Email 101
Email vs. the U.S. Post Office / 1) Post office: write letter, put in envelope, address envelope, send it out for the delivery system to deliver. Average time to delivery: 3-5 days.2) Email: open email program, type letter, type in email address, click "send" to send it to the delivery system. Average time to delivery: minutes to a few hours (depending on traffic).
a) Very easy to forward copies to anyone/everyone
b) Easy to store (doesn't take up physical space)
3) In both, the recipient does not get the message until he/she goes to the "mailbox" to get the mail. It can wait in the mailbox for an indefinite amount of time.
Email requirements / 1) A Mail-Server to store email messages addressed to you and from you.
2) A device (typically a computer) for preparing, transmitting, and receiving email.
3) A network (typically the Internet) linking the Mail-Server and communicating email devices.
4) A unique email address for sender and receiver
Email address information / 1) Username (ex: powelldi) - you choose when you sign up with a service
2) @ - this is a "spacer"
3) servername.com (ex: yahoo.com, magicaldesk.com, msn.com) - the name of the mailserver - the computer which stores your emails
4) These names MUST BE UNIQUE. If you try to pick one somebody already has, the email provider will tell you so, and ask you to select another username.
5) There is no "Email Yellow Pages" allowing you to look up all email addresses. If you want someone to have your email address, you usually have to give it to them.
Basic Email Types / 1) Client-based email
a) Comes with your internet subscription.
b) Usually used only from the one computer you signed up from
c) When you get your mail, the computer contacts the mail server and copies the messages onto its hard drive. You can read them even when you are not connected to the Internet.
d) Examples: AOL, MSN, Compuserve
2) Web-based email
a) Sign up and use from any computer connected to the Internet
b) Free of charge (paid for by advertising)
c) Each account has limited space to save messages (usually 2-6 megabytes) on the mail server
d) When you get mail, the computer contacts the server and displays messages. You click each message to read it. They do not get copied onto your hard drive. You have to stay on the Internet to read messages.
e) Examples: Hotmail, YAHOO!, Netscape
Using web-based email at the library (or any computer with web access) / 1) Go to the provider's website (ex: www.yahoo.com, www.hotmail.com)
2) If necessary, click the link marked Email to see the email sign-in screen
3) Type in your email user name and password
4) SIGN OUT when finished! (Or else the next person to sit down could read your messages, send mail in your name, and spend your money!)
Using client-based email through the web / 1) Some internet service providers (ex: AOL) let you read email through their web page (www.aol.com)
2) Many accounts can be read through Mailstart (www.mailstart.com)
3) Some providers' accounts (ex: MSN, RoadRunner) cannot be read through the Web at this time.
Sending email and attachments / Basic steps (some variation depending on your email!)
1) Find button reading “Attachments” or “Edit Attachments” or some such. Click it.
2) Browse your computer to locate the file you wish to attach. Open that file.
3) Typically you will see a button saying something like “Add Attachment”; click this button.
4) Send mail as usual.
Email Cautions and Netiquette (Net Etiquette) / 1) Spamming: term for sending unsolicited email to large groups of strangers. If you get spam, you can just delete it. Try not to send spam. (Typical example: get-rich-quick pyramid scheme)
2) YELLING: TYPING IN ALL CAPS! THIS IS SEEN AS AN ANGRY OR IRRITATED MESSAGE, AS IF I WERE SHOUTING! EXCLAMATIONS POINTS MAKE IT EVEN "LOUDER"!!
3) Flaming: sending extremely angry or insulting email. Usually seen when groups of people email each other on particular topics (listservs). Occurs because it's so quick and easy to reply to an email that people do so before they have a chance to cool down and think about something.
4) Emoticons: Symbols such as these :^) :^( which are intended to convey emotions (since tones of voice don't come across on email). You also sometime see emotions indicated like this: *sadly* or *grins*. Use sparingly!
5) Abbreviations: Acronyms like IMHO and ROFL stand for phrases like "In my humble opinion" or "rolling on the floor laughing". Also use sparingly.
6) Be cautious about sending anything in an email that you would not want published. Email is not considered to be protected speech! Also, it's easy to slip and send email intended for one person to another (or a group of others) instead.
Signing up for a Web based email account / 1) Decide on a user name and password you like. The name can be anything (but it's a good idea to have more than one choice, in case your first pick is already taken.) The password should be easy for you to remember, but not easy for someone else to guess. Ideally it should be at least 8 characters long (letters and numbers, no spaces.)
2) Go to the provider's web page. (ex: www.yahoo.com, click Email button.)
3) Locate and click link saying "Sign up for new account" or analogous phrase.
4) Fill in the sign-up form, answering all questions, and click Submit.
5) Your email address will be your user name followed by @, then the server's name (ex: ). You can now give this address to anyone you want to receive email from.