I know AOL offers a form of "delivery confirmation", but it is limited to mail between AOL users, and not the internet at large. In fact, as far as I know, internet mail systems have no mechanism for such feedback, and since it's all FREE mail, there is really no one who's responsible for mail delivery. Your ISP cannot even assure you that mail will be delivered, all they can do is say that it's been sent out on its way. This is a basic flaw in the way email works, and it boils down to the adage "you get what you pay for". If you don't pay a per-message charge (or pay for a closed system such as AOL), you are entitled to no expectation that messages will be delivered, or even sent, let alone confirmation that someone read it.
This is truly a philosophical controversy. On one side are people who believe things should be free and open, and on the other are those who believe that service-for-pay is superior. I have had lengthy discussions with computer engineers who are of the mindset that it's none of my business whether a particular recipient has checked their email, read their email, or even been online sufficiently to know that I've sent them email, because that's an invasion of the recipients privacy. (Maybe they've called in sick to work should be in bed, not be reading spy-mail from their employer.) In a sense, because the recipient is paying their ISP for incoming mail service, they ARE entitled to a degree of protection from snooping and surveillance. This mindset at least has helped curtail spam, since if return-receipts were available, it would automatically verify the validity of each email address--at present spammers resort to ignorance on the part of recipients, to click on buttons or have their email client automatically download pictures, in order to verify an email address.
So, if you want a level of service that gives you message delivery confirmation, you will need to pay for and use a closed system, and it will likely be in your corporate best interest to have exactly that for in-house use.
Remember, if something is being given away for free, it almost assuredly has no value.
--Jim "giver of free advice".
From: invicta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Hello All,
I'm using Mail 1.3 on my PB 17" and wonder; is there a setting which will confirm that my e-mail has reached it's destination? Similar to 'registered' when using snail mail. Even better would be a setting confirming that the message has been opened.
TIA and greetings, Andre.
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