# Microsoft Outlook Question(sigh) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 5, 2003, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-outlook-question-sigh/173214 "2003-05-05T17:00:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2003, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-outlook-question-sigh/173214/1 "2003-05-05T17:00:13Z")
I try to avoid computer questions here because I know they can mostly be answered with research elsewhere. Forgive me if this is an obvious one. Is there a way I can get a message sent to me when someone has read my email? I want an indicator not just that the email arrived, but that it has been “downloaded” by the person it went to. It’s Outlook 2000 and I use a “myrealbox” email address. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Daizy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@Daizy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daizy)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2003, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-outlook-question-sigh/173214/2 "2003-05-05T17:07:16Z")
Hi Mahaloth Do you mean something such as a [read receipt?](http://www.techtv.com/callforhelp/answerstips/officetips/story/0,24330,3384950,00.html) Daizy ---
**Author:** ![Daizy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@Daizy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daizy)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2003, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-outlook-question-sigh/173214/3 "2003-05-05T17:12:04Z")
Alternately…something [like this?](http://www.msgtag.com/home/) Daizy ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2003, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-outlook-question-sigh/173214/4 "2003-05-05T19:53:07Z")
What **Daizy** says. But do note that a “read receipt” or “message tag” or any such option will only inform you that the email you sent has been received by the addressee, and at most opened. It cannot tell you whether the addressee has actually read your email, or whether the addressee has comprehended the contents of the email. What I’m trying to say is that it is possible, at times, for people to open emails and not read them at the time of receipt, or to open emails and just hurriedly glance through the contents without reading critical lines, etc. So, while it is a good indicator of whether the person has received your email, it is not an absolute indicator that your email has been read and/or its contents understood. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2003, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-outlook-question-sigh/173214/5 "2003-05-05T21:18:50Z")
Many (possibly even most) people have their client or server set up in such a way as to fail to honour receive/read receipts. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2003, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-outlook-question-sigh/173214/6 "2003-05-05T21:46:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*originally posted by \ ***xash** > > It cannot tell you whether the addressee has actually read your email, or whether the addressee has comprehended the contents of the email. Isn’t there some software out there somewhere that will let us know if the reader comprehended the e-mail? ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2003, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-outlook-question-sigh/173214/7 "2003-05-05T22:05:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mangetout \* > \*\*Many (possibly even most) people have their client or server set up in such a way as to fail to honour receive/read receipts. \*\* The same would apply to msgtag and similar (which I assume works by embedding html in the email that references their site somehow). If someone turns off html (IMHO everyone should turn off all scripting esp. activex, and sometimes html) it won’t work. I do think it’s ingenious, just can never guarantee than no reciept=not read (or obviously that while reciept=opened, may not be read) It depends on who you sent the email to: how techie they are, do they read email immediately, etc. If it’s an important email, you could ask for aknowledgement: “Please let me know you have recieved this…” PS. I just realised msgtag could put the text of your email on their website, so someone would get a link to their website. Then they definitely can’t read it without triggering a receipt. I wouldn’t recommend this - it’s prone to people saying ‘what is this shit? I won’t bother’ and it never getting read. ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2003, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-outlook-question-sigh/173214/8 "2003-05-05T22:13:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by x-ray vision \* > \*\*Isn’t there some software out there somewhere that will let us know if the reader comprehended the e-mail? \*\* 😛 **Mangetout** , one workaround to that is to include a small invisible image embedded within the email. If your email client is set to display html it will load the image, hence downloading the image from it’s location on the web, where you can have a counter that informs you that the email has been read.