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Internet - Email

Email is the electronic equivalent of sending a letter through the mail. There are many different mail reading programs or applications that control email but the basic functions are all the same. An email address directs a message to the recipient.

Email addresses are made up of...

• the account name (often the users first initial and then the last name (sometimes only 8 characters)
• then the @ symbol
• then the name of the user's ISP
• the last 2 or 3 characters describe the type of service called the top level domain name. For example .com stand for commercial site, .ca - noncommercial site in Canada, .mil - U.S. military, .gov - U.S. government, .au - noncommercial site in Australia, .net - network, etc... (.info, .biz, .name) Look for new service extensions or top-level domain (TLD) names being added in the future.

As well as sending and receiving mail the recipient can;

• save the address for future reference in an address book
• reply to the original message
• forward the message to a third party
• edit a message
• check the spelling and a wide range of other options.

One of the services provided by your ISP is to provide a storage area or mailbox to collect email in. Email software applications control the transfer of that stored email by downloading the messages from your mailbox on your ISP's computer to your own computer. You must be connected to the Internet to do this.

New messages can be written or composed off-line or not connected to the Internet. If the ISP charges by the hour, connect to the Internet only to send and receive your email and then disconnect to read and compose your mail.

You can also attach files to email messages to send picture, sound, documents, videos and other types of file with your email.

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