History Of Email And Email Tracking

SNDMSG and READMAIL were originally very simple command line programs that allowed

a user to leave lines of text on a computer in the ARPANET network to be picked up on the same machine at a later time.

Ray Tomlinson adapted the SNDMSG program using another program he was working on called CPYNET which allowed users to copy files over the network, also introducing the username_at_hostcomputername addressing system that is still in use today. The first recorded email message "qwertyuiop" was sent across ARPANET in March 1972 between two DEC-10 computers physically located in the same room using this adapted program.

The first integrated email application wasn't to appear until 1975, by which time READMAIL had undergone several name changes and improvements, such as inbox management, sorting by subject / sender and integrated reading and sending. MSG, written by John Vittal, and considered to be the forerunner of modern email programs, was the first to automatically produce correctly addressed replies to messages through a local network. This application was relatively slow by today's standards and was controlled through a command line interface. Another milestone was reached in 1976, when Queen Elizabeth II became the first head of state to send an email message on Arpanet.

Eudora, the first email application to feature a graphical user interface, was invented by Steve Dorner in 1988, greatly increasing the accessibility and popularity of email. Followed a year later by the release of Lotus Notes, email took off in 1989 with 35,000 copies being sold in the first year of release.

The Advance of Microsoft and Web based Email Clients

In 1996 as part of the 3rd release of Internet Explorer, Microsoft released Internet Mail and News 1.0, which would later become Outlook. In the same year, a number of companies including a startup called Hotmail, introduced browser based cost free online email. Within a year, the amount of users with free web based email accounts had grown in volume to around 10 million.

Two years later in 1998, Microsoft bought Hotmail for USD 400m ( GBP283m). With the acquisition of hotmail some sources believe Microsoft was one of the first companies to successfully implement widespread email tracking using a clear 1x1 pixel image called C.gif encoded into Hotmail's front page.

Since then, having up to date knowledge of who has read your email and when has moved on considerably from use of web bugs. Many browser based and standalone email applications will block images in received emails to protect privacy. Many emails containing detectable tracking images or links from unconfirmed sources are classed as spam automatically. So for users requiring accurate tracking of outgoing emails and attached content as part of their business model or personal protection, more advanced solutions are required.

by: Ron Salmon

POST COMMENT

How to View Your Hotmail and Myspace Accounts even From Work Video Mail And The MyVideoTalk Studio The Pros And Cons In Getting A Hold Of A Mailing List Is This Golden Rule Missing From Your Email List? A Myth About Gmail Reverse Email Search Investigations Exposed! Valuable benefits of mail order nursery Emailing an Elephant: how to send a large file Are You Setting Up Your Own Email List? Will Email Ever Become Extinct? Email Worm Netsky Removal - Fixing Tip! Shipping Guidelines: How to Send Small Gifts in the Mail Spam mails Reverse Email Look Up Search - Reverse E-mail Direct And Dealings Details