Malicious scanners would ignore robot.txt Those spiders just want email addresses and are not worried about you telling them to stay off. I am not sure if robot.txt works on Freepage sites In Ruth's case it looked like the scam people actually read the site because they put Mather Story in their email. of course their spider perhaps worked out surname and used that in a template. If they are reading the site then nothing will stop them..... I use email in graphic form for cousins on my site. I put them on web page for their family but only if they ask. I do not use Guestbooks I have open Mailto for cousins to contact. And so many do it is wonderful way to find cousins. As was said Gmail has great spam filter facility as does Kaspersky which I pay for but really I want their virus etc function. I am also very experienced at reading emails and knowing scams etc - I really don't understand why people worry about scams from Nigeria - just delete them........... Ron Lankshear -Sydney NSW (from London-Shepherds Bush/Chiswick) try my links http://freepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~lankshear/ On 2011-08-04 8:56 AM, Wynthner wrote: > Won't a simple robot.txt keep the spiders out? > >

Ron is so right. Electronic junk mail continues to climb. In the US, the FTC has established a department to which anyone can forward junk mail WITH headers/detail section included (i.e. the "original" mail as it passed through the many email servers). That address is <spam@uce.gov>. They prosecuted several large mass e-mailers in recent years by using junk mails people forwarded to the FTC. I think the bigger issue for webmasters is to educate family and friends about how to identify spam and how to deal with it. The first lesson: When posting on the Internet, realize your address IS now exposed. Judy On Wed, Aug 3, 2011 at 8:45 PM, Ron Lankshear <ronlank@yahoo.com.au> wrote: > Malicious scanners would ignore robot.txt > Those spiders just want email addresses and are > not worried about you telling them to stay off. > I am not sure if robot.txt works on Freepage sites > > In Ruth's case it looked like the scam people > actually read the site because they put Mather > Story in their email. > of course their spider perhaps worked out surname > and used that in a template. > If they are reading the site then nothing will > stop them..... > I use email in graphic form for cousins on my > site. I put them on web page for their family but > only if they ask. > > I do not use Guestbooks I have open Mailto for > cousins to contact. And so many do it is wonderful > way to find cousins. > > > As was said Gmail has great spam filter facility > as does Kaspersky which I pay for but really I > want their virus etc function. > > I am also very experienced at reading emails and > knowing scams etc - > I really don't understand why people worry about > scams from Nigeria - just delete them........... > > > Ron Lankshear -Sydney NSW (from London-Shepherds > Bush/Chiswick) > try my links > http://freepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~lankshear/ > >