What Is Email? Email Is Electronic Mail Sent and Received on a Network Or the Internet

What is email? Email is electronic mail sent and received on a network or the internet. Email uses store and forward technology. An emailserver receives/forwards the email for the appropriate recipient and stores the email until the recipient opens it.

An email server provides email services to individuals who have access to the network. The server receives email from email clients and other email servers. All email accounts are stored on email servers.

What is emailclient software? Microsoft Outlook is the email client software that is part of Internet Explorer. If you use the Internet Explorer as your web browser, you also have Microsoft Outlook.

To access an email service on the internet, an emailaccount can be opened with your internet service provider such as AOL, Bellsouth.net, or Insightbb.com. Another way is to open a web account with Yahoo or Google, etc. Whichever way you choose to open an email account, you must have a username.

The format for an email address is:

SuzieStudent@ aol.com

1st Username (SuzieStudent)

2nd @ symbol

3rd Email Server Name (AOL.com)

The @ symbol separates the username from the email server name.

Email etiquette includes but is not limited to the following:

Don’t use all capital letters. This is the same as shouting at the person.

Don’t discuss confidential information. Emails are not private and can be read by other people.

Don’t forward chain letters.

Use spell check and grammar check.

Always use a meaningful subject line.

Don’t overuse the High Priority Option

Always reread your email before sending.

Watch the tone of your email. Always make sure the tone is pleasant. The recipient can’t see the expression on your face.

When answering an email, use the reply button. This way the message thread (link) to the original message is not lost.

Keep the emails short, clear and concise.

Limit the size of your attachments.

Provide meaningful information.

To attach a file, you can either use the Paperclip icon or INSERT, FILE on the email menu bar. The software will bring up a window in which you can browse for the file you want to attach. After finding the correct file, click the insert button at the bottom of the window.

Caution:

Some email servers limit the size of attachments that can be sent.

Opening attachments from unknown recipients can prove to be security risks—many viruses are sent through attachments.

When you open the email software, the window is divided into panes. On the left is the folder pane and on the right is the email message pane.

Folder Pane List

The folder pane lists folder names. The default folders include: Inbox, Outbox, Sent Items, Deleted Items.

Inbox folder holds all the messages you have received.

Sent Items folder contains all the messages that you have sent.

Outbox folder should be empty because it is used to hold a message before it is sent. Having messages in the Outbox usually means the messages have not been successfully sent. Deleted Items folder holds all the messages you have deleted from the Inbox folder.

After reading an email, it will remain in the Inbox folder until you delete it.

When an email is deleted from the Inbox, it is sent to the Deleted Folder. It remains in the Deleted Folder until you delete the Deleted Folder.

Some software packages have a recycle button that you can restore a deleted email. It looks like a small trash can.

All emails that you have sent will remain in the Sent Folder. The user should periodically delete the Sent Folder.

First have the email window open, choose FILE then NEW, Mail Message.

TO: The intended recipient of the email

Cc: This allows a courtesy copy of the message to be sent to someone else.

SUBJECT: Clear and concise phrases explaining the purpose of the email. Always add a subject to the email.

MESSAGE: The message should be short, clear, and concise making sure the recipient knows exactly why you are sending the email. If you are attaching a file, explain in the message the purpose of the attachment.

SIGNATURE: Make sure that you have a signature line. You can key in your signature on each email, OR create a signature that will appear on each new message. Usually it is under the OPTIONS button. You are able to choose the font, point size and color for your signature.

Bcc: This means blind courtesy copy. You can send an email with a bcc to another recipient. The main recipient of the email will not know that you are sending a courtesy copy to another person hence the “blind courtesy copy.” One reason for doing this is to keep email addresses private especially if you have a long list of recipients. This keeps spammers from harvesting email addresses.

To organize emails, you have an option to create folders. On the Menu bar select FILE, NEW, Folder. A new window opens which enables you to name the folder. Drag and drop all the emails pertaining to the folder into it.

The Contacts folder is your e-mail address book. Include information about whom you regularly communicate with.

ContactMenu Bar

Click on the CONTACT link and enter pertinent information, or from the menu bar select FILE, NEW, CONTACT. This is a valuable database of information.

A distribution list is a list of email addresses. This enables the user to send one email to multiple recipients. For an example, the teachers at your school are all probably on a distribution list. The principal can send one email to all the teachers at once.

The procedures for creating a distribution list may differ from email client to email client, but it is basically the same.

Open Email Client (Microsoft Outlook)

Choose FILE, NEW

Click the Distribution List on the submenu

Create a name for your list that reflects the purpose

Add New

Key in the name of the person and that person’s email address

Add New

Key in the second person and address, etc.

Continue until you have all the names.

Click the CLOSE and SAVE Button

OR

Instead of choosing the Add New button, choose the Select Members which allows you to select members from your Global list or personal address list.

To display the reading pane click VIEW on the menu bar, Click Reading Pane and choose either Right or Bottom or OFF; or choose the reading pane button found on the toolbar. It allows you to read messages without actually opening them. The button may look like a small box with a vertical line to the left and horizontal line going through upper part of the box. Click the button and the window will divide so that you can read the email message without opening.

There is no security issue because attachments are not automatically opened in the reading pane.

The user is able to sort emails by:

View, Arrange (submenu)

Date: The date received

Conversation: By the thread of the message. A threaded conversation is a group of messages on a single topic

FROM: By author

TO: The recipient

Size: Huge, Very large, Large

Subject: Subject of email

Flag: If the message has been flagged for any reason.

Attachments: Emails containing attachments

Email Account: Redirecting emails

Importance: High priority (!)

Categories: Create the categories you want to use

Custom: Create your own custom groups

Changing the Current View.

Select VIEW from the menu, ARRANGE BY, Current View

Current View (submenu)

Messages

Messages with AutoPreview

Last 7 days

Unread messages

Sent To messages

Message timeline

Customize current view

Define views

Format Columns

You can request a DELIVERY and/or READ receipt to ensure that your email was delivered to the intended recipient.

When creating a new message, the Options button appears.

Click on Options

Message Options dialog box will appear.

Click on “Request a delivery receipt for this message” and Click on a “Request a read receipt for this message.”

Email is electronic mail sent and received on a network or the internet.

A user must have an email account with an email client such as Microsoft Outlook or a web account with Google, Yahoo, etc.

The definition of etiquette according to Merriam Webster is:

The conduct or procedure required by good breeding or prescribed by authority to be observed in social or official life.

Examples of good email etiquette include: not using all capital letters; being cautious of the tone of the email; emails should be short, clear, and concise; etc.

Each email client has basically the same options for the users. The options may appear on the screen in different places, but are usually available.

Distribution lists are very useful. If you have a list of people that you usually email, it is easy to create a distribution list instead of keying all the email addresses in the “TO” line.

This lesson covered the basics of email. There is quite a lot more to learn. If you have time, you should try the different commands available on your email client.