Suggestion for improving markup

I am refering to "mailto:" instances.

Sometimes it is possible for people to type a correct email address 
in the mailto part, but get this wrong in this "visible" part.

e.g. 
**** WRONG ****
<a href="mailto:www.html.editor@w3.org">www-html-editor@w3.org</a>

I know that some people prefer to use a friendly name as the visible 
part...
 
e.g
**** RIGHT ****
<a href="mailto:www-html-editor@w3.org">W3 HTML Editors</a>

For the instances where the email address is the same for both (ie 
for mailto: and for between opening and closing tags - ie "visible" 
part) - is it not possible to handle this in a different way?

Perhaps it is laziness, carelessness etc...
However if web-authors only needed to type an address once, then fair 
enough it may still be incorrect, but at least could stand a greater 
chance of being consistent. I think it is better to be consistently 
wrong, rather than to be inconsistent. Though neither is ideal.

Unfortunately I don't have any answers :-( 
...just think it would be good if it could be improved in some way? 

Then there are other issues relating to harvesting of e-mail 
addresses....

Im sure that you (like a vast proportion of other users) hate SPAM 
mail / junk mail.

I would gladly welcome any attempt to re-think how email addresses 
are coded in HTML and any anti-SPAM measures would be a bonus - 
though realise the solution here is less likely to be markup 
orientated.


/(eith

--
Keith Duncan
Research Technician
Electronic Engineering and Physics Division,
Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences,
University of Dundee
Nethergate
Dundee DD1 4HN

Tel +44(0)1382 344570
Fax +44(0)1382 348313

Received on Wednesday, 5 February 2003 09:04:53 UTC