Sending E-mail and Attachments Chapter 9 Sending E-mail and Attachments Practical PC, 4e Chapter 9

Sending E-mail and Attachments In this Chapter, you will learn: How E-mail works How to send and receive e-mail messages What an attachment is Whether there are maximum sizes for e-mail messages and attachments What smileys, flame wars and spam are How to use an e-mail address book About local area networks Practical PC, 4e Chapter 9

How e-mail works E-mail is a way of sending an electronic letter. An electronic letter is called an e-mail message. E-mail messages can be delivered in minutes and the same message can be sent to multiple people. The computer and software you use to send messages is called an e-mail system. The “post office” that receives and sends the messages to the correct address is called an e-mail server. Practical PC, 4e Chapter 9

How e-mail works E-mail server software is used by the e-mail server to create an electronic mailbox for each person. The e-mail server sorts and sends messages to other e-mail servers to deliver e-mail to the correct person. To use e-mail, you must have e-mail client software and an account with an e-mail server company. Practical PC, 4e Chapter 9

How e-mail works Microsoft Outlook Express (among others) is an e-mail client software package and can manage your e-mail. The way e-mail is handled is called a store-and-forward technology. E-mail server stores messages in your mailbox You sign on and request your mail The e-mail server forwards your mail to your PC Practical PC, 4e Chapter 9

Store-and-forward technology How e-mail works Store-and-forward technology Practical PC, 4e Chapter 9

Sending and Receiving E-mail To manage your e-mail, you will need to: Compose or write messages Read incoming messages Reply or forward messages Your new messages will be put into your Inbox by your mail server. As you write, reply or forward messages, they are put into your Outbox waiting for you to connect to the mail server. Practical PC, 4e Chapter 9

Sending and Receiving E-mail A typical e-mail message Practical PC, 4e Chapter 9

Using attachments E-mail systems handles only unformatted text files. You can send formatted text, graphics or virtually any file format by sending it along with an e-mail as an e-mail attachment. The receiver of the e-mail can open the attachment if the receiving PC has software that can handle the attachment’s format. Practical PC, 4e Chapter 9

E-mail with an attachment Using attachments E-mail with an attachment Practical PC, 4e Chapter 9

Size Limits for Messages and Attachments Some e-mail systems place limits on messages and attachments. You should try to keep the size less than 1 MB. Zip or compression technology can reduce the size of the file before sending it. The amount of compression depends on the file type. WinZip is a typical zip/unzip software package. Practical PC, 4e Chapter 9

Size Limits for Messages and Attachments Using WinZip to compress a file Practical PC, 4e Chapter 9

Smileys, Flame Wars and Spams E-mail has it’s own shorthand, including a whole array of emoticons or smileys indicating a smile or frown or other emotion. There are many other protocols – like typing in all capitals – the equivalent of shouting. You can get easily caught up in a flame war – resulting from a series of increasingly nasty or insulting messages flying back and forth. Practical PC, 4e Chapter 9

Smileys, Flame Wars and Spams The unwritten code of ethics governing e-mail is called netiguette. Flame wars are rude and unproductive use of the Internet. Spam mail – unsolicited junk e-mail – is also a bad and irritating use of e-mail. Practical PC, 4e Chapter 9

Smileys, Flame Wars and Spams Correct netiquette to follow: Read and respond to e-mail promptly Check your grammar and spelling Think before you send a negative or irritating message Use smileys to help convey your message Don’t reply to all if your message is just to the sender Don’t send unnecessary e-mail Use Zip to shrink the size of your attachments when appropriate Practical PC, 4e Chapter 9

Smileys, Flame Wars and Spams Smileys or Emoticons ;-) :-( :-O “Don’t take this seriously” Unhappy face Surprise Practical PC, 4e Chapter 9

Hardware – Local Area Networks Many businesses connect their office PCs to each other and the Internet by using a Local Area Network (LAN). This connection is always available. The LAN can provide shared access to many resources such as software, files, printers and the Internet. Practical PC, 4e Chapter 9

Hardware – Local Area Networks The key elements of a LAN are: Workstations – usually standard PCs, connected to a LAN for sharing resources A network server – a computer that helps control the resources and provide services to the workstations A file server to store data files or software A print server to control the attached printers An e-mail server to control the mail services A hub to connect all of the other devices Practical PC, 4e Chapter 9

Hardware – Local Area Networks A typical network setup Practical PC, 4e Chapter 9

Hardware – Local Area Networks LANs usually require a network specialist to install and maintain them. For a PC or laptop to connect to a LAN, it must have a network interface card (NIC) Desktops are connected using a 10Base-T or coaxial cable Notebook computers use PCMCIA cards for easy removal Practical PC, 4e Chapter 9

Hardware – Local Area Networks The LAN connection for a desktop Practical PC, 4e Chapter 9

Hardware – Local Area Networks When you sign onto a LAN, you will need a userid/password to identify yourself. The sign on process usually includes a login script to connect you to the network. The My Network Places icon (or Network Neighborhood) gives you an overview of the entire network. Practical PC, 4e Chapter 9

Hardware – Local Area Networks My Network Places window Practical PC, 4e Chapter 9

Using Your E-mail Address Book An address book allows you to keep a list of frequently used addresses The address book allows you to create mail groups composed on multiple e-mail addresses Practical PC, 4e Chapter 9

Using Your E-mail Address Book The Eudora Address Book Practical PC, 4e Chapter 9

Just how private is e-mail? What do you think? Just how private is e-mail? Do you think most people believe that their e-mail is private? Do you agree with CalTech’s decision to expel the student who was accused of sending harassing e-mail to another student? Do you think that e-mail should have the same privacy protections as telephone conversations and mail under U.S. laws? Practical PC, 4e Chapter 9

Chapter Summary You should now be able to: Create and send an e-mail message. Read, reply and forward e-mail messages. Zip and attach files to e-mails. Understand e-mail netiguette and use smileys. Create and use an e-mail address book. Understand the basic workings of a LAN. Practical PC, 4e Chapter 9