# Sending a delayed message **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 13, 2008, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sending-a-delayed-message/437513 "2008-02-13T22:43:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sending-a-delayed-message/437513/1 "2008-02-13T22:43:58Z")
What good method is there of sending a delayed message to someone? It needs to fit the following. 1. They should receive it in 2 months 2. They should be unaware that there is a message for them in the meantime. 3. When they receive the message in 2 months they should be 100% convinced that I i)sent it today ii)after I sent it there was no possible way for me to delay/speed up/stop/change the message in any way 4. Nobody else except for the ultimate recipient should read it. It can be either physical or electronic. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sending-a-delayed-message/437513/2 "2008-02-13T22:53:44Z")
Well, there is a feature of MS Outlook where you can specify a ‘do not send before’ date. And when the recipient receives the email as far as they can tell it was sent on the do not send before date. I did this once to hide the fact that I was up at 4am sending emails… I made it look as if I’d sent the email at something like 9:28am Edit: Is your dopername the Discworld Mr Shine? ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sending-a-delayed-message/437513/3 "2008-02-13T23:38:41Z")
That wouldn’t work. See requirement 3.ii) If I had the opportunity to manipulate it after I sent it then my friend will not accept that I never had any intention of changing it should circumtances not go my way. He should be able to fully believe once I sent it that it was out of my hands, and he would receive it come what may. And yes it is from Discworld. Me Diamond 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sending-a-delayed-message/437513/4 "2008-02-13T23:48:08Z")
Seal the envelope. Sign and date the outside and hand it to a trustworthy third party with instructions. A lawyer could even notarize the signature and date. The third party can deliver it. ---
**Author:** ![Belrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Belrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belrix)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sending-a-delayed-message/437513/5 "2008-02-13T23:49:36Z")
[QUOTE=Mr Shine] What good method is there of sending a delayed message to someone? It needs to fit the following. 1. They should receive it in 2 months 2. They should be unaware that there is a message for them in the meantime. 3. When they receive the message in 2 months they should be 100% convinced that I i)sent it today ii)after I sent it there was no possible way for me to delay/speed up/stop/change the message in any way 4. Nobody else except for the ultimate recipient should read it. It can be either physical or electronic. [/QUOTE] If you have access to a unix box, you can do nearly any task at any time with the “at” utility, sending email included. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sending-a-delayed-message/437513/6 "2008-02-14T01:15:39Z")
[QUOTE=Belrix] If you have access to a unix box, you can do nearly any task at any time with the “at” utility, sending email included. [/QUOTE] Yeah, but the queue can be hacked pretty easily. It doesn’t meet the OP’s requirements.