Email is an electronic message that is sent from one computer to another. You can send or receive messages from people that contain attachments such as pictures, documents and programs. Consider it a real-time mail service. No hassle and no waiting.
Unlike regular mail, or “snail mail” as the cyber nerds call it, email is received within minutes of sending it. Like snail mail, a letter will stop at many different postal stations and be rerouted until it finally reaches your mailbox. This can take anywhere from 2 days to 2 weeks depending on where in the world the final destination is. Email passes from one computer to another as it travels along a network. Each computer reads the email address then routes it to another computer until it finally reaches your electronic mailbox where it sits until you download it. Downloading usually takes only a matter of a few minutes regardless of where in the world the final destination is.
There are two parts to an email: the header and the main body. The header is what contains your name and email address, the name and email address of the person it’s being sent to, the name and address of anyone it’s being copied to, the date of the message, the message subject and sometimes attached file information. For example, if I was to send a potential employer an email with my resume the header would look like this:
To: johnny@creenet.com (Johnny)
From: will@beesum-communications.com (Will)
Subject: Your position of dishwasher Attached: willResume.doc
TIP: If you are sending an email out to a number of people, instead of placing all the email addresses under the “To” or “Cc” fields, place the addresses under the “Bcc” field. By using this field, it hides the emails addresses that would usually appear under the “To” or “Cc” fields. Your email will be shorter and smaller in size. Be aware that when the person receives the email, all they have to do is hit “Reply To AH” and they will see all the email addresses that were under the “Bcc” field.
The body contains your message. Everything you want to say to the person receiving the email is placed in this part. Remember to keep emails to the point. You can always send another email whenever you want if there is anything to add.
There are four main parts to a person’s email address. johnny@creenet.com
First, there is a user name (johnny). The user name refers to
the person’s mailbox. Next there is an axon sign (@), then the domain name (creenet). The domain name is where the user has their email box and is usually the name of the ISP(lnternet Service Provider). Finally, there is a dot followed by two or three letters (.com). This indicates what kind of domain it is. In this case com stands for a business.
Other kinds of domains are, ca (country, Canada in this case), net (network), edu (an educational institute), gov (government agency), mil (military).
How do you find your friends’ email addresses? The easiest way is to ask them, but if this is not possible you can use internet search engines to do it. Netscape, for example has an email directory which will help you out.
You can send your friends pictures and files very easily. The protocols used to convert files to text and then back to their original form is quite complex. These protocols are referred to as “encoding” and “decoding”. Email programs complete this process effortlessly for you. The procedure for attaching files can vary depending on the type of email client you are using. Usually the process works something like this:
1.Click on the icon for attachments from the toolbar (usually a paper clip icon)
2.Select the file you want to send by finding it on your hard drive, highlighting it, then clicking OK.
3-Now you will see the file name located in your email window under the heading “attached” or as an icon within the body of your email message.
Most programs will also allow you to attach multiple files to one email.
Our email at the Nation is: nation@beesum.ca
We prefer that people use the email because we don’t have to type anything in and it saves paper so it is ecologically sound!
Many free email services are available. As long as you can gain access to an online computer, you can send or receive email from anywhere in the world, whether it be Kalamazoo or Timbuktu. Some of the most popular free email sites include www.hotmail.com, www.yahoo.com, and www.lycos.com. Registering is simple and once you have your password you will possess the key to open the door to a world of high-tech communication.
Now that you know your ABC’s of electronic mail, you’ll be able to contact us faster and easier than ever before. Email your letters, news, sports stories, tips and photos to: nation@beesum.ca
Send classifieds, ads, translations, and other projects to:
design@beesum-communications.com
Catch you in the fast lane if you have broadband.
