Basic Communication on the Internet: E-Mail

Integrated Browser E-Mail

Programs and Web-Based

E-Mail Services

Tutorial 3

Objectives

• Learn about e-mail and how it works.

• Configure and use Outlook Express to handle e-mail messages.

• Create and maintain an address book.

Objectives (probably not)

• Configure and use Netscape Mail to send, receive, and print e-mail messages.

• Create and maintain an address book.

• Configure and use Hotmail to send, receive, and print e-mail messages.

• Create and maintain an address book.

E-Mail is …

• A form of communication in which electronic messages are created and transferred between computers connected to a network.

• One of the most popular forms of business communication.

• Fast and inexpensive (compared to snail-mail).

• It can be sent and received at anytime.

How Does E-Mail Work?

• SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) Server: moves e-mail over the Internet. decides which path an e-mail message will take . e-mail may be routed through several SMPT servers.

• Mail server: final destination server. stores the messages.

• Mail Client Software or E-Mail Program: software on your PC that communicates with the mail server.

How Does E-Mail Work?

• POP (Post Office Protocol): Download -mail from e-mail server. E-mail is stored and managed offline.

• IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol): Leave e-mail on server. E-mail is managed by mail client.

• MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions): Specifies how to encode non-text data, such as graphics and sound, so it can travel over the Internet.

E-Mail Addresses

• Email Address: Uniquely identifies an individual or organization that is connected to the Internet.

• Two parts of email address: User name – identifies person within an

organization. Host name – specifies the computer to which the

email is to be delivered. Separated by an “at” sign(@)

Common Features ofan E-Mail Message

• Message Header: contains the information about the message.

• Message Body: contains the actual message.

• Signature: appears at the bottom of your e-mail messages and contains standard information about yourself that the recipient can use to contact you in a variety of ways.

Common Features of anE-Mail Message

New Perspectives on the Internet, 5eTutorial 3

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Common Features ofan E-Mail Message

• You type the recipient’s full e-mail address in the To line of an e-mail header.

• Use the courtesy copy (Cc) and the blind courtesy copy (Bcc) lines to send mail to people who should be aware of the e-mail message, but are not the message’s main recipients.

• No recipient can view the list of Bcc recipients.

• The From line of an e-mail message includes the sender’s name.

• In a mailing list, a single e-mail address can represent several e-mail addresses.

Common Features ofan E-Mail Message

• The Subject line should indicate the message’s content and importance.

• An e-mail attachment provides a simple and convenient way of transmitting electronic documents to one or more people.

• Attachments can contain viruses, malicious programs that can harm your computer and its files.

Internet Etiquette (Netiquette)

Netiquette: a set of commonly accepted rules that represent proper behavior on the Internet.

Avoid writing messages in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE SHOUTING.

Keep your messages simple, short, and focused.

Include a descriptive Subject line and a signature.

Internet Etiquette (Netiquette)

Avoid sending unsolicited messages, especially those with attachments.

Use a spell checker and read your message and correct any spelling or grammatical errors before sending it.

Use common courtesy, politeness, and respect in all of your written correspondence.

E-Mail Programs

• Browsers come with an e-mail program which you can configure. IE has Outlook Express.

• Some e-mail programs, such as Eudora, are not associated with a particular browser.

• You might have an e-mail account with your employer or university. May have an AUP.

Web-Based E-Mail Services

• Many Internet Web sites provide free e-mail addresses and accounts for registered users.

• Companies can provide free e-mail because of advertising messages displayed on their websites.

• Links to other available services may also be offered on the website of a Web-based E-mail service.

• E-mail messages sent from Web-based mail accounts might also contain some sort of advertisement, such as a promotional message or a link to the Web-based e-mail service.

Web-Based E-Mail Services

• Portable--No matter where you are in the world, if you can connect to the Internet, you can access your account.

• They may be used as your primary e-mail address, to set up a separate, personal address when the use of personal e-mail is restricted at work or school or for junk mail.

• Popular choices for free Web-based e-mail services are: Yahoo! Mail, ExciteMail, and Hotmail.

• Browser becomes e-mail client.• Use HTTP.

Web-Based E-Mail Services

Common Features of an E-Mail Program

• Sending a Message• Receiving and Storing Messages• Printing a Message• Filing a Message• Forwarding a Message• Replying to a Message

Common Features of anE-Mail Program

• A message can be queued, or temporarily held with other messages, and then sent when you either exit the program or check to see if you received any new e-mail.

• When you receive e-mail, it is stored on the mail server until you use your e-mail program to ask the server to retrieve your mail.

• Most e-mail programs let you print a message you are composing or that you have received at any time.

• Some programs let you define and use a filter to move incoming mail into one or several folders automatically based on the content of the message. They are especially useful for moving junk mail.

Common Features of anE-Mail Program

• When you forward a message to another recipient, a copy of the original message is sent to the new recipient you specify without the original sender’s knowledge.

• When you reply to a message that you received, the e-mail program creates a new message and automatically addresses it to the original sender. It is a quick way of sending a response to someone who sent a message to you.

• In most e-mail programs, deleting a message is a two-step process to prevent you from accidentally deleting important messages.

Maintaining an Address Book

• You use an address book to save e-mail addresses and to associate those addresses with nicknames.

• Nicknames are special names that are easy to remember. You can use a nickname to represent a person or a group.

• You can usually organize contact information about individuals and groups in an address book.

• You can refer to entries in your address book at any point while you are composing, replying to or forwarding a message.

Microsoft Outlook Express

Inbox Window

Microsoft Outlook Express

• Folders list: displays a list of folders for receiving, saving, and deleting mail messages.

• Inbox folder: stores messages you have received.

• Outbox folder: stores outgoing messages that have not been sent.

• Sent Items folder: stores copies of messages you have sent.

• Deleted Items folder: stores messages you have deleted.

Microsoft Outlook Express

• Drafts folder: stores messages that you have written but have not sent.

• Your copy of Outlook Express may also contain folders you have created, such as a folder in which you store all messages from a certain recipient.

• Contacts list: contains information about the addresses stored in your address book.

• Message list: contains summary information for each message that you receive.

Configuring E-Mail

• You must configure Outlook Express so it will retrieve your mail from your ISP (see instructions on pp. 120-122).

Sending a Message UsingOutlook Express

• Click the Create Mail button on the toolbar.

• Type the recipient’s e-mail address in the To box.

• Type the e-mail address of any Cc or Bcc recipients in the appropriate boxes.

• In the message body, type your message.

• Check your message for errors and check the To box, then click the Send button.

Receiving and Readinga Message

• Click the Send/Recv button on the toolbar.

• When you receive new mail, messages that you haven’t opened yet are displayed with a closed envelope icon next to them in the message list.

• Messages that you have opened are displayed with an open envelope next to them.

Viewing and Saving anAttachment

• Click the message that contains the attached file in the message list to display its contents in the preview pane.

• Click the paperclip icon in the preview pane to open the shortcut menu, and then click the attached file’s name. Close the program window that opens after viewing the file.

• Click the paperclip icon in the preview pane to open the shortcut menu, and then click Save Attachments.

• Click the file to save or click the Select All button to save all attached files, click the Browse button, and select the folder in which to save the attached file(s).

• Click the Save button.

Replying to andForwarding Messages

• You can forward any message you receive to one or more e-mail addresses.

• You can respond to the sender of a message by clicking Reply to Sender. You can respond to the people in Cc and as well by clicking Reply to All.

• Most programs will copy the original message and place it in the response windows. The > symbol appears to the left of the response to indicate the text of the original message. Delete what is no longer needed.

Filing and Printing anE-Mail Message

• You can use Outlook Express mail folders to file your e-mail messages by topic or category.

• When you file a message, you usually move it from the Inbox to another folder. You can also make a copy of a message in the Inbox and save it in another folder.

• You can transfer a message by selecting it and dragging it from one folder to another.

• You can print a message at any time—when you receive it, before you send it, or after you file it.

Deleting an E-MailMessage and Folder

• When you no longer need a message, delete it by selecting the message and clicking the Delete button.

• You can select multiple messages (for many purposes) by pressing and holding the Ctrl key, clicking each message in the message list, and then releasing the Ctrl key.

• You can select folders and delete them.

• When you delete a message or folder, you are really moving it to the Deleted items folder. To remove items permanently, delete them from the Deleted items folder.

Maintaining an Address Book

• You might want to save the addresses of your business associates and friends in an address book to make it easier to enter addresses into the header of your e-mail messages.

• To add a contact to the Address Book click on the Addresses button on the toolbar. Click on the New button and then click New Contact. Enter the correct information and click OK.

• If you enter a short name in the Nickname text box, then you can type the nickname instead of a person’s full name when you address a new message.

Adding a Group of Contactsto the Address Book

• You can use Outlook Express to create a group of contacts, or a mailing list, which is an address book entry consisting of a group of two or more e-mail addresses.

• You create a group of contacts when you regularly send messages to a group of people.

Summary

• You can send, receive, print, file, save, delete, respond to, and forward e-mail messages.

• You can store the name, e-mail address, and other important details about a person or a group of people in an Address Book.

• You can use your e-mail program’s toolbars and Help system to explore the many other features to expand your skills.