you respond right on the site to the people. I have been a real gentleman and sent a little note to those who have posted their comment with an email address, but I kinda wish it would show up on the site…
But I am over here bein real patient. And hoping my meat angel will continue to help me with the lingo a little at a time. :}