Be sure that e-mail has been read ?

wolfman

One way, although it won't apply to the average person, is to place an image or similar (basically something that the servers http handler can catch) within the email. Maybe a specific one to that user. You can then track any requests to that image via your web server. So if they open it, it'll send a request for the image, so you know they viewed it. You should be able to pull off the time, date, ip address etc... Applies to businesses really, and html (not text based) emails.

Companies often use such methods when tracking how many people have viewed their promotional/competition etc.. emails. If you had the know-how and services available it's quite easy to setup. People rarely do though.

Debt_Free_Chick

I can circumvent that one too Outlook doesn't download images, unless the user chooses to - they then need to right click on the placeholder and choose "download". I don't normally bother, if I can read the body of the email.

Whilst they're frequently slagged off, Microsoft do make it possible for users to protect their privacy, if they use the options built in to the software. I'm confident that the vast majority of the emails I receive can't be traced by the sender - good job too, with the amount of SPAM around.

wolfman

Doesn't have to be an image. Could be a css file, javascript file, anything that'll send a request to the hosting server. Although having said that, like you say Microsoft do actually do a reasonable job protecting email privacy. I'm not actually sure what is blocked and allowed by Outlook.

The above method isn't strictly ethical either, form of snooping in my opinion. Spammers often use that method, when you open the email, it sends a request to the hosting server. They then know your email is a live one, and you get sent hundreds more.