E-mail mapping

Is it possable to map e-mails and see them in real time?

Anyone know of any programs that do that? Any links?

Would you use it? What would it be used for?

Originally posted by energy_wave
Is it possable to map e-mails and see them in real time?

Anyone know of any programs that do that? Any links?

Would you use it? What would it be used for?

Depends on what you mean by this. I'm not sure what you mean by "real time" email -- I don't think it has any real meaning.

Now.. to answer your question, yes, we can tell where an email originates. If you use RoadRunner as your ISP and you email through Yahoo, then yes, we can tell that you were using Roadrunner and mailing through Yahoo by looking at the email. Email gives all these details (in the full headers) if you know where to look for them.

"We", by the way, is computer geeks and syops.

That's how we hunt down spammers. We have ALWAYS been able to trace emails ever since there was an email system (well over 20 years.) No software is needed; you just need to know what you're looking at.

And of course, any government in the world can tell the same thing.

People tend to think of the Internet as secure and private, but the truth is that it's about as private as standing in the middle of a crowd at a concert and talking to the person behind you.

Suppose you could send an e-mail with say an ATSNN breaking news story to all members. You could watch it in real time on a map of the world as it travels through the routers, as it is opened, read and forwarded on by those who received it. You could send video clips, photos, vote, carry on multi-thread discussions, build communities, etc. And you could collaberate with others on the chain, see what country they are in, maybe even gather demografic data. It would keep a total of the numbers of emails sent and forwarded too.

With all this talk about spam mail being banned this just might be an idea the advertisers are looking for. It wouldn't be spam mail because it would be sent on by people who know each other.

If this was available would anyone use it? Does this sound possable? Has anyone ever found anything like this?

Is this a revolutionary idea?

Originally posted by Byrd

"We", by the way, is computer geeks and syops.

That's how we hunt down spammers. We have ALWAYS been able to trace emails ever since there was an email system (well over 20 years.) No software is needed; you just need to know what you're looking at.

Correct
I am subscribed to a number of usenet groups (mainly Perl, Python and Linux ones) and end up spending my time tracking down these spammers and emailing their ISPs, lol.

You get so many spammers on usenet groups, advertising a load of rubbish.

Oh, sorry... To your question...

I have not heard of any software like that no...
Though you can get a rough idea of how your email gets somewhere by doing a "/usr/sbin/traceroute". (Linux geeks will know what I am on about )

But even if there was such a program... I doubt I will use it, no need to.


[Edited on 20-1-2004 by MetalHead]

It is really great idea; however it is not that easy.

How it works. Simple case:

Email client SMTP session your ISP server

Another thing I don't know if you (energy_wave) know about...
Is that there is a way of knowing if someone had read your email...

Some email clients (Mozilla Mail for one) let you add a special email header, which tells the recipients' email client to send an email back to you when he has read your email. Of course, the recipient can always click "no" when he his asked to send a comfirmation back, but it's a way.

From what I know, and as others have said... There is no way you could trace an email 'real time'... Unless they re-built the SMTP protocol specification.

I still can't see why anybody would want a way to view 'real time' anyway, I mean email is so fast... Unless it logs the trace it took, the route would flash up, and disapear before you could read it, lol.

Originally posted by Byrd

That's how we hunt down spammers. We have ALWAYS been able to trace emails ever since there was an email system (well over 20 years.) No software is needed; you just need to know what you're looking at.

And what do you do if the spammer has used a remailer + an anonymous proxy who doesn't keep any IP's Logs ?

Well it's the SMTP server that sends the email headers... So you will still be able to see what mail server the email came from. Then if you can't find anymore info out (though practially always you can) you just email the admin of that mail server, and ask them to check their logs for IPs at that exact time.

They should be able to have some information on the sender... All is posible.
If it was that important... You would find out. But spamming isn't *that* important, it's just an annoyance. And most spammers, don't use remailers and anonymous proxies

[Edited on 20-1-2004 by MetalHead]