Electronic-mail or Email is the process of sending messages electronically using your computer. Email is a powerful communication tool. In this section the following email topics will be addressed:
Email Basics
Email Netiquette
Sending Attachments
Email Basics: One of the most valuable features of communicating via email is that it is asynchronous, meaning the recipient need not be at his/her computer in order to receive the message. The message will be stored and available to be read when the recipient is ready to read it. Email allows you to communicate with people across the globe just as easily as with people in the next office. Messages can be directed to individual recipients or to distribution lists. Distribution lists allow you to communicate with 100's or 1000's of people by sending a single email message to the list. Email is a fast and effective way of communicating over the net.
In order to send and receive email, you must have an account on the Internet and have access to an electronic mail program. You must also know the correct Internet email address of the person(s) with whom you wish to communicate. There are many popular free services, including Hotmail and Yahoomail. These are useful because they can be accessed from any computer with Web access. Each email program operates differently, but they will have many of the same features. Some essential features which should be present in an email program are:
Send mail - ability to send email messages to Internet addresses
Receive mail - ability to receive mail addressed to your email account
Reply - respond to messages you have received
Forward - send a message you receive on to another recipient
Save - ability to save messages you have received
Print - ability to print messages you have received
Address Book - ability to store email addresses of regular correspondents
The link below provides information on how email works--from the how messages are sent, the anatomy of an email message to sending attachments and using emoticons in messages. This site will open in a new browser window so to return to this page close the new window.
The Animated Internet: How Email Works
Investigate the following link to learn more about email and features within the MS Outlook email program such as adding a signature file, and creating a distribution list. This site will open in a new browser window so to return to this page close the new window.
Most available programs will enable you to organize your incoming email, thereby keeping your correspondence manageable and easy to access, as you would organize and file documents on your computer. By adding new folders you will be able to organize email. Not only will this save you time in the long run, it will also archive messages received and sent.
Email Netiquette: It is essential for all users on the Internet to recognize that they are responsible for their own individual actions while using the net. Netiquette is simply the use of common courtesy and polite behavior while using the net. Some basic rules of email netiquette are:
- Always include your name in the closing information so the receiver knows who sent the message. Your email address may not include your full name.
- Check your mail often, delete or download messages as needed.
- Word your messages carefully to avoid misunderstanding by making them clear and succinct.
- Limit replies and forwarding to avoid lengthy messages.
- AVOID USING ALL CAPS. Not only does this make the message visually difficult to read, but is perceived by the reader as "shouting."
- Use correct spelling, grammar and punctuation, just as you would for any communication.
- Ask yourself whether you would be comfortable if someone other than the intended receiver were to read it.
- Remember, email is not a completely secure form of communication. It is public record in some situations.
- Refrain from "flaming," which is expressing a strongly held opinion without tact or regard for others.
- You may wish to use emoticons :-) to help define the tone of the communication. An emoticon is a symbol to compensate for the absence of nonverbal cues. (See http://www.netlingo.com/smiley.cfm for more on emoticons.)
For more information on netiquette, visit the following web site to learn netiquette basics by reading a concise overview of network etiquette excerpted from the book Netiquette by Virginia Shea. The complete online edition of Netiquette by Shea is also available.
Sending Attachments: Attachments are computer files that are "attached" to an email. These files could be programs, graphics, documents or any other file type that can be stored on your computer. The usefulness of attachments is that it allows people to share information such as formatted documents and photographs with people around the world. This allows people from around the world to collaborate on projects more effectively. However when sending attachments through the email, keep in mind that email is not the best way to send large files. A guideline for sending attachments is to try and keep the file size below 1 megabyte.
Sending attachments is a fairly simple process in any email program. In order to send an attachment simply follow the basic outline below:
To send an attachment, begin composing a new message.
Write the message as you would a normal one by filling in the receiver's address, the subject of the message and the body of the letter.
Now to attach a file to the letter, find the attachment button or menu option and select it. This may be a paper clip icon.
A menu will now appear asking you to locate the file that you wish to attach.
Browse through the files and folders until you find the file that you wish to attach to the letter and once you have, click on the save or attach button in the window.
Once you have finished attaching files, click the send button to deliver the message and attachment to the receiver.
Receiving attachments is very simple. When you receive the email the attachment is received along with it. The tricky part lies in opening the attachment. When you receive an email that contains an attachment, the email will give you an indication that there is something attached, usually by displaying a paper clip or something similar within the message. If you don't see the attached files displayed in the body of the email all you need to do to see what is attached, is to simply click on this paper clip and it will display all the files that are attached. To open an attachment simply double click the attachment icon. If the attachment does not open when you double click it, then most likely your browser does not have a program associated to that type of file (it doesn't know what program to use). A quick fix to this problem is to simply click once on the attachment to bring up a menu and choose save. This will save the attachment to disk where you can open it using whatever program(s) you have installed on your computer.
You should be familiar with various file formats in order to be able to open them with the right program. Below are some of the file extensions you may encounter:
*.avi -- needs a multimedia computer with a video program
*.doc -- Word document
*.gif -- can be opened in graphics editors
*.jpg -- can be opened in graphics editors
*.pps or *.ppt -- PowerPoint file
*.rtf -- Rich Text Format can be opened with a word processor
*.tiff -- can be opened a graphics program
*.txt -- text file and can be opened by any word processor
*.wav -- needs a multimedia computer with sound program
*.wpd -- WordPerfect document
*.wps -- Microsoft Works document
*.xls -- Excel file
*.htm or *.html -- hypertext markup language document and can be opened using any Web browser, i.e., Netscape or Internet Explorer
Backing-Up Work: As with all your course work, please be sure to save an extra copy on a back-up disk, CD, or drive!
