Not all links simply point to some other Web page. For example the link below uses a mailto URL. Clicking it will launch the default email software, usually Mac Mail or Microsoft Outlook, depending on what computer has surfed to the page.

Contact Me

Mailto links have two significant problems. One is that your email address is exposed in the source code. That means Web Crawlers and Bots can find it and sell it to spammers.

A solution to this problem is to "scramble" the email address so that it's not usable by Crawlers. A JavaScript utility called an 'obsfucator' can be used for that. (Obsfucate means to to confuse or make unclear.)

A more serious problem is that mailto links rely on email software (commonly called an email client) on the computer that surfs to the page. That may work fine if your page travels to someone's personal computer where the email software is fully configured to send email. But on a public computer (e.g. lab or library), the email software is most likely not configured and the mailto link will simply not work.

The best solution solves both problems: use a "contact me form" instead of mailto links. A "contact me form" requests the end user to supply THEIR email address and usually a brief message. That data is submitted to the Web server, which then sends you an email. Thus, it's the server that sends the email (not the remote client) and your email address is never exposed in a Web page (it's only on the server).