I remember back about 2000 when i started using email there was a way that one could tell if it had been read. In those days i was using Outlook. How did it work? If it was set up on the email client then somehow it could check on the server that it was sent to. I've used gmail UI for a long while now but i was wondering if there was something in the header on each email that one could check. One has received: IDxxxxxxxx and i wondered if from one of those digits was the signal. thanks james
On 3 March 2013 21:55, James Freer <jessejazza3.uk@gmail.com> wrote:
I remember back about 2000 when i started using email there was a way that one could tell if it had been read. In those days i was using Outlook. How did it work?
I don't know if this is a good place to start: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Email_read_receipt I do remember some story many years ago about an email read tracking service that would have a hidden iframe with an 1x1 px image at a unique URL that would load and let a paying customer see if it was loaded. Not sure what happened to that service. Regards, Srdjan
On Sunday, 3 March 2013, Srdjan Todorovic wrote:
I do remember some story many years ago about an email read tracking service that would have a hidden iframe with an 1x1 px image at a unique URL that would load and let a paying customer see if it was loaded. Not sure what happened to that service.
MailChimp.com offer this sort of technique for mailing lists; I would expect it's standard practice for those sort of companies; but MailChimp is the only one I've used. Though I could never work out why we had the highest response from users on iOS devices (*) until I checked their FAQ; apparently the standard iOS mail client is one of the few that will automatically download images. (*) of course, you get to see the full HTTP headers from the client if the image is fetched, so you get a full breakdown of the clients being used by those on the list. Greg
On Sun, Mar 3, 2013 at 10:05 PM, Srdjan Todorovic <todorovic.s@googlemail.com> wrote:
On 3 March 2013 21:55, James Freer <jessejazza3.uk@gmail.com> wrote:
I remember back about 2000 when i started using email there was a way that one could tell if it had been read. In those days i was using Outlook. How did it work?
I don't know if this is a good place to start:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Email_read_receipt
I do remember some story many years ago about an email read tracking service that would have a hidden iframe with an 1x1 px image at a unique URL that would load and let a paying customer see if it was loaded. Not sure what happened to that service.
Regards, Srdjan
Thanks... i couldn't think what to look up. google on "email tracking" or receipt would have helped. In that link is in fact what i needed to know i think the email client inserts a line in the header. But one always knows that an email has arrived by 'delivery status failure' or whatever words similar which i think depends on the server. james
On 04/03/13 08:05, James Freer wrote:
On Sun, Mar 3, 2013 at 10:05 PM, Srdjan Todorovic <todorovic.s@googlemail.com> wrote:
On 3 March 2013 21:55, James Freer <jessejazza3.uk@gmail.com> wrote:
I remember back about 2000 when i started using email there was a way that one could tell if it had been read. In those days i was using Outlook. How did it work? I don't know if this is a good place to start:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Email_read_receipt
I do remember some story many years ago about an email read tracking service that would have a hidden iframe with an 1x1 px image at a unique URL that would load and let a paying customer see if it was loaded. Not sure what happened to that service.
Regards, Srdjan Thanks... i couldn't think what to look up. google on "email tracking" or receipt would have helped. In that link is in fact what i needed to know i think the email client inserts a line in the header. But one always knows that an email has arrived by 'delivery status failure' or whatever words similar which i think depends on the server.
Hi, You say "One...knows that an email has arrived by 'delivery status failure' " messages, but you don't. This will only tell you if it hasn't arrived. Not being told that it hasn't arrived, doesn't mean that it's arrived, if you see what I mean! An email may be in transit for hours or even days before it is delivered (depending on the configuration of the email system between you and the recipient). Also an email might get delivered to a recipient's company (so in effect it's been delivered, and you won't get a "Bounce" message), but if the recipient never opens up their email program, or stops working for that company, your email may never actually be seen by anyone. Apparently, "read receipts", which is what I think you're after, are not available in personal Gmail accounts - see this: http://support.google.com/mail/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1385059 However, this http://www.aboutonlinetips.com/how-to-get-read-receipt-notification-email-fr... mentions a program called SpyPig which may help. Dunno if it'll work in Linux. HTH Steve
On 4 March 2013 13:01, <steve-ALUG@hst.me.uk> wrote:
http://www.aboutonlinetips.com/how-to-get-read-receipt-notification-email-fr... mentions a program called SpyPig which may help. Dunno if it'll work in Linux.
Once upon a time these sort of methods worked well, but spammers used them to detect which email addresses were valid (and went to people who actually looked at the spam). So every decent email package blocks linked images by default, although usually you can enable them for known senders. So if you can convince your recipient to configure their email software to show linked images then these methods can still work, but surely these days for general use these must fail more often than they succeed. Sadly there isn't a good solution. On the other hand, I'm not sure I want people to know I've read an email, so maybe sadly isn't the word. Frequently I'll "open" an email, realise it needs actual attention (not just "mark read, move to next email", mark it unread and return to it later. Telling the sender at this point that I have "read" it is at best misleading! -- Mark Rogers // More Solutions Ltd (Peterborough Office) // 0844 251 1450 Registered in England (0456 0902) @ 13 Clarke Rd, Milton Keynes, MK1 1LG
On 04/03/13 14:03, Mark Rogers wrote:
Once upon a time these sort of methods worked well, but spammers used them to detect which email addresses were valid (and went to people who actually looked at the spam). So every decent email package blocks linked images by default, although usually you can enable them for known senders. So if you can convince your recipient to configure their email software to show linked images then these methods can still work, but surely these days for general use these must fail more often than they succeed.
Agreed!
Sadly there isn't a good solution. On the other hand, I'm not sure I want people to know I've read an email, so maybe sadly isn't the word. Frequently I'll "open" an email, realise it needs actual attention (not just "mark read, move to next email", mark it unread and return to it later. Telling the sender at this point that I have "read" it is at best misleading!
An old Windows Email program used by Demon users called Turnpike used to amuse me. Its message said something like "The message that you sent to xxxx has been displayed on their computer. This does not necessarily mean it's been read or understood." IIRC Thunderbird can be configured to ask if it sends a "read notification", so you can send it, or not as you feel.
On Mon, 4 Mar 2013 08:05:03 +0000, jessejazza3.uk@gmail.com said:
i couldn't think what to look up. google on "email tracking" or receipt would have helped.
You want "web bug": see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_bug. Other tracking can be done with the "Disposition-Notification-To" and/or "Return-Receipt-To" headers: see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Return_receipt#Message_Disposition_Notification... By the way, both "I" and "Google" should start with a capital letter (whatever happened to Capt'n Grammar?) -- Love Linux? We want to hear from you! http://www.tiger-computing.co.uk/jobs/linux-support-consultant/
On 04/03/2013 18:30, Keith Edmunds wrote: [SNIP]
By the way, both "I" and "Google" should start with a capital letter (whatever happened to Capt'n Grammar?)
He's still about, Keith! I think he's just weighed down with the task these days... Cheers, Laurie. -- --------------------------------------------------------------------- Laurie Brown laurie@brownowl.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------
On Sunday, 3 March 2013, Srdjan Todorovic wrote:
I do remember some story many years ago about an email read tracking service that would have a hidden iframe with an 1x1 px image at a unique URL that would load and let a paying customer see if it was loaded. Not sure what happened to that service.
MailChimp.com offer this sort of technique for mailing lists; I would expect it's standard practice for those sort of companies; but MailChimp is the only one I've used. Though I could never work out why we had the highest response from users on iOS devices (*) until I checked their FAQ; apparently the standard iOS mail client is one of the few that will automatically download images. (*) of course, you get to see the full HTTP headers from the client if the image is fetched, so you get a full breakdown of the clients being used by those on the list. Greg
participants (7)
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Greg Thomas -
James Freer -
Keith Edmunds -
Laurie Brown -
Mark Rogers -
Srdjan Todorovic -
steve-ALUG＠hst.me.uk