Tracking when a message is opened?
 

My friends like to send chain emails and some of the ones that they send they would like to know how many people have opened the email.
Is there a way to get JavaScript to send a POST or GET command to an ASP, CGI or PHP script that will count how many people have read the email?

Well, there are ways of tracking email viewing, but:

1. It doesn't work on all email clients. More security conscious ones, such as Thunderbird, block network external connections by default to ensure user privacy.
2. It's unethical to gather information about a user without their knowledge or consent. Email tracking is little better than spyware.

That says it all.

It was the exact face I had on when I read that post. :D

Basically, because your question has nothing to do with javascript, or CGI, or PHP or anything. That's hacking/spying, and disregards the requirement for any particular languages. Regardless of the fact that this thread is arguably against PFO's terms of service, Arevos pretty much says what you need to know.

They don't want to know who is opening the message. All they want is something like a hit counter that says "X number of people have opened this message". It doesn't need the recipients:

• IP address
• Email address
• Brower/Email Client
• Name
• Or anything else...

Nor does it need to:

• Place a tracking cookie on the user's computer
• Install unwanted software
• Attempt to force the user into viewing advertisments
• Or any other malicious action...

This isn't meant to be spyware.
Anyway, my friends just paid some kind of subscription for a little page counter thing so I'm not even doing it anymore.