Patent ID: 7366762

Claim:
A computer implemented method for using an anti-caching graphics interchange format process for tracking and reporting non-hypertext markup language e-mail campaigns, the computer implemented method comprising: placing an instruction set in a non-hypertext markup language e-mail to form a modified e-mail, wherein a data type of a field for the instruction set is set to hypertext markup language; and sending the modified e-mail to a server for a distribution list, wherein the instruction set is executed when the modified e-mail is opened, wherein in response to the instruction set executing, capturing and recording attributes about a reader of the modified e-mail, requesting a web page at a website, passing information about the e-mail and the reader, causing a local server to request the website from an original version of the website located on an original server in response to a non-existence of the web page, causing the original server to capture relevant information about the e-mail and the reader as tracking information, and transmitting the captured tracking information to a collection device.