Make 'Email Required' optional

Currently, adding a new contact in CE only 'shows via asterisks' a user requirement to input 2 fields. ie 1) Name and 2) Category.

However, a save demonstrated via error message that and email address is also required. This is a new additional requirement compared to the J!-core contacts component.

I'm currently building a simple yet large volume community business directory web site and enough contacts, eg construction industry sub-contractors, live and die by their cell phone, alone. This warrants a capability to turn off the email requirement for our site.

I've resolved this by simplying hacking /administrator/.../com_CE.../tables/contact.php and commenting out the check around line 150.

Making this rqmt optional, i.e.a non-hack, would be a preferred low maintenance solution

Thanks
Larry.

Dear Larry,

The Contact's email field used to be optional, however I've had too many problems in the past with users that did not understand that an email was required in order to display the contact form.

Do you have any idea how to make this intuitive for the average user?

Best regards,

Hi Douglas,

Fyi, our 'business directory' application is a referral site. Our business objectives are more about referring web visitors to other businesses (our customers) - more about just pure display of our business customers contact info (ie our ce contacts). Hence we do not even display the contacts email address and also do not display the contact form. We are not facilitating email inquiries of any kind.

And hence don't even want an email requirement. Maybe I'm using the contact component very differently than others do.

If facilitating incoming inquiries is required (ie 2-way 'email' contact - contact the verb), then for sure I can see the need for an email address.

Maybe just link the email requirement to the use of the 'form' / to incoming queries.

Cheers, Larry