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Java Forum / General / November 2007HTML email with hidden image request for website statistics gathering?
Hi, So, some large company has a firewall and proxy server and IHS and Websphere and a J2EE web app. This web app produces an HTML email containing a hidden <img ...> tag that requests an image from the web app (not the web server). This email is sent out to many people. We want to record the number of people who opened the email (doesn't mean they read it, but opened it, and the <img ...> request is processed). But won't the proxy server end up caching the image after the 1st or 2nd request and we won't have any website visitors? Thanks! Rob > Hi, > [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > Thanks! > Rob I've seen this method before, but it never seems to work well. It only reports all the cases where the image is successfully loaded. Caching can affect your results, if the image is not cached and the same person opens it 50 times. Also, email clients that are not displaying HTML mail will probably not record a hit, even though the email was opened and read. I know that with Exchange or Groupwise, it's possible to request a response or see if someone else has opened an email, but that only works if they are also using Exchange or Groupwise. >> Hi, >> [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > response or see if someone else has opened an email, but that only > works if they are also using Exchange or Groupwise. Also, people who are annoyed by web bugs have security in place to suppress these little marketing spam pieces of crap.  SignatureLew ... >Also, people who are annoyed by .. .. such juvenile and sureptitious use of their bandwidth, would immediately hit the 'back button' when they notice further requests are being made, then (without a monent's further thought) mark the email as 'spam'. * Of their web based email. Alter actions slightly, for email clients. SignatureAndrew Thompson http://www.athompson.info/andrew/ > .. >>Also, people who are annoyed by .. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > * Of their web based email. Alter actions slightly, for > email clients. Hello, This is an intranet web app for employees of a company. Yes, its very much like annoying spam concept with a banner-like and domain cookie tracking but the senior managers would like to know how many (and who?). This will not be unleashed outside of the company. Yes, text email clients would not records squat, that's viewed as a "limitation" of this design. HTML email content must go to a server to process elements inside of it but every <img ...> tag would eventually get proxied and thus, it seems like I need to run some AJAX in there or something. Thoughts? Thanks! Rob >> .. >>>Also, people who are annoyed by .. Intrusive employers? ... >This is an intranet web app for employees of a company. ... So why not 'cut the crap' and install keystroke monitors on the machines connected to this intranet? Or is that illegal (even with specific work contracts allowing it, by employee signature) where you are? <shudder>I feel dirty</shudder> An entirely different and less intrusive approach might be.. >...Yes, its very much >like annoying spam concept with a banner-like and domain cookie tracking >but the senior managers would like to know how many (and who?). Ever tried.. 1) A poll on the company's homesite? I take it the browsers are 'locked in' to opening at a specific page? Put a prominent "Did you care enough to read the e-letter?" Yes/No form on that page - maybe even pop a dialog using JS/'onload'. 2) A simple poll 'rating' at the end of the email itself. Obviously you will not get replies from people who did not read it, nor even everyone that *did,* but at least it gives some idea of 'penetration'. And as a bonus, those who do respond tell you how much they liked/hated or found it informative/uninformative or .. Knowing information like that, is vastly more useful than discovering the resource usage of some (damnable) GIF! SignatureAndrew Thompson http://www.athompson.info/andrew/ Free MagazinesGet these publications absolutely FREE for up to 12 months. There are no hidden fees and no obligation. Simply choose a title, complete the application form and submit it. Read more ...
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