Topic 9- Email

• An email is an electronic message sent from one computer user to another using a communication decvice such as a computer, telephone, PDA, etc

Email facilities

• Standard outgoing signature and message
• Group email
• Using cc and bcc
• Attaching files
• Address books
• Naming email groups and folders

Other facilities

• Search
• Reply
• Forward

• Create a signature- a signature is text that you set up and appears at the end of your email message

Group Email

• You form a group of people from all the people you send the email to
• You can then send emails to a particular group of people
• The saves lots of time

Using cc and bcc

Cc means Carbon Copy

• You list the email addresses of people you want to send a copy of the email to after the cc

Bcc means Blind Carbon Copy

• This allows you to send copies of emails to others without them being able to see each other's email addresses

Attaching Files

• Files can be sent with an email
• Useful for sedning work from school/ college to your home computer
• Can attach any type of file ( e.g., image, word processing document, etc).
• Files are sometimes compressed before sending

Naming email groups and folders

• Groups can be given names (e.g. People in my form, my teachers, etc).
• It is important to set up named folders for different types of emails
• This enables them to be found more easily

• Remember to back up emails

Advantages of using emails

• Virtually instantaneous- mail is sent immediately and a reply can be received as soon as the recipient checks their email box
• You can easily attach a copy of the sender's message with your reply so they do not have to search for the original message
• If you discount the cost of hardware and software that the user will probably already have, then an email is virtually free to send
• No need for the formality of a letter. Email is meant to be quick and to the point. You do not need to worry about the odd typing or spelling mistakes
• Emails can be accessed using a large number of devices from mobile phones to television
• Emails are more environmentally friendly since less energy is used in delivering the mail from source to destination

Disadvantages of using emails

• Not every one has a computer, so ordinary post is still used
• It may make users more casual about their approach to business and they may not realize that anything they say is as legally blinding as if they had written it in a more formal document such as a letter or contract
• Junk mails is a problem, although there are software solutions that filter junk mail out from your improtant mail
• There are worries about the security aspects
• The system relies on people checking their email boxes regularly
• Emails and particularly this containing files attachments can contain viruses
• Email is not secure and emails can be intercepted and read

Misuse of Email

• There are a number of potential misuse of email services and precautions need to be taken in order to prevent damage from these issues. These precautions include:

• Using email monitoring software
• Using parental control
• Emails encryption
• Spam filters
• Anti-Virus software

Email abuse

• Cyberbullying
• Sending lots of personal email in firm's time
• Inappropriate attachments (e.g. offensive jokes, ***********, etc).
• Attaching files containing viruses
• Sending spam
• Inappropriate language