[WEB4LIB] Mailto vs. forms

[George Porter]

Before getting too righteous about mailto VS. forms, what, pray tell, is
preventing the library from providing both methods of feedback?  The Caltech
Library System web team received strong feedback from faculty and some
students that they wanted to be able to send email, not be limited to forms.
Reasons expressed included:

retaining copies of sent mail
ability to cc: or bcc:

What's "easiest" for the library to offer is hardly relevant in any aspect
of web design or technology support.  The overriding factors, IMHO, are the
needs and desires of your primary clientele.  Unless there are major
technological strictures preventing you from offering the communications
format(s) of their preference, give THEM the choice.

George S. Porter
Sherman Fairchild Library of Engineering & Applied Science
Caltech, 1-43
Pasadena, CA  91125-4300
Telephone (626) 395-3409 Fax (626) 431-2681