Techie question about clogging up server

[Lewski709]

If the email is held up by the server, can it be read? It was deleted from the sent file and the deleted file. It was held up, several, because of the email address it was being sent to.

 

[DrCavin]

Can be read by the Administrator of the sending computer system, but not you or who you sent it to. The server may send it back to you saying it is undeliverable, but depends on how the server is setup.

 

[Lewski709]

Mine was the sending computer on a UUNET server, but the computer department called to ask if they were ok to go trough due to the email address name. Could they read them or just decide whether or not to let them go through? They DID come back as undeliverable.

 

[Bichon Barb]

Hi Lewski, just thought I'd give this a bump for you.

 

[Lewski709]

Bump for help

 

[JoNo]

Just to try & make this clear, you sent out messages, deleted the "sent" form of them, then they are being held up by the server? And you got them back as "undeliverable" right?

Depending on how the admin of the server is, he/she might or might not keep them. However it seems he/she got into contact with you about it right? If so, try a follow-up email just to make sure, but it's a 50/50 call, unless you ask him/her personally if they DID send it after it was being held up, or if they deleted the whole bundle...

 

[adamak]

Depends. Ability to read the sent message has nothing to do with the delivery of it.

If it's still in your OUTBOX, then you can still read it. That means the email is stuck on your side of the server. However, if it's not in your OUTBOX, then most likely it has already left your server, and it's somewhere out there, floating along to get to the recipient.

If it's already gone, and if you the sender have saved a copy in the SENT or SAVED folder (some system admin automatically setup this option for you), then yes, you can read a 'copy' of the file. If this is not setup, then no. You won't be able to read it because you don't have a copy saved on your side. It doesn't matter if the email is delivered or not.

The reciever will obviously not be able to read it until it's delivered.

 

[Lewski709]

It was caught by the filtration system thinking it could be a virus. The comp. department called me to ask if I was sending them. I said I was. Then they came back to me as undeliverable. I just wonder if they had the ability to read them?

 

[KathyTX]

The simple answer is yes- the system administrators on your corporate mail server would have the ability to read the contents of your emails.

Unless you are specifically told differently, you should never assume that you have any confidentiality when using your corporate email system.

 

[Lewski709]

If they were returned undeliverable, can they still be read? Or are they then gone?

 

[KathyTX]

It's possible that they could still be read.

Depends on lots of things that we don't know about how your mail system is configured.