writing content for read receipt in java mail program

[Rajshekhar Gandrakota]

hi
how we can customize the content for read receipt in java, I set read receipt option but instead of default read receipt,i want my own content to be appear in read receipt because i have to do some backend processing after receiving read receipt

thanks and regards
G.Rajshekhar

[Ulf Dittmer]

I think that's a function of the mail server - have a look at the documentation of the one you're using. I don't think there's a Java standard for that.

[Rajshekhar Gandrakota]

ok..if the configuration in mail server, Is there is any other way apart from read receipt where we intimate the sender that mail has been read and also is it possible to customise the reply content

G.Rajshekahr

[Paul Clapham]

Customize the reply content? As Ulf already said, the read receipt will be sent by the reader's mail server. You have absolutely no control over the configuration of somebody else's mail server.

A common way to find out when somebody opens a message is to send an HTML message containing an image link. Since this link points to a URL on your server, you can have your server record the fact that the link was followed and then return an image.

However many people feel that it's not your business to know when they read your message. It feels like they are being spied on. That's why a lot of e-mail clients nowadays prevent images from being displayed in HTML-formatted messages. You might consider redesigning your application so that this requirement is replaced by something else. Like asking the recipient to reply, or click on a link, or something like that.

[Rajshekhar Gandrakota]

Is there is any alternate solution apart from read receipt? i want to get a mail as soon as receiver reads it.

[Ulf Dittmer]

Paul makes a good point about people not liking this kind of thing. I remember there being a third-party tool to prevent the receipts being sent from Outlook (which -in conjunction with Exchange server- supports receipts). But if the mail goes through other servers, then all bets of whether or not you might receive a notification are off anyway. So it's better not to use them at all, in order not to annoy people.

What kind of scenario is this where you need to know whether someone has read an email right away?
[ August 04, 2006: Message edited by: Ulf Dittmer ]

[Rajshekhar Gandrakota]

basically it is virtual greeting card project where a card is send directly to his mailbox..i just want intimate the sender that his card has been viewed