Drawing default email

[dhtmlhelp]

Hi,

is it possible to draw a surfer's default email and display it on screen.

DHTMLHELP

[joh6nn]

no. being able to find out what user's email address is, would constitute a HUGE security risk.

[dhtmlhelp]

Hi,

maybe your answer still applies but I'd like to clarify one thing. I only want the default email address to be displayed to the user himself and not to anybody else.

On viewing a site the visitor would already find his email inputed in a form or in a newsletter subscription box. I am pretty sure this can be done, I just don't know how and hope someone can post or pm me a solution.

DHTMLHELP

[joh6nn]

yeah, i noticed you only wanted to display it, but the thing is, because it could potentially be such a huge problem, it's not possible at all.

[dhtmlhelp]

Hi Joh,

how HUGE. What do you mean, can you explain?

DHTMLHELP

[joh6nn]

well, let's suppose that there's an easy, cross browser way obtain the email address of anyone, visiting your website. to the vast majority of people, such as you or me, that's really not useful. but to large corporations, that's REAL useful. they now have an absolute id on everyone who visits their site. or what about the government, trying to track who does what? or spammers, collecting email address, and marketing information? it constitutes an absolutely gigantic breach of privacy, because you can use an email address to figure out who someone is, with a high degree of accuracy.

for that reason, excepting viruses and such, it's simply not possible to find out someone's email address, just by having them visit your site. you have to ask them for it.