Email: Person-to-Person Online

Using Email

Once you have an email account setup, you will need email software on your computer to send or receive a message. Some email providers have you use the email software that comes with the browser you use, Netscape or Outlook Express (which comes with Internet Explorer), for example. Other email account providers, Hot Mail for example, have their own software built in. Other email users just an email program that they have used before like Eudora. All email programs basically work the same way. Some might have some features but not others.

Here are some features that are common to most email programs:

When Email is Sent to You:

• You can access and read incoming mail messages.
• You can print your messages.
• Your can save messages on your computer
• You can forward messages to someone else
• You can deleting messages from your mailbox.

When You Send an Email Message Out :

• You can check the spelling of your messages you compose.
• You can reply to a message you have received.
• You can include the text of the original message in your reply
• You can mail the same message to more then one person. (This is called a distribution list.)
• You can send out added copies and blind copies of messages.
• You can send attach files, documents, or graphics in your message.
• You can request an automatic acknowledgment that the message has been received.
• You can automatically add a signature file to your message

Other Email Options

• You can create distribution lists.
• You can create an address book for people you correspond to often.
• You can participate in mailing lists.

Click here for a guide to email software.

It would be nice to be able to list everything you need to know about how to use each or these features for every email program you might use, but unfortunately there are so many email programs and each uses different commands for the same or similar features that we can't provide instructions for every program.

Newbie U offers a good tutorial for using Netscape, Internet Explorer and Eudora.

Here are some more links to specific information about on how to use some of the most popular email programs:

Netscape Navigator

Netscape Communicator

Internet Explorer

Eudora

Pine

Once you know how to use your email software and begin to compose messages, it is important to understand the etiquette of how you communicate on the Internet. Email Etiquette is a link that is gives guidelines for writing email messages.

Here are some other links you can try to get more detailed information on how to use email:

Everything Email

Beginner's Guide

The Mining Co Guide to Email

Email Tips