This blog is both to vent about how annoying 'Mailto:' is and to see if I'm in the minority or not for feeling this way.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mailto#URI_scheme_.27mailto.27

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The URI scheme, as registered with the IANA and notably used in the HyperText Transfer Protocol, defines the mailto: scheme for SMTP email addresses. Though its use is not strictly defined, URLs of this form are intended to be used to open the new message window of the user's mail client when the URL is activated, with the address as defined by the URL in the "To:" field.

You know how people's e-mails are often located in a link which automatically opens an e-mail addressed to them in your default e-mail client? Well, I've never used an e-mail client that wasn't web-based in my entire life.

This isn't a big deal since you can always right-click the link, select properties, and then copy/paste only the actual e-mail address into your preferred e-mail service. The problem is, these mailto links often catch you off guard. You realize half a second after you click that you just signed yourself up to a ten second wait for whatever program your OS uses by default to open up. Then you habitually hit the 'X' fifteen times because you are frustrated and in a rush to send that damned e-mail already, but it doesn't go through because you have to respond to the message box about whether or not you want to save your e-mail -_-

So... what percentage of you actually utilize mailto: links the way they are intended to?

Poll: Do you use Mailto
(Vote): I click on the link and send e-mails from my default mail client.
(Vote): I have the same problem as you.
(Vote): I haven't noticed this or never get into this predicament.
(Vote): Other: explain below

This has pissed me off disproportionately for like ten years now ._.

Lemonwalrus

United States5465 Posts

May 01 2009 02:50 GMT

I have never heard of this before, but it sounds like something that would really piss me off.

I hate when it feels like a link I click is hijacking my computer.

FragKrag

United States11565 Posts

May 01 2009 02:53 GMT

Whoa I fucking hate that shit too. T_T

Spazer

Canada8033 Posts

May 01 2009 02:54 GMT

There are ways to make mailto links open up your web-based email accounts.

For instance: http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=10966

Enrique

United States377 Posts

May 01 2009 02:56 GMT

Yeah, it used to bug me all the time. However, ever since I got my super cushy desk job, I've discovered that it's actually pretty nice to have things open in Outlook automatically. However, at home, it still pisses me off.

Bockit

Sydney2287 Posts

May 01 2009 02:59 GMT

This used to piss me off, until I started using desktop mail clients. You can connect to most webmail services through email clients nowadays anyway.

Osmoses

Sweden5302 Posts

May 01 2009 03:00 GMT

Yes, I think this is one of those things that eventually drive people to murder. I've come close couple of times, more frequently since I got a laptop with vista. 10 seconds to open up the client? Try five minutes.

Yes, and there is that sharp tension in my jaw and that flashing red light.

Jank

United States308 Posts

May 01 2009 03:03 GMT

You can change the mail client that they open up or change it to do nothing at all (at least in firefox). I did that ages ago so no I'm not really bothered. There's some nasty shit you can do with them though, such as using them as the source in inline frames and making comp open up a million copies of your mail client and essentially freezing up your computer. I think they should be changed.

Malongo

Chile3472 Posts

May 01 2009 03:18 GMT

Good discussion. I hate everytime I missclick on mailto because it opens Outlook express, a software that ive never intended to use. The worst part: I even tried uninstalling it just to get a nono answer from windows, so im forced to have it there using HD space. Web based mail client ftw!

JeeJee

Canada5652 Posts

May 01 2009 03:18 GMT

#10

oh yeah

fucking misclick and the damn outlook install setup pops up
NO I DONT WANT TO INSTALL YOU CAN YOU REMEMBER MY PREFERENCE???

tarpman

Canada723 Posts

May 01 2009 03:42 GMT

#11

I don't have a client registered for mailto:, so it doesn't do anything. I suggest looking into it.

paper

13196 Posts

May 01 2009 04:27 GMT

#12

ish, yeah

very annoying :s

fusionsdf

Canada15390 Posts

May 01 2009 05:09 GMT

#13

thats not annoying, because its so rarely used when you dont expect it.

What's really annoying is the Send Link button in the context menu. In ~10 years of using the internet, I have never, ever used that button intentionally. Then you hit it accidentally, It brings up outlook, takes forever to open and close.

annoying

JeeJee

Canada5652 Posts

May 01 2009 05:16 GMT

#14

@fusionsdf
i'm happy that exists actually because it gives rise to the following lulz:

SpiritoftheTunA

United States20903 Posts

May 01 2009 05:28 GMT

#15

i selected other: whenever i click one it opens a windowed instance of gmail from my browser, so i dunno, i think there's a way to set gmail as your default "client" except its inbrowser anyway so doesnt take a long time

jhNz

Germany2762 Posts

May 01 2009 08:16 GMT

#16

i use it. i use thunderbird to send / recieve my mails so i think mailto links are pretty handy.

bigsack

Korea (North)220 Posts

May 01 2009 08:20 GMT

#17

yep hated it when i accidentally click on the mailto: link and the stupid email client (microsoft outlook) pops up and i gotta wait to shut it down ugh

Ropid

Germany3557 Posts

May 01 2009 14:51 GMT

#18

Voted "Other":

You can change that behaviour of your web browser. In Firefox it's found at Tools>Options...>Applications>search for "mailto". I bet the same is possible in Opera and in IE (perhaps with an addon).

Nytefish

United Kingdom4282 Posts

May 01 2009 16:33 GMT

#19

I find it quite annoying, also when I "right click -> save target as" but miss and hit "send link". I never set up outlook either so each time it loads up it asks me to configure it.

tec27

United States3702 Posts

May 01 2009 17:46 GMT

#20

Yeah, I'll agree its rather annoying. Couldn't someone just make a program that takes the link and auto-copies the address to your clipboard when you click it? (IE: something you could set as your browser's handler for mailto: links)

MiniRoman

Canada3953 Posts

May 01 2009 18:54 GMT

#21

ya that shit pisses me off too.

burn in hell outlook express and eat some cock while there

JeeJee

Canada5652 Posts

May 01 2009 19:42 GMT

#22

eureka

if you're using firefox3, open up gmail
paste this javascript code

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

i wub javascript!
no more outlook for me

Chuiu

3470 Posts

May 01 2009 21:51 GMT

#23

Mikilatov

United States3897 Posts

May 05 2009 05:05 GMT

#24

Hahaha, the above post prettymuch sums it up.

MamiyaOtaru

United States1687 Posts

May 05 2009 08:21 GMT

#25

Sure does. You'd think google would put that in Chrome by default or something.

Anyway, I always used to think mailto was a PITA. Never used an email client until recently (kmail). It really is awesome though. So easy to check my mail, and sort/filter stuff. Still, I only use that while in Linux. In Windows and OSX mailto remains an annoyance.

MasterReY

Germany2708 Posts

May 07 2009 13:23 GMT

#26

dude... it lasts like 3 secs for me and then its gone again. not 10^^

anyways, the basic points are the same for me

petzergling

538 Posts

May 07 2009 22:24 GMT

#27

On May 01 2009 11:54 Spazer wrote:
There are ways to make mailto links open up your web-based email accounts.

For instance: http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=10966

wow dude this is really nice i wonder how i didnt know about it earlier

thanks