In message <[log in to unmask]>, at
11:10:47 on Fri, 27 Aug 2004, Julian Curmi <[log in to unmask]> writes
>So if I am not mistaken for the remote email service to know what the
>recipient has done with the email, there must be some prog resident on the
>recipient's pc??
Yes, the program resident on the recipient's PC is called "Microsoft
Outlook", and what happens is that when the email is opened, a url
hidden somewhere within it contacts the company (Via Internet Explorer),
so they know that the email's been opened, and when, by whom (Explorer
knows your email address if it's set into Outlook and is asked for it)
and what version of browser you have.
I'm dubious about it being able to tell much more than that, unless
further urls are triggered (or perhaps the first one is triggered
repeatedly on a timer). So, for example, if you forwarded the email to
someone else, and the secret url was still there, it would be noticed
that a different person had opened the email, and deductions drawn.
The simplest way around this is to not use Outlook!! (And don't tell
Outlook your email address, if you are using an alternative email
client). This scheme would also not work if you read your email offline.
>Not sure if some tool like Spybot ought to detect the
>presence of this software??
They tend to ignore things like Outlook and Explorer :-)
ps. A product like this has been seriously touted as a "good thing" for
parents to be able to see who their children are corresponding with. The
mind boggles!!
--
Roland Perry
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