Modifying the Contact Section

10 Jun 2015 . tech . Comments
#tutorial

The Contact section on your homepage provides visitors an easy way to reach you while protecting your email from spam bots.

Email Configuration

Set your contact email in _config.yml:

email: "your@email.here"

Email Protection

Don’t worry about email harvesting—the theme automatically applies JavaScript obfuscation to your email address. This means:

  • Your email displays correctly to human visitors
  • Automated spam bots cannot easily scrape your address
  • The email link works normally when clicked

Write your email in plain text; the protection is handled automatically.

Customizing Contact Text

To modify the contact section’s message, edit _includes/contact.html. The default text invites visitors to reach out, but you can customize it to:

  • Specify preferred contact methods
  • Set expectations for response times
  • Add context about what inquiries you welcome

Alternative Contact Methods

While the Contact section focuses on email, consider complementing it with:

  • Social buttons for professional networking (LinkedIn, Twitter)
  • GitHub for code-related discussions
  • A contact form using services like Formspree (requires custom integration)

Tips

  • Use a professional email address
  • Consider creating a dedicated email for your website
  • Combine with social buttons for multiple contact options
  • Keep the contact message welcoming and clear

Me

'Github''s Octocat was designed by Simon Oxley, alongside the white bird Twitter used (before they received a proper logo) as part of a usual routine of cranking out images for iStock. GitHub saw it, and wanted it, presumably under the notion that it can represent how complex code combines to create peculiar things, much like the octopuss... except the CEO of GitHub called it an octocat, and it has been the octocat since then.