E-mail Tracking - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

f6twister · 01-31-2005, 08:26 AM

One of my friends is constantly sending me e-mails like the one below. At the end it states that AOL is tracking everywhere it is sent and if you forward it to 3 people, they will give the "requestor" 32 cents.

I have little doubt the the e-mail itself is fake but that isn't my question. What I really want to know is if AOL could really track an e-mail through what should be thousands if not millions of people, all using different systems. It doesn't sound possible to me.

Peace and Love

Send to as many people as you can. You'll understand after reading this.

To My Child (don't delete ~ its being tracked)

Be sure and read to the bottom portion.....

Just for this morning, I am going to smile when I see your face and laugh when I feel like crying.

Just for this morning, I will let you choose what you want to wear, and smile and say how perfect it is.

Just for this morning, I am going to step over the laundry, and pick you up and take you to the park to play.

Just for this morning, I will leave the dishes in the sink, and let you teach me how to put that puzzle of yours together.

Just for this afternoon, I will unplug the telephone and keep the computer off, and sit with you in the backyard and blow bubbles..

Just for this afternoon, I will not yell once, not even a tiny grumble when you scream and whine for the ice cream truck, and I will buy you one if he comes by.

Just for this afternoon, I won't worry about what you are going to be when you grow up, or second guess every decision I have made where you are concerned.

Just for this afternoon, I will let you help me bake cookies, and I won't stand over you trying to fix them.

Just for this afternoon, I will take us to McDonald's and buy us both a Happy Meal so you can have both toys..

Just for this evening, I will hold you in my arms and tell you a story about how you were born and how much I love you.

Just! for this evening, I will let you splash in the tub and not get angry.

Just for this evening, I will let you stay up late while we sit on the porch and count all the stars.

Just for this evening, I will snuggle beside you for hours, and miss my favorite TV shows.

Just for this evening when I run my finger through your hair as you pray, I will simply be grateful that God has given me the greatest gift ever given.

I will think about the mothers and fathers who are searching for their missing children, the mothers and fathers who are visiting their children's graves instead of their bedrooms, and mothers and fathers who are in hospital rooms watching their children suffer senselessly, and screaming inside that they can't handle it anymore.

And when I kiss you good night I will hold you a little tighter, a little longer. It is then, that I will thank God for you, and ask him for nothing, except one more day..............

Hi. I am a 29 year old father. Me and my wife have had a wonderful life together. God blessed us with a child too. Our daughter's name is Rachel, and she is 10 years old. Not long ago did the doctors detect brain cancer in her little body. There is only one way to save her and that is an operation. Sadly we don't have the money for the operation. AOL and Zdnet have agreed to help us. The only way they can help is this:

If you send this email to other people, AOL will track this email and count how many people get it. Every person that opens this email and sends it to at lea! st 3 people will give us 32c. Please help us. George Arlington

bendsley · 01-31-2005, 09:28 AM

The answer is no, plain and simple. Once it's left their mail server, they cannot track it any further that that. The message headers are changed from server to server, even though you might see AOL info in the body, the mail headers will be different.

ratbastid · 01-31-2005, 10:26 AM

Definitely not. There's a long tradition of emails like this. Check out http://www.snopes.com

catback · 01-31-2005, 10:32 AM

It's possible to track it but illogical to spend the time and resources to even attempt to track a single e-mail.

JJRousseau · 01-31-2005, 03:30 PM

As I understand it, most chain emails are written and used by companies that collect and sell email addresses to spammers. I tell my friends that if they HAVE to send me spam, use the BCC feature so that my email address can not be copied.

the_marq · 01-31-2005, 03:37 PM

Quote:

If you send this email to other people, AOL will track this email and count how many people get it. Every person that opens this email and sends it to at lea! st 3 people will give us 32c. Please help us. George Arlington

So AOL won't help save this little girl unless the father spams millions of people? Sure, seems reasonable to me.

skaven · 01-31-2005, 05:20 PM

I can't help it...I have to post the "sad sack" e-mail.

http://www.snopes.com/humor/iftrue/burlap.htm

Quote:

I am a very sick little boy. My mother is typing this for me, because I can't. She is crying. Don't cry, Mommy! Mommy is always sad, but she says it's not my fault. I asked her if it was God's fault, but she didn't answer, and only started crying harder, so I don't ask her that anymore. The reason she is so sad is that I'm so sick. I was born without a body. It doesn't hurt, except when I go to sleep.

The doctors gave me an artificial body. My body is a burlap bag filled with leaves. The doctors said that was Billy Evansthe best they could do on account of us havin' no money or insurance. I would like to have a body transplant, but we need more money. Mommy doesn't work because she said employers don't hire crying people. I said, "Don't cry, Mommy," and she hugged my burlap body. Mommy always gives me hugs, even though she's allergic to burlap, and it chafes her real bad.

I hope you will help me. You can help me if you forward this e-mail. Dr. Johansen said if you foward this e-mail then Bill Gates will team up with AOL and do a survey with NASA. Then the astronauts will collect prayers from school children all over America and take them up to space so that the angels can hear them better. Then they will go to the Pope, and he will take up a collection in church and send the money to the doctors. The doctors could help me better then.

Maybe one day I will be able to play baseball. Or maybe just use my lungs and heart, when the doctors make them. The doctors said that every time you foward this letter, the astronauts can take another prayer to the angels. Please help me. Mommy is so sad, and I want a body. I don't want my leaves to rot before I turn 10.

If you don't foward this e-mail, that's OK. Mommy says you're a mean heartless person who doesn't care about a poor little boy with only a head. She says that she hopes that you stew in the raw pit of your own guilt-ridden stomach. What kind of wretched person are you that you can't take five lousy minutes to forward this to all your friends so that they can feel guilt and shame for the rest of their day, and then maybe help a poor, bodiless nine-year-old boy?

Please help me. This really sucks. I try to be happy but it's hard. I wish

I had a puppy. I wish I could hold a puppy.

Thank You.
Billy 'Smiles' Evans,
The boy with just a head.
And a burlap sack for a body.

trache · 01-31-2005, 09:03 PM

It is possible to track. As long as the e-mail finds its way to someone at AOL (or working for AOL), they can take the message headers, and building some fancy backend, correlate IP address to perhaps certain e-mail addresses etc etc - whatever they choose to do with each individual e-mail of course.

As catback said, it's possible... but not cost-effective or quick.

nickynicole · 02-02-2005, 07:09 PM

Skaven, that was the funniest email forward I think I've ever read.

If I believed in forwarding things to people, I would totally send that to everyone I know.

01-31-2005, 08:26 AM	#1 (permalink)
f6twister Addict	E-mail Tracking One of my friends is constantly sending me e-mails like the one below. At the end it states that AOL is tracking everywhere it is sent and if you forward it to 3 people, they will give the "requestor" 32 cents. I have little doubt the the e-mail itself is fake but that isn't my question. What I really want to know is if AOL could really track an e-mail through what should be thousands if not millions of people, all using different systems. It doesn't sound possible to me. Peace and Love Send to as many people as you can. You'll understand after reading this. To My Child (don't delete ~ its being tracked) Be sure and read to the bottom portion..... Just for this morning, I am going to smile when I see your face and laugh when I feel like crying. Just for this morning, I will let you choose what you want to wear, and smile and say how perfect it is. Just for this morning, I am going to step over the laundry, and pick you up and take you to the park to play. Just for this morning, I will leave the dishes in the sink, and let you teach me how to put that puzzle of yours together. Just for this afternoon, I will unplug the telephone and keep the computer off, and sit with you in the backyard and blow bubbles.. Just for this afternoon, I will not yell once, not even a tiny grumble when you scream and whine for the ice cream truck, and I will buy you one if he comes by. Just for this afternoon, I won't worry about what you are going to be when you grow up, or second guess every decision I have made where you are concerned. Just for this afternoon, I will let you help me bake cookies, and I won't stand over you trying to fix them. Just for this afternoon, I will take us to McDonald's and buy us both a Happy Meal so you can have both toys.. Just for this evening, I will hold you in my arms and tell you a story about how you were born and how much I love you. Just! for this evening, I will let you splash in the tub and not get angry. Just for this evening, I will let you stay up late while we sit on the porch and count all the stars. Just for this evening, I will snuggle beside you for hours, and miss my favorite TV shows. Just for this evening when I run my finger through your hair as you pray, I will simply be grateful that God has given me the greatest gift ever given. I will think about the mothers and fathers who are searching for their missing children, the mothers and fathers who are visiting their children's graves instead of their bedrooms, and mothers and fathers who are in hospital rooms watching their children suffer senselessly, and screaming inside that they can't handle it anymore. And when I kiss you good night I will hold you a little tighter, a little longer. It is then, that I will thank God for you, and ask him for nothing, except one more day.............. Hi. I am a 29 year old father. Me and my wife have had a wonderful life together. God blessed us with a child too. Our daughter's name is Rachel, and she is 10 years old. Not long ago did the doctors detect brain cancer in her little body. There is only one way to save her and that is an operation. Sadly we don't have the money for the operation. AOL and Zdnet have agreed to help us. The only way they can help is this: If you send this email to other people, AOL will track this email and count how many people get it. Every person that opens this email and sends it to at lea! st 3 people will give us 32c. Please help us. George Arlington __________________ A little rudeness and disrespect can elevate a meaningless interaction to a battle of wills and add drama to an otherwise dull day. Calvin

01-31-2005, 09:28 AM	#2 (permalink)
bendsley Professional Loafer Location: texas	The answer is no, plain and simple. Once it's left their mail server, they cannot track it any further that that. The message headers are changed from server to server, even though you might see AOL info in the body, the mail headers will be different. __________________ "You hear the one about the fella who died, went to the pearly gates? St. Peter let him in. Sees a guy in a suit making a closing argument. Says, "Who's that?" St. Peter says, "Oh, that's God. Thinks he's Denny Crane."

01-31-2005, 09:03 PM	#8 (permalink)
trache Insane	It is possible to track. As long as the e-mail finds its way to someone at AOL (or working for AOL), they can take the message headers, and building some fancy backend, correlate IP address to perhaps certain e-mail addresses etc etc - whatever they choose to do with each individual e-mail of course. As catback said, it's possible... but not cost-effective or quick. __________________ "You looked at me as if I was eating runny eggs in slow motion." - Gord Downie of The Tragically Hip

01-31-2005, 10:26 AM	#3 (permalink)
ratbastid Darth Papa Location: Yonder	Definitely not. There's a long tradition of emails like this. Check out http://www.snopes.com

01-31-2005, 10:32 AM	#4 (permalink)
catback Psycho Location: North America	It's possible to track it but illogical to spend the time and resources to even attempt to track a single e-mail.

01-31-2005, 03:30 PM	#5 (permalink)
JJRousseau Psycho Location: Vancouver, Canada	As I understand it, most chain emails are written and used by companies that collect and sell email addresses to spammers. I tell my friends that if they HAVE to send me spam, use the BCC feature so that my email address can not be copied.

02-02-2005, 07:09 PM	#9 (permalink)
nickynicole Crazy Location: not here.	Skaven, that was the funniest email forward I think I've ever read. If I believed in forwarding things to people, I would totally send that to everyone I know.