Secure Contact using Milonic, is it possible ?

[selvan777]

Hi,

Thanks and sorry for the trouble.

I don't have the Google Toolbar. The only thing related to Google I have is ePrompter which is a standalone "Free Email Notification and Retrieval Program" http://www.eprompter.com/. Perhaps that's doing it but I don't think so due to the available choices from Firefox as you can see below like "Always ask" or "Use other...". When I select "Use other...", I get a blank window that says Mailto: undefined, No applications were found for this file type.

I've taken 3 screen shots of Firefox for you, one is showing the dropdown menu choices I have, the other is showing the Applications details of Gmail and the third is showing "Use other...". Please let me know how else I can help to get to the bottom of this too.

I'm beginning to think that perhaps I'll have to tweak FF to get the job done which defeats the whole purpose of trying to keep all else from steering away from my homepage.

Also, In IE I see I have OE or Windows Live Mail to choose from. And if I pick the later, it opens in a new window.

[Ruth]

Hi,

In your tools/options/applications in FF3 you probably have that set to always ask. Someplace along the line, since FF3 didn't come with gmail, someone had to put the gmail option on the computer by changing the

Code: Select all

about:config  gecko.handlerService.allowRegisterFromDifferentHost 

to true and using the new direct mail url gmail provided for use with mailto: links

Code: Select all

javascript:window.navigator.registerProtocolHandler("mailto","http://mail.google.com/mail/?extsrc=mailto&url=%s","GMail")

which when used 'installed' the option for gmail choice.

As to the mailto: link, the problem I think is calling it a link and so we always think of links to web pages and therefore we should be able to open a new window, however, mailto: is a protocol, it is not a regular url type link [url is involved but only as to the address of the recipient. The mailto: protocol has certain 'properties' associated with it. Since it opens a mail program, those are name, domain address, cc, bcc, subject and body. Because it is not a web page link it doesn't have target= as one of those properties. What that link is doing is opening an application, in this case a mail program since it is specific to mail, what's confusing here is that the mail program/server is on the web, so we want to go, 'gee I'd like to open that in a new window', but in reality mailto has nothing to do with web pages, just with opening mail programs. The reason you get that web page is that you have to login to the program, it's like a stop on the way. Before web mail, this question wouldn't have come up, since everyone that clicked a mailto 'link' would have had a mail program open on their computer, if they had a mail program or a computer that was programmed to accept the mailto: protocol.

I've been trying to think of an analogy and the best I can do is - say you have a drill [a href] you can put an attachment - a drill bit [http:www etc] in it and drill a hole in something [go to a web page]. Now, that same drill [a href] you can put an different attachement - a sanding bit[mailto: http etc] and do sanding [open a mail program], but the stuff you did with the drill bit isn't included in that sanding attachment. Not the best analogy but the one that came to mind.

Hope this helps. I'm not a programmer so can't think how else to explain it. I'm sure someone who does programming say for MS or FF or such could explain it better.

Ruth

[selvan777]

Hi,

That's quite an analogy but I get your point, mailto is very much a different protocol than hyper text.

I've decided to stick with a form/guestbook, it's best for all.

http://lastborns.esmartweb.com

Thanks again.

[Ruth]

Yes, it is different.

Well, I had an idea when I saw your guest book thing. If you can edit that page, then you could put a mailto: link on it with a

IF YOU PREFER TO EMAIL TRY THIS LINK type thing. Then the people could either fill out the guest book, or click the link and it will open their mail program or take them to their web mail It's not perfect, but that way they still have the mailto: option if they want, and since that guestbook page opens in a new window, they still have your original page with the menu on it. Hope that made sense

Ruth

[selvan777]

Hi,

Thanks Ruth, but it's all good. Not quite a custom contact form but it serves it's purpose via an instant email to me when someone uses it.

Thanks.