On Thu, 22 Jul 1999 09:23:40 +0100, Deborah Cresswell <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>Does anyones know if listserv can offer this tracking system?  If not,
>can a list owner configure it to do so?

LISTSERV does not.  This needs to be done by a special script running on the
website that people are directed to.  This information is gathered and feeds
back into the database that was used to generate the personalized (custom URL)
in the message the was created by LISTSERV using the DBMS connector and LSMTP's
mail merge function.  This is a simplified process map:

 - name/address added to the database
 - unique id key generated for that row
---
 - DISTRIBUTE/MM mailing job is sent to LISTSERV
 - user name/address/uniqueID# pulled from database by SELECT statement
 - LISTSERV packages merge data and message in special syntax, sends to LSMTP
 - LSMTP performs actual mail merge, creating custom URL with uniqueID in
   personalized message sent only to that single recipient
---
 - user reads mail and clicks on URL (not everyone does click)
 - user goes to company.com website, special script captures uniqueID#
 - script transfers the 'hit' to the database.
 - analysis is run on the database, new mailing campaign is chosen
 - loop back to new DIST/MM job is submitted to LISTSERV

As you can see, LISTSERV's involvement is only in the middle part of the process
where e-mailing occurs.  LISTSERV is not a database program and has not part of
that process, nor is LISTSERV a webserver program and it has no part in that
process either.  Those functions must be handled by other programs.