Block Delivery & Read Receipts

[John TCI]

Have a so called “family friend†with whom I have to communicate very
regularly but who refuses to turn off automatic requests for Read receipts
and Delivery receipts.

We were being driven crazy with the quantity of copies being generated.
Think that this is because we have 2 Blackberries and multiple Gmail accounts
using IMAP and all with Outlook 2007 on 7 shared computers (desktops &
laptops).

2 Questions:

(i) DELIVERY RECEIPTS: From what we have read, it seems that it is
impossible to block/stop delivery receipts . . . is this correct? . . .
would love to be proved wrong.

(ii) READ RECEIPTS: Is there any way to completely block read receipts?

Originally we couldn’t tell which device was sending the read receipts . .
.. think it was probably all of them. So started eliminating them one by one .
.. . First the Blackberries then the desktops and laptops . . . but many
still get through, and in a very strange way (only from my wife’s computer
but with my name and from her e-mail address, which is the default).

Herewith a sample copy of the headers of one of the original Read receipts
extracted from G-mail (with a few changes to protect the innocent):-

Return-Path: <[email protected]>
Received: from WifesPC (3-205-114-200.Internetprovidername.com.
[200.114.205.3])
by mx.google.com with ESMTPS id 4sm14743253yxd.50.2009.02.20.11.17.53
(version=SSLv3 cipher=RC4-MD5);
Fri, 20 Feb 2009 11:17:55 -0800 (PST)
From: Husbandsname <[email protected]>
To: "socalledfriendsname" <[email protected]>
Subject: Read: Another friend’s name.
Date: Fri, 20 Feb 2009 17:17:52 -0200
Message-ID: <018601c9938f$eef17de0$ccd479a0$@com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: application/ms-tnef;
name="winmail.dat"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64
Content-Disposition: attachment;
filename="winmail.dat"
X-Mailer: Microsoft Office Outlook 12.0
Thread-Index: AcmTZRiSvpda7+QkTamTLVN4UinFewAJsaPAAAD5+do=
x-ms-tnef-correlator: 0000000043419494B84A4646B85B5DBEC85BDC27A4AB4300

Grateful for someone’s help . . . thanks in advance.

 

[John TCI]

Sorry about the repeat . . . the first told me that it had failed and that I
would have to submit/try again later.

 

[VanguardLH]

Have a so called ´family friend¡ with whom I have to communicate very
regularly but who refuses to turn off automatic requests for Read receipts
and Delivery receipts.

We were being driven crazy with the quantity of copies being generated.
Think that this is because we have 2 Blackberries and multiple Gmail accounts
using IMAP and all with Outlook 2007 on 7 shared computers (desktops &
laptops).

2 Questions:

(i) DELIVERY RECEIPTS: From what we have read, it seems that it is
impossible to block/stop delivery receipts . . . is this correct? . . .
would love to be proved wrong.

(ii) READ RECEIPTS: Is there any way to completely block read receipts?

Originally we couldnÿt tell which device was sending the read receipts . .
. think it was probably all of them. So started eliminating them one by one .
. . First the Blackberries then the desktops and laptops . . . but many
still get through, and in a very strange way (only from my wifeÿs computer
but with my name and from her e-mail address, which is the default).

Read receipt *requests* (which is a header in the e-mail) are handled by
the recipient's e-mail client. Whether the e-mail client prompts,
always sends, or always ignores these requests depends on how the user
configured their e-mail client.

Delivery receipt *requests* (which is a header in the e-mail) are
handled by the recipient's mail host (NOT by the recipient's e-mail
client). It is a request for the receiving mail host to notify the
sender that their e-mail got to the recipient's mail service. It does
NOT validate that the e-mail got through that mail service to the
recipient's mailbox and it is does not validate that the recipient
retrieved the e-mail in their e-mail client and then opened that e-mail.
Rare few mail hosts waste their time with positive feedback via delivery
receipts. They don't need to tell you when your e-mail was accepted by
their mail host. Instead they send back negative feedback when their
mail host rejects or otherwise will not or can not accept your e-mail.
The lack of negative feedback is the positive feedback. Mail hosts
don't need to waste their time validating all accepted e-mails and
instead. They just need to provide the negative feedback when they
cannot accept your e-mail (or the sending mail host sends back the
negative feedback when it cannot connect to the receiving mail host).


Read receipts: Requests are handled by recipient's e-mail client.
Most users ignore all such requests.
Delivery receipts: Requests are handled by the receiving mail host.
Most mail hosts ignore such requests.

You'll have to configure you e-mail client to NOT automatically send
e-mail acknowledgements in response to read receipt requests. You can't
do anything about delivery receipt requests.

Content-Type: application/ms-tnef;
name="winmail.dat"
Content-Disposition: attachment;
filename="winmail.dat"

Is this a copy of YOUR e-mail that the other person received? If so,
why are you using RTF (Rich-Text Format) as evidenced by the winmail.dat
attachment? RTF is only to be used when you can guarantee the recipient
is also using Outlook and if both the sender and recipient are using the
same Exchange mail server.

Read receipts don't "get through" unless YOU requested them and are
getting them back from the recipient of YOUR e-mails.

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

My money is on a bug in Outlook and how it handles IMAP and RR. See
http://www.slipstick.com/problems/rr_ndr.asp for an explanation of the bug.

While outlook can be configured to not return RR, accessing the message from
multiple computers is causing problems.

It's all gmail accounts? I would see if a rule in Gmail can mark messages
read as the message arrives. This should eliminate multiple RR if the
problem is the RR/IMAP bug.

Being someone who doesn't like unnecessary RR's, I would copy his messages
before reading - mark one read, delete one copy, mark one read etc... just
to annoy him. (Yes, I've done it before. )

Does your friend use outlook? if so, he could create a rule to request RR
and make an exception for your addresses.



--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]



Outlook Tips by email:
mailto:[email protected]

EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
mailto:[email protected]

You can access this newsgroup by visiting
http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx or point your
newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.

Have a so called “family friend†with whom I have to communicate very
regularly but who refuses to turn off automatic requests for Read receipts
and Delivery receipts.

We were being driven crazy with the quantity of copies being generated.
Think that this is because we have 2 Blackberries and multiple Gmail
accounts
using IMAP and all with Outlook 2007 on 7 shared computers (desktops &
laptops).

2 Questions:

(i) DELIVERY RECEIPTS: From what we have read, it seems that it is
impossible to block/stop delivery receipts . . . is this correct? . . .
would love to be proved wrong.

(ii) READ RECEIPTS: Is there any way to completely block read receipts?

Originally we couldn’t tell which device was sending the read receipts .
.
. think it was probably all of them. So started eliminating them one by
one .
. . First the Blackberries then the desktops and laptops . . . but many
still get through, and in a very strange way (only from my wife’s computer
but with my name and from her e-mail address, which is the default).

Herewith a sample copy of the headers of one of the original Read receipts
extracted from G-mail (with a few changes to protect the innocent):-

Return-Path: <[email protected]>
Received: from WifesPC (3-205-114-200.Internetprovidername.com.
[200.114.205.3])
by mx.google.com with ESMTPS id
4sm14743253yxd.50.2009.02.20.11.17.53
(version=SSLv3 cipher=RC4-MD5);
Fri, 20 Feb 2009 11:17:55 -0800 (PST)
From: Husbandsname <[email protected]>
To: "socalledfriendsname" <[email protected]>
Subject: Read: Another friend’s name.
Date: Fri, 20 Feb 2009 17:17:52 -0200
Message-ID: <018601c9938f$eef17de0$ccd479a0$@com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: application/ms-tnef;
name="winmail.dat"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64
Content-Disposition: attachment;
filename="winmail.dat"
X-Mailer: Microsoft Office Outlook 12.0
Thread-Index: AcmTZRiSvpda7+QkTamTLVN4UinFewAJsaPAAAD5+do=
x-ms-tnef-correlator: 0000000043419494B84A4646B85B5DBEC85BDC27A4AB4300

Grateful for someone’s help . . . thanks in advance.

 

[John TCI]

Many thanks Diane.

The bug and accessing from multiple computers seems to be the logical
explanation.

Have just set up gmail to filter his messages and mark them as read . . .
will watch with interest.

Would love to do something to annoy him but not sure that I understand
exactly what you are suggesting.

He does use Outlook but I will need to spoon feed him as to how to create a
suitable rule. Problem is that I never created a rule myself so would you be
so kind to explain how to do it? Have just gone to Outlook help but can’t see
where to make a rule for outgoing mail.

My money is on a bug in Outlook and how it handles IMAP and RR. See
http://www.slipstick.com/problems/rr_ndr.asp for an explanation of the bug.

While outlook can be configured to not return RR, accessing the message from
multiple computers is causing problems.

It's all gmail accounts? I would see if a rule in Gmail can mark messages
read as the message arrives. This should eliminate multiple RR if the
problem is the RR/IMAP bug.

Being someone who doesn't like unnecessary RR's, I would copy his messages
before reading - mark one read, delete one copy, mark one read etc... just
to annoy him. (Yes, I've done it before. )

Does your friend use outlook? if so, he could create a rule to request RR
and make an exception for your addresses.



--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]



Outlook Tips by email:
mailto:[email protected]

EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
mailto:[email protected]

You can access this newsgroup by visiting
http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx or point your
newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.

Have a so called “family friend†with whom I have to communicate very
regularly but who refuses to turn off automatic requests for Read receipts
and Delivery receipts.

We were being driven crazy with the quantity of copies being generated.
Think that this is because we have 2 Blackberries and multiple Gmail
accounts
using IMAP and all with Outlook 2007 on 7 shared computers (desktops &
laptops).

2 Questions:

(i) DELIVERY RECEIPTS: From what we have read, it seems that it is
impossible to block/stop delivery receipts . . . is this correct? . . .
would love to be proved wrong.

(ii) READ RECEIPTS: Is there any way to completely block read receipts?

Originally we couldn’t tell which device was sending the read receipts .
.
. think it was probably all of them. So started eliminating them one by
one .
. . First the Blackberries then the desktops and laptops . . . but many
still get through, and in a very strange way (only from my wife’s computer
but with my name and from her e-mail address, which is the default).

Herewith a sample copy of the headers of one of the original Read receipts
extracted from G-mail (with a few changes to protect the innocent):-

Return-Path: <[email protected]>
Received: from WifesPC (3-205-114-200.Internetprovidername.com.
[200.114.205.3])
by mx.google.com with ESMTPS id
4sm14743253yxd.50.2009.02.20.11.17.53
(version=SSLv3 cipher=RC4-MD5);
Fri, 20 Feb 2009 11:17:55 -0800 (PST)
From: Husbandsname <[email protected]>
To: "socalledfriendsname" <[email protected]>
Subject: Read: Another friend’s name.
Date: Fri, 20 Feb 2009 17:17:52 -0200
Message-ID: <018601c9938f$eef17de0$ccd479a0$@com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: application/ms-tnef;
name="winmail.dat"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64
Content-Disposition: attachment;
filename="winmail.dat"
X-Mailer: Microsoft Office Outlook 12.0
Thread-Index: AcmTZRiSvpda7+QkTamTLVN4UinFewAJsaPAAAD5+do=
x-ms-tnef-correlator: 0000000043419494B84A4646B85B5DBEC85BDC27A4AB4300

Grateful for someone’s help . . . thanks in advance.