Using Personal Computers

Section 4: The Internet

Part 3: E-mail


	Whilst the World Wide Web is one of the newest services to be provided over the Internet, E-mail is one of the oldest. It is also one of the most popular. This is perhaps because it combines the best attributes of conventional mail and the telephone. Like the telephone, it allows a message to be delivered quickly, and with very little effort. However, like a letter, the recipient can read it at his or her convenience, and can refer back to it later. It also has some other advantages. The sender does not need to know where the recipient is - they can use the same E-mail address no matter where they are currently located (provided, of course, than they have access to a computer!). E-mail is also usually much cheaper than either telephone calls or letters - most E-mail messages only cost the equivalent of a short local phone call, no matter where they are sent, and frequently even this cost can be shared between several messages. Whilst of course physical items cannot be sent via E-mail, computer files of almost any type can be. These can include documents, pictures, even complete programs.
	To send an E-mail, you first write or "compose" it. This is normally done whilst "off-line" (not connected to the Internet) to save cost. You then connect to the Internet and send the message to a computer called a mail server. This mail server will then send the message via the Internet to the mail server used by the recipient. If you and the recipient happen to use the same mail server, it may not need to be sent anywhere. The message will then be held at the recipient's mail server until he or she "logs on" (connects) and collects it. Normally, E-mail software will allow you to send and receive all of your messages at the same time, so that you only have to connect once. This saves time and cost.

	This diagram illustrates the progress of a message from sender to receiver, as described above. The message will normally reach the mail server used by the recipient within a few minutes of being sent. However, this can take longer if the Internet is congested or if the message is very large.
	All E-mail addresses are of the format name@domain. In general, the domain part of the address identifies the recipient's mail server, and the name part is unique to each user. However, several domain names can refer to the same actual server, and some Internet service providers allow each user to have their own domain or sub-domain name. This can be useful if several members of a family or organisation use the same E-mail account. For example, if the Jones family have an account with Demon, they might have E-mail addresses such as: fred@jones.demon.co.uk sue@jones.demon.co.uk etc. This is an example of using several names on the same E-mail account. It is useful but not particularly secure - for example, there is nothing to stop Sue reading (and deleting) Fred's messages. Some ISPs actually offer several completely separate E-mail accounts (typically 5) when you set up an Internet account with them - a better arrangement for a small business or organisation.
	There are many different E-mail client programs, and which one you use is really a matter of personal choice. Most of them offer the same basic capabilities, though some are easier to use than others. Your ISP will normally supply you with an E-mail client, but you can install a different one if you wish. The E-mail client must be configured with the correct information about your E-mail account. If you use an ISP's installation disk or CD, this may be done automatically for you. However, if you load up a different client, you may need to do it for yourself. The essential information required is normally:
Your E-mail address The outgoing mail server address (normally an SMTP server) The incoming mail server address (normally a POP3 server) Your E-mail account name Your E-mail account password Do not get the account name and password confused with your Internet login name and password - they may be the same, but can be different. These items are usually found under a menu item called something like "Accounts" or "Options" in the Email client. Further details on configuring E-mail clients is beyond the scope of this course - refer to the manual or online help for more information about configuring your particular client.
	The E-mail client will allow you to "compose" (type) messages, and send and receive them over the Internet (both of these are normally done at the same time). Most will also provide the ability to organise your received messages into folders. These folders are similar to the folders on your hard disk, but normally only exist within the E-mail program - the messages are stored on the hard disk in a special format which cannot normally be read without the E-mail program. Most E-mail programs also provide an address book, so that you don't have to remember everyone's Email address. You can then choose their real name from a list when sending them a message.
	When E-mail was first invented, all it could carry was plain text, and this is still the most common type of E-mail. It is simple, quick, and universal, as all E-mail clients can send and receive it correctly. However, newer E-mail programs allow more elaborate messages, with word processor style text formatting such as bold and italic text, different font styles and sizes, and even background graphics included. This is done by using a format called "HTML", which is the same format as is used for Web pages. If your E-mail client supports HTML format messages, there will be a configuration option somewhere on one of the menus to allow you to choose which format you wish to use.
Whilst it may seem attractive to use the more elaborate HTML format, it has a couple of disadvantages. Firstly, and most importantly, it is only of any use if the recipient also has an E-mail client which accepts HTML. Otherwise, he or she will receive the raw HTML. Whilst it is possible to find and read the text of the original message in an HTML file, it is confusing and should be avoided. Secondly, HTML messages are larger than the equivalent text messages, and take longer to send - particularly if graphics are used. In addition to these disadvantages, some computer users who have HTML-capable Email clients still prefer the "cleanness" of the plain text format. Thus it is recommended that you stick to plain text format unless you know that the recipient can handle HTML and does not object to receiving it.
	It is possible to send almost any type of files to another person via E-mail as attachments to a message. These files could be word processing documents, spreadsheets, picture files, or even complete programs. Several files can be sent at once. However, if you are sending several large files, it's worth considering using a file compression program such as WinZip or PkZip to compress them into a single Zip file to save transmission time. The exact method of sending an attachment varies between E-mail clients. Typically, a file to be attached is dragged into the E-mail client, where it appears as an icon. To extract a file from a received message, the icon would then be dragged out of the message into a folder or onto the desktop. This is probably the most popular method with modern mail clients, but some may require a different approach, such using menu commands - consult the on-line help or manual of your E-mail client for details. It's worth noting that some of the older E-mail clients do not handle attachments, or have limited capabilities in this area. However, most modern E-mail clients will have no problems.

	Viruses are a common concern among Internet users, and rightly so, as the Internet has made it easier than ever before to distribute them. However, they are not nearly as common as many people think, and most virus warnings hoaxes. It is quite common to receive an E-mail supposedly warning you about a virus. These E-mails will typically read something like: "If you receive an E-mail called Fred, delete it! It is a virus and will destroy your hard disk! This information came direct from Microsoft, and there is no known cure. Please forward this message to as many people as possible."
Please DO NOT forward such messages - they are 99% certain to be a hoax, and more time and money is wasted reading them and forwarding them than is ever wasted by viruses. Forwarding them will make you very unpopular with other Internet users!. If you want to play safe, there are sites on the web which will tell you which viruses are real and which are hoaxes, such as http://www.nai.com/vinfo/ In fact, it is not normally possible to catch a virus by reading an E-mail - you have to open an attachment. This is where care should be exercised - any files received from unknown sources (or downloaded from the Web) should be treated with caution. It's best to scan them with a virus scanner (if you have one) before opening them. If you don't have a virus scanner, then simply delete any files sent to you from unknown sources without opening them. However, a final word of warning must be given. It has recently been discovered that the newest E-mail clients such as Microsoft Outlook and Netscape Communicator 4 are potentially vulnerable to direct attack by viruses - a result of the additional capabilities which they have. The extent of this risk is still under debate at the time of writing, but is likely to be low. However, if you are worried about the problem, simply use one of the older E-mail clients. A good guideline is: if a client is unable to handle HTML mail (described earlier), it should also be immune to attack by this type of virus (but it will not reduce the risk of catching a virus from an attachment).

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