It’s like the “use this browser or we won’t talk to you” mentality with which some websites are designed.

Bottom line: Make it difficult for your customer to talk to you, and they’ll be motivated to become someone else’s customer instead.

“Darwin Award” wannabes refuse all input channels other than a browser-based feedback form. Let the customer decide whether they want to use a browser-based form. Give them an email address to use or be prepared to lose them as a customer.

I much rather USE a form when I visit sites for the reason above. I really did used to go through all that crappy hassle with e-mail programs opening up I had no idea how to use, etc. FRUSTRATING!!

However, when there is a form, it’s so much easier and I know it’s gonna make it to the soon-to-be recipient.

Not to mention lots of the auto-responder programs out there send the ’sender’ a copy of the e-mail message just sent VIA form.

Not bad.

Agree that placing your e-mail on a graphic first is cool, however it’s not possible to cut and paste. If it’s a long e-mail addy, that’s a pain, too.

I do like using the blahblah[at]suchandsuch[dot]com

Still a little of a pin for copy/paste, but at least you can.

Of course, your comment may be valid for some people, but for me personally an e-mail link is much better.

I *hate* feedback forms. It’s a nice way for folks to get an untrackable question that I may forget about later. With email I can resend them the question 2 days later with an “are you alive?” comment.

1. I know what I send and where I send it to, and I know I have a copy.
2. If I suspect I’ll need further contact, keeping the email address is usually easier than maintaining a bookmark for a contact form.

The writing on the palm was obviously an exaggaration, but copy&paste works well enough for this to hardly ever be a problem.

And if you’re using firefox, there is this extension (not related to me in any way, I’m just using it) which connects those mailto links directly to webmail interfaces.