in
is there an option to attach to sent messages so that i know the recipient
received/opened it without them having to actually send me a reply?
You already MULTI-posted this in the microsoft.public.outlook newsgroup.
Learn to cross-post:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossposting
http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm
http://www.cs.tut.fi/~jkorpela/usenet/xpost.html
A point not made is that N multiposted copies will consume N times the
disk space for each of the separate copies of the same post.
Crossposted messages have just *one* copy on the server with links in
the newsgroups back to the same single copy. Multiposting wastes disk
space on the server. Yes, your post may be small but remember that you
consume N times the space on one server and then do so again on all the
newsgroups servers worldwide. You waste more bandwidth getting N copies
of your multiposted message distributed to all the newsgroups servers
worldwide. Cross-posting has just one copy of the message on an NNTP
server, and only one copy gets propagated to other NNTP servers.
To those visiting the newsgroups, crossposting helps them see ALL the
replies from those in the other RELATED newsgroup to which you linked
your post. That way, they don't waste their time duplicating similar
replies.
Don't cross-post to more groups than needed if at all. Many consider
cross-posting to more than 4 groups as rude and may filter out your
post. The more groups you add, the less likely that they are related,
the less accurate or focused are the targeted groups, or some of the
included groups may already encompassed by another included but more
general group. If the are subgroups under a topic, choose whether you
will be specific or general in the targeted groups to which you post.
Don't go shotgunning your post across multiple groups trying to capture
as large an audience as possible as you will offend netizens with your
poor aim.
