Even though we’ve heard hardly a peep about email tracking software service Did They Read It since they first burst on the scene more than four years ago, another email read tracking service has bellied up to the email tracking trough in the form of SpyPig.
Says SpyPig of their SpyPig service, “Now you can find out when your email has been read by the recipient! No more guessing: “Has he or she read my email yet?” SpyPig is a simple email tracking system that sends you a notification email as soon as the recipient opens and reads your message. It works with virtually all modern email programs: Outlook, Eudora, Yahoo Email, Gmail, Hotmail, AOL Email and many others.”
Of course, what they really mean is “it works with virtually all email programs that will render an image” because what SpyPig does, like any email open tracker, is to track the opening of the email by having the reader’s email client render an image. In many cases it’s an essentially invisible 1×1 pixel image, but in the case of SpyPig, they offer images to embed in your email that amount to a visible graphic “gotcha”. They offer two different cute piggy faces, a third piggy face with the name “SpyPig”, and a graphic that consists entirely of the words “I Know You’ve Read My Email” (creepy!) Oh, and they do also offer the blank 1×1 pixel.
Unlike Did They Read It, which is fee-based (although it does have a free version which is limited to up to 10 message), SpyPig is currently completely free. But to use it you have to go through their web interface, giving up both your recipient’s and your own email address.
What do you think of this sort of service? Would you use it? How would you feel if you found out that someone was using it with the email that they sent you? (To read what we think of if – as if you couldn’t guess – read our take on the subject in our article on the Did They Read It service.)
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All this Spypig stuff is pretty creepy. I believe that if used it should be law that the receiver is made known of the fact before he opens the mail. Is there someone standing against this latest big brother stuff?
I am quite annoyed by voy boards and peoples ability to post anonymously on them. Can anyone tell me if there is any way possible to trace an IP address from a post on a voy board that you don’t have to sign into or have an email address in order to make a post?
Sometimes I need to send a message to someone, a meeting for example, and know they received it. If you have ever presided over any organization, you know that most people don’t pay attention.
I ask for a reply to confirm. Invariably, many of these people can’t be bothered to say ‘OK’ or not.
I know, I could use the phone. Email is so much easier when you deal with large groups.
I welcome something that will auto-confirm important messages.
I don’t see the big deal about privacy when the lack of it is rampant everywhere else on the Internet.
I have used MSGTAG for some time now, )
which depends on the same image technique. I still have it rigged but it’s use is limited, since many e-mail clients do not load images by default. Having said that, I’m still amazed at the number of returns I still get from corporate systems and one even from the letters department of Web User magazine here in the UK, who should know a LOT better!