Random

[kingandy]

This image has been removed for security reasons Amazon.com really do love putting images in their mailshots.

Comments

[dark-squirrel.livejournal.com]

Squirrel Mail?

[kingandy]

Yes, stsquad's webmail service. No actual squirrels are involved.

[stsquad.livejournal.com]

I suspect its because they don't embedded the images in the mail and just add href's. This is a security issue because you can track mails with them.

You can turn off HTML email on your amazon preferences.

I shall withold my rant about why HTML email was the worst invention 'eva for latter.

[kingandy]

Yes, that's exactly why it happens. I just found it amusing that there would be so many.

I personally find it more likely (at least in this case) that it's a bandwidth decision on Amazon's part - why send out millions of images when you can just as easily send a url? I can see, however, that more underhanded people may be interested in watching their messages travel around the world. I can't see whyyou'd be interested, but I can see that they would.

Why I care

[stsquad.livejournal.com]

Preventing verification of your email address by spam bots for one.

Re: Why I care

[kingandy]

I meant why the people tracking it would be interested rather than why you'd be interested in stopping it, but I guess that answers that question too.

Though I didn't think spambots cared whether an email address was valid or not ... surely they just ignore bounces?

Re: Why I care

[stsquad.livejournal.com]

They do. A known good address is worth more than a potentially tarpitted/bouncing one.

[spodula.livejournal.com]

But but but.. the pretty pictures!!!

Nah, as someone who has been known to read his email via TELNETting to the mail server, find any MIME encoded email (Including HTML) highly annoying.