|
|
|
|
|
VI. Understanding E-mail
|
E-mail (short for electronic mail), has replaced written printed letters for a large percentage of the population, particularly for business. To read your e-mail, you may either use a Web-based or browser-based e-mail reader or a separate e-mail program. The most common e-mail programs are Microsoft Outlook, Netscape Messenger and Qualcomm Eudora.
|
 |
 A. Parts of an E-mail Address
|
Internet e-mail addresses, such as billybob@verizon.com, typically have two main parts, a user name and a host name (or domain name).
User Name (billybob@verizon.com)
The user name is the first part of the address. The username helps the mail system route the mail to the recipient's mailbox. The user name is followed by an "at" symbol (@).
Host Name (billybob@verizon.com)
The host name, also called the domain name, follows the @ sign and tells the Internet mail systems where the destination mail computer is located. Company names are often used as the domain name for employees.
|
|
| B. Sending an E-mail |
Make sure you use the full address of the recipient. To send the same message to more than one person, separate the e-mail addresses with a comma or semicolon.
In the subject box, you should clearly state the subject of the e-mail. If you receive an e-mail with misspelled words or gibberish in the subject box, it's probably a solicitation trying to avoid being blocked by "spam" filters. Spam is unwanted junk mail. Your Internet service provider or browser may offer a spam filter you can customize.
|
|
| C. Sending Attachments |
|
Each e-mail system has a different way of sending file attachments. Pictures and formatted documents are popular attachments. However, some e-mail systems cannot accept attachments if the file size is too large. You may need to reduce the size of a picture in your photo editor, or store it in a different format that doesn't take up as much space. Also, some browsers are set to ignore attachments, which might include viruses that could harm your computer or corrupt your data.
|
|
| D. Spam |
|
E-mail has made it easy to compile lists and send junk mail files to many, many people at once. Some e-mail, sent by marketers, is considered to be "spam." Another kind of spam is the scam solicitation such as a popular plea to help a person in Nigeria who needs to transfer money through your bank account. Then there are the chain letters that conclude "share this with your friends" or "send this to 10 people." Some such files are funny and your friends would enjoy reading them, but many - including virus "alerts" - are hoaxes and should not be relayed. You can check questionable stories at www.snopes.com.
|
|
|
|
|
|
