"Blind" read receipts in OL 2003

  • Thread starter Thread starter Hank
  • Start date Start date
H

Hank

Is there a way to track if someone has read an email
without a screen message informing them that a read
receipt has been requested?

Thanks
 
No. Internet standards require that the recipient have a choice in whether
a receipt is sent. How would you like it if a spammer could force Outlook
to send a receipt against your will?
 
Well, actually there IS a way to do it, but it's pretty
duplicitous and typically only spammers or overzealous
marketing groups do it. How? They embed an image tag
whose source points to a server-side script. When the
script runs, it logs your cookie id or other information
into a database of theirs before finally redirecting to an
image file.

However, most email clients have an option to exclude
these tags just as they do read receipts.
 
By default Outlook 2003 blocks all those things. You have to configure
it so that such Web bugs or <img> tags would work.
 
And besides, that's not a "read receipt" in the sense that the questioner
meant.

--
Jeff Stephenson
Outlook Development
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights
 
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