don't default with email addresses but raise Errors

qiita_core/configuration_manager.py

@@ -242,11 +242,19 @@ def _get_main(self, config):
 
         self.help_email = config.get('main', 'HELP_EMAIL')
         if not self.help_email:
-            self.help_email = '[email protected]'
+            raise ValueError(
+                "You did not specify the HELP_EMAIL address in the main "
+                "section of Qiita's config file. This address is essential "
+                "for users to ask for help as it is displayed at various "
+                "location throughout Qiita's web pages.")
 
         self.sysadmin_email = config.get('main', 'SYSADMIN_EMAIL')
         if not self.sysadmin_email:
-            self.sysadmin_email = '[email protected]'
+            raise ValueError(
+                "You did not specify the SYSADMIN_EMAIL address in the main "
+                "section of Qiita's config file. Serious issues will "
+                "automatically be reported to a sys admin, an according "
+                "address is therefore required!")
 
     def _get_job_scheduler(self, config):
         """Get the configuration of the job_scheduler section"""

qiita_core/support_files/config_test.cfg

@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ COOKIE_SECRET = SECRET
 # The value used to secure JWTs for delegated permission artifact download.
 JWT_SECRET = SUPER_SECRET
 
-# Address a user should write to when asking for help, default to [email protected]
+# Address a user should write to when asking for help
 HELP_EMAIL =
 
 # The email address, Qiita sends internal notifications to a sys admin

qiita_core/tests/test_configuration_manager.py

@@ -189,13 +189,13 @@ def test_help_email(self):
 
         # test if it falls back to [email protected]
         self.conf.set('main', 'HELP_EMAIL', '')
-        obs._get_main(self.conf)
-        self.assertEqual(obs.help_email, '[email protected]')
+        with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
+            obs._get_main(self.conf)
 
         # test if it falls back to [email protected]
         self.conf.set('main', 'SYSADMIN_EMAIL', '')
-        obs._get_main(self.conf)
-        self.assertEqual(obs.sysadmin_email, '[email protected]')
+        with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
+            obs._get_main(self.conf)
 
     def test_get_job_scheduler(self):
         obs = ConfigurationManager()