Sorry but I just didn't know where to post this. If I receive an email about an accomodation in Rome from someone that I posted on the Graffiti Wall(I've included my email address on the Wall) is that email routed via RS to protect my privacy? I received an email from someone & when I responded I received a computer generated "failure" status notification.
Posted by
OP
Trussville, Al
187 posts
Thanks Steve. I have received PM's & clicked on the link & retrieved my message there so know how to do that. I just wanted to make sure. I guess this person saw my review on TripAdvisor I posted also & has contacted me from that. I just don't want people to think I don't respond to messages. I guess he gave me a bad email address. Thanks again.
Posted by
US Pacific Northwest
10344 posts
Stephanie: You're onto something, here's the problem: People who post on the Graffiti Wall (GW) may not understand that, if at the bottom of their post (not here but on the GW) they see a blue hypertext that looks like this< email >then anyone who clicks on the hypertext gets their actual e-mail address.
If you posted on the GW and you see, under your post, something that looks like this:< email > then click on it and you'll see that your e-mail address (not your user name here) is visible to anyone who clicks on it.
Apparently, the automatic spam programs that hunt for e-mail addresses posted on the internet are able to basically do the same thing and are finding the e-mail addresses posted on the GW.
Posted by
Portlandia
3313 posts
Kent's right. People frequently include their e-mail addresses on the Graffiti Wall and sometimes even here on the Helpline. Once they do, their e-mail addresses are in the public domain and mined for spamming. Never post your e-mail address on a bulletin board.
Posted by
OP
Trussville, Al
187 posts
Thank you Kent. That is nice to know & I would never have thought about that & do hope that is not the case.
Posted by
OP
Trussville, Al
187 posts
And thank you Doug. I suppose I'm just so naive or computer illiterate to think such things happen. I'll remember not to post my email address from now on.
Posted by
US Pacific Northwest
10344 posts
"I'll remember not to post my email address from now on."
Unfortunately, this happens even when people don't use their e-mail address in their GW post.
Posted by
Eugene, Oregon, USA
959 posts
eMails addresses are fine if you know how to use them.
Experienced Netters usually maintain three.
Your private and personal email. Used in buying stuff or tied in to your on-line bill paying. Never used in open on the net.
Checked Daily. ONLY GIVEN OUT TO TRUSTED PEOPLE and sitesYour secondary email address, one of the many free addresses that are available through hotmail or gmail. Use this one for blogs or other BBs you frequent or any online sales through Craigs List, eBay or Rick Steves. I look at that one ever week.
Your Trash eMail, also from of the free email providers. Use this one to respond to any one or anything cause it will fill-up with spam. I just look at that one once a month. When it fills-up just get another one.
For a site like Steves' I use the Secondary Level eMail address.