Software

E-mail stands for electronic mail.

E-mail software enables you to send an electronic message to another person anywhere in the world.

The message sent is stored on their e-mail server until they log on and download it.

E-mail can be used by anyone who wants to send messages via computer. It can be used for:

keeping in touch with friends and familycommunications between businessesadvertising by companiesjournalists sending stories to their newspaperkeeping in touch on the move, through laptops or WAP-enabled mobile phonesgroup projects between workers or students in different places.

Sending e-mail is fast, and in most cases only costs a local rate phone call.

Spam is the e-mail equivalent of junk mail.

It is often sent by companies trying to sell their products to people who haven’t asked for information about them.

Spam takes up a lot of Internet bandwidth and it is annoying for people to have to wade through lots of messages they don’t want to find the ones they do.

Many countries are trying to make it illegal to send spam.

A virus is a piece of code which can sometimes damage the files on your computer.

It is possible to pass a virus on through e-mail.

It is best not to open an e-mail unless you know where it has come from, especially if it has attachments.

You should always virus check all e-mails, even from people you do know.

Encryption

Encryption means using a system to translate the data into a secret code. To access an encrypted file the recipient will need to have a special secret key or password which will decrypt the file.

Encryption is the most effective way to ensure that data sent by e-mail is secure.

Summary

E-mail stands for electronic mail.

It allows you to send messages anywhere in the world.

You can attach files.

You can forward messages you have received.

You can send messages to groups of people.

Junk e-mail, or spam, is a nuisance.

E-mails can carry viruses which can damage files on a computer.

E-mails can be encrypted to prevent them being read.