How to get E-mail link to work

TheoboneTheobone Registered Users Posts: 1 Beginner grinner
edited August 20, 2013 in SmugMug Customization
I want to create an email link so people can email me for info in the New SMug Mug
Using the "Copy Of Moss" Template if that helps.

Comments

  • FergusonFerguson Registered Users Posts: 1,345 Major grins
    edited August 10, 2013
    If you just want text that gives a mail-to link, the simple thing is to put a text box in (say in the footer) then insert a link for mail-to. Look at mine to see if that's what you want. If you want a real contact-me page to come up that internally sends email that's different.
  • macromeistermacromeister Registered Users Posts: 490 Major grins
    edited August 10, 2013
    Ferguson wrote: »
    If you just want text that gives a mail-to link, the simple thing is to put a text box in (say in the footer) then insert a link for mail-to. Look at mine to see if that's what you want. If you want a real contact-me page to come up that internally sends email that's different.

    Yours just uses Windows Live. I never know if that actually works. Would I get a reply via it? I think it's better to use the Smug contact facility. It's much more user-friendly.
    I'm Rob Ashcroft - MACROMEISTER IMAGES . . . .
  • FergusonFerguson Registered Users Posts: 1,345 Major grins
    edited August 10, 2013
    Yours just uses Windows Live. I never know if that actually works. Would I get a reply via it? I think it's better to use the Smug contact facility. It's much more user-friendly.

    That's fine, was just asking as I could help you with this format. By the way it doesn't use "Windows Live", it uses a standard mail-to link. The setup of the customer's computer chooses which mail program is used (probably yours is Windows Live). For example on mine it is Outlook, on a Mac it may be something different still. And you are right -- it may not work for all clients, notably those that don't use a mail client but rather just web mail.
  • macromeistermacromeister Registered Users Posts: 490 Major grins
    edited August 10, 2013
    Ferguson wrote: »
    That's fine, was just asking as I could help you with this format. By the way it doesn't use "Windows Live", it uses a standard mail-to link. The setup of the customer's computer chooses which mail program is used (probably yours is Windows Live). For example on mine it is Outlook, on a Mac it may be something different still. And you are right -- it may not work for all clients, notably those that don't use a mail client but rather just web mail.

    I can see that if I used Outlook it would work if I set it up to. But I use web-based mail on Yahoo, but I can't configure mailto to go there, can I?
    I'm Rob Ashcroft - MACROMEISTER IMAGES . . . .
  • FergusonFerguson Registered Users Posts: 1,345 Major grins
    edited August 10, 2013
    Yours just uses Windows Live. I never know if that actually works. Would I get a reply via it? I think it's better to use the Smug contact facility. It's much more user-friendly.
    I can see that if I used Outlook it would work if I set it up to. But I use web-based mail on Yahoo, but I can't configure mailto to go there, can I?

    I don't know how close you can get to that working. If you are in Windows 8 you go to Control Panel, Default Programs, Set Associations and way down at the bottom in a "Mailto". You can change it to a browser, but not sure if you can make it go to a URL. There's a similar place in all (recent) windows for setting default programs.

    But that's just YOURS. You are correct in your first note, that this is not a technique guaranteed to work on any given customer's PC/Mac.
  • macromeistermacromeister Registered Users Posts: 490 Major grins
    edited August 10, 2013
    Ferguson wrote: »
    I don't know how close you can get to that working. If you are in Windows 8 you go to Control Panel, Default Programs, Set Associations and way down at the bottom in a "Mailto". You can change it to a browser, but not sure if you can make it go to a URL. There's a similar place in all (recent) windows for setting default programs.

    But that's just YOURS. You are correct in your first note, that this is not a technique guaranteed to work on any given customer's PC/Mac.

    You near a bar? Buy yourself a beer and I'll pay - it works!

    Been trying to figure that one out for years. I tried changing Windows 7 associations but I only had Chrome in the list, despit FF being default. So I went to options in FF and sure enough it lists mailto on applications list and it allowed me on the pulldown to specify Yahoo mail. Reloaded FF and from your about page clicked the mailto link and it took me straight to Yahoo mail compose and squirted in your address.

    You should have an email by now.

    Thank you!clap.gif


    i-LXwrGXp-XL.jpg
    I'm Rob Ashcroft - MACROMEISTER IMAGES . . . .
  • FergusonFerguson Registered Users Posts: 1,345 Major grins
    edited August 10, 2013
    You near a bar? Buy yourself a beer and I'll pay - it works!

    Glad it worked. The nearest bar was 12' from my desk, and the beer was free (though I had to serve myself). Thank you!
  • squirl033squirl033 Registered Users Posts: 1,230 Major grins
    edited August 11, 2013
    my old site had a hot-link to my email address, and if you clicked on the words "contact me" or "email me", it automatically opened up a mail server wit my address in the send-to box, so the user could send me a message. is that what you guys are talking about? i want to do that with my new site, but it doesn't seem to work...
    ~ Rocky
    "Out where the rivers like to run, I stand alone, and take back something worth remembering..."
    Three Dog Night

    www.northwestnaturalimagery.com
  • macromeistermacromeister Registered Users Posts: 490 Major grins
    edited August 11, 2013
    squirl033 wrote: »
    my old site had a hot-link to my email address, and if you clicked on the words "contact me" or "email me", it automatically opened up a mail server wit my address in the send-to box, so the user could send me a message. is that what you guys are talking about? i want to do that with my new site, but it doesn't seem to work...

    Think so. Most 'email me' links use mailto function, but you can't control how viewers at the other end who are clicking it have their mailto set up. The post above was how I set mine up yesterday and mailto now works for me. But for most people it will just bring up the default email program on their PC and it may not be the one they normally use. The steps I did above allow you to sepcify a web mail account rather than a dedicated email program on your PC.

    You can use the Smug contact facility, which I find is much better as it is assured that the viewers mail will get through to you. See mine.

    Great site you have, and the images are superb. I must visit that part of the world.

    Your guestbook has a slight problem - I'm getting a 'gallery is empty' message at the top half of the page. Also your about me page has an image with a slideshow option, but there is nothing to slidesho (there is only one image). If you log out of your Smug account and visit your website you will get the 'user' view of things.
    I'm Rob Ashcroft - MACROMEISTER IMAGES . . . .
  • squirl033squirl033 Registered Users Posts: 1,230 Major grins
    edited August 11, 2013
    thanks.

    i've been screwing around trying to get those two pages the way i want them, but i can't seem to get them to cooperate. if i leave the images out, i get the silly thing that says "gallery is empty", even though i have no particular interest in showing images there. if i could get rid of that "gallery is empty" nonsense, it'd solve the problem, but i can't. heck, i can't even seem to MOVE it!

    as far as the slideshow tab, i don't want that there, but i can't seem to get rid of it. every time i try to do anything with that image, i get this damned green overlay that won't let me do anything! how do i get around that and remove the slideshow tab?

    the old SM used to allow embedding an email address in the hotlink. apparently that's beyond the new site's ability, and all i can enter is a URL, which is NOT what i want. i use Yahoo mail, but when i try to put my email address in as the hotlink, it just opens up the Yahoo home page... no help at all. i'll look into the "contact" facility, and see if that'll be a viable alternative.

    having to log out to see the visitor view is another peeve... why do we have to log out, and then log back in, instead of toggling between owner and visitor views like the old SM?
    ~ Rocky
    "Out where the rivers like to run, I stand alone, and take back something worth remembering..."
    Three Dog Night

    www.northwestnaturalimagery.com
  • macromeistermacromeister Registered Users Posts: 490 Major grins
    edited August 11, 2013
    squirl033 wrote: »
    .
    i've been screwing around trying to get those two pages the way i want them, but i can't seem to get them to cooperate. if i leave the images out, i get the silly thing that says "gallery is empty", even though i have no particular interest in showing images there. if i could get rid of that "gallery is empty" nonsense, it'd solve the problem, but i can't. heck, i can't even seem to MOVE it!
    Your about page should be a page. It doesn't need to have a gallery in it. If you want a single image in there just drag a photo block across from the right hand side and position it and specify an image. Delete the gallery block. Take a look at mine http://www.macromeister.co.uk/Admin/About
    squirl033 wrote: »
    the old SM used to allow embedding an email address in the hotlink. apparently that's beyond the new site's ability, and all i can enter is a URL, which is NOT what i want. i use Yahoo mail, but when i try to put my email address in as the hotlink, it just opens up the Yahoo home page... no help at all. i'll look into the "contact" facility, and see if that'll be a viable alternative.
    You need to set up your Firefox options for mailto if you want to use that (see post a couple above) But that only gives you the facility to click on someone else's mailto. You can't guarantee they will be able to do it. Whereas with the Smug contact page you can. I think I got that right...headscratch.gif
    squirl033 wrote: »
    having to log out to see the visitor view is another peeve... why do we have to log out, and then log back in, instead of toggling between owner and visitor views like the old SM?
    You could email your local state senator about it and get him to raise it in Congress. But he too is probably struggling with his Smug site bang.gif
    I'm Rob Ashcroft - MACROMEISTER IMAGES . . . .
  • squirl033squirl033 Registered Users Posts: 1,230 Major grins
    edited August 11, 2013
    Yours just uses Windows Live. I never know if that actually works. Would I get a reply via it? I think it's better to use the Smug contact facility. It's much more user-friendly.

    so where is that contact tool located??? i don't see it anywhere... i use mostly Chrome, not Firefox...
    ~ Rocky
    "Out where the rivers like to run, I stand alone, and take back something worth remembering..."
    Three Dog Night

    www.northwestnaturalimagery.com
  • squirl033squirl033 Registered Users Posts: 1,230 Major grins
    edited August 11, 2013
    You could email your local state senator about it and get him to raise it in Congress. But he too is probably struggling with his Smug site bang.gif

    is SM even thinking about fixing that, or are they just gonna stick us with the clunker?
    ~ Rocky
    "Out where the rivers like to run, I stand alone, and take back something worth remembering..."
    Three Dog Night

    www.northwestnaturalimagery.com
  • ScottBuckelScottBuckel Registered Users Posts: 24 Big grins
    edited August 11, 2013
    Creating a contact page is fairly straight forward. Here's how I did it:

    1. Go to Customize site
    2. click on entire site (it has the red box next to it)
    3. click on the wrench
    4. a menu will pop up that has two tabs, click on the links tab
    5. then click on the +, that will appear
    6. the top item on the menu you can insert the name for your contact page, for me I inserted Contact Scott
    7. the next item on the list will give you a drop down menu, and choose Contact page

    While this is not the world's best contact page, it does not depend on your viewer to have his file associations page set up to be able to respond. This contact page will automatically be populated with information from your profile page on Smugmug. The name will be from the My Name portion of your profile and the photo will be the one that you have linked from your profile.

    While I have had more than my share of frustrations with the new Smugmug it took me about 10% of the time to set up the way I like and I really never got the old version to my liking. I told a friend that was going to start working on his new version, I told him to forget everything about customizing he learned from the old version as it was not logical and the new way has a definite logic to it.

    Good Luck and I hope this helps you out,

    Scott
  • FergusonFerguson Registered Users Posts: 1,345 Major grins
    edited August 11, 2013
    squirl033 wrote: »
    thanks.

    the old SM used to allow embedding an email address in the hotlink. apparently that's beyond the new site's ability, and all i can enter is a URL, which is NOT what i want. i use Yahoo mail, but when i try to put my email address in as the hotlink, it just opens up the Yahoo home page... no help at all. i'll look into the "contact" facility, and see if that'll be a viable alternative.

    That works in the new SM as well, if I am understanding you (the one that invokes the user's mail client, as opposed to a SM page for email).

    My page has one (far left bottom). You have to do it in html or add the html in the insert-link.

    If you are using an HTML box, you wrap it in an anchor:
    <a href="mailto:me@somewhere.com">mail me</a>
    

    Now if it is in a text box you need a small trick -- you need to use the anchor just as above, you cannot use the "insert link". The other trick is if you want it preceeded by a space, for example to say "You can contact me here" where "here" is the link, you need to put the space inside the anchor (after the first >) and not before it (i.e. before the first <).

    But it does work in either text or HTML boxes just fine. It's not what I think the OP wanted, just passing it on in case it is what you wanted.
  • squirl033squirl033 Registered Users Posts: 1,230 Major grins
    edited August 11, 2013
    Ferguson wrote: »
    That works in the new SM as well, if I am understanding you (the one that invokes the user's mail client, as opposed to a SM page for email).

    My page has one (far left bottom). You have to do it in html or add the html in the insert-link.

    If you are using an HTML box, you wrap it in an anchor:
    <a href="mailto:me@somewhere.com">mail me</a>
    

    Now if it is in a text box you need a small trick -- you need to use the anchor just as above, you cannot use the "insert link". The other trick is if you want it preceeded by a space, for example to say "You can contact me here" where "here" is the link, you need to put the space inside the anchor (after the first >) and not before it (i.e. before the first <).

    But it does work in either text or HTML boxes just fine. It's not what I think the OP wanted, just passing it on in case it is what you wanted.


    thanks, that's what i was looking for! :D
    ~ Rocky
    "Out where the rivers like to run, I stand alone, and take back something worth remembering..."
    Three Dog Night

    www.northwestnaturalimagery.com
  • kimbomackimbomac Registered Users Posts: 99 Big grins
    edited August 20, 2013
    I have been struggling for the best part of an hour to find out why one of my links worked, and one didn't.

    In the end it turns out that the site is fussy about whether you use the vertical double quotes "
    or whether you use the ones my keyboard makes, which are on a slight angle. "

    And now when I look at them here in this page, they both look the same! I think it was Word that I was using as an interpreter.

    In any event, if you copy and paste the double quotes from Ferguson's posting, it works fine. When I typed it in, it wouldn't work.

    (I'm using an Australian keyboard.)
    Kimbomac

    (FeaturePhotography.net)
  • sunsetrocksunsetrock Registered Users Posts: 3 Beginner grinner
    edited August 20, 2013
    Hey guys, this one is actually completely simplified. No CSS required.
    1. click customize
    2. click customize site
    3. select "entire site"
    4. select "menu"
    5. click the wrench
    6. select "links"
    7. click the + sign to add a new link.
    8. for the name, type what you want the link to say "email the photographer" or "email Smitty" or "email Bob Smith Photos"
    9. for "link to" select "contact form"
    10. click "done."

    Wow! So much easier than the old CSS technique. Plus the contact form features your bio photo. Looks great!
  • denisegoldbergdenisegoldberg Administrators Posts: 14,372 moderator
    edited August 20, 2013
    kimbomac wrote: »
    ...I think it was Word that I was using as an interpreter.
    Using a word processing tool usually picks up formatting inserted by that tool. Quotes are definitely a problem coming from Word (as you've already noted).

    I'd recommend using a pure text editor, something like Notepad++ or the equivalent on the platform you are using.

    --- Denise
Sign In or Register to comment.