Introduction to Electronic Mail

E-mail, short for electronic mail, is a system in which a computer user can exchange messages with other computer users using a communications network. To use e-mail, you must have access to a computer that is linked to the outside world, via a modem, phone line, or fiber optic cable (ethernet).

So why should you use e-mail instead of regular postal mail or the telephone?
One advantage for the e-mail user is that you send your message when it's convenient for you, even at 2 a.m.Your recipient responds at his convenience--NO MORE TELEPHONE TAG. E-mail is also cheaper by far--it lets you exchange vast amounts of information for only a few pennies -- even if the other person is in New Zealand.

Sending e-mail is similar to sending postal mail, with some very important differences:

  1. E-mail is thousands of times faster. A message can go from Illinois to Australia in seconds!

  2. E-mail is free on campus--there is no "postage" cost to students. Remember, other people pay per bit of information, so keep your messages short.

  3. E-mail is not as private as a regular letter.

  4. E-mail does involve learning how to use computer programs.

  5. Also, E-mail requires you to have a "sign-on" to the electronic mail system, and this usually involves having a password, too.

  6. Be aware, E-mail is dangerous, because you can send a message much more quickly (almost too quickly!) and you might not have thought it out--and once the message is sent, it's too late to change it.

  7. E-mail can be sent to many people at the same time, and you can participate in on-going discussions on many subjects at the same time.

  8. E-mail can access information and file libraries--you'll send a message and get a document back within minutes.

  9. E-mail often contains typos and misspellings because it is so easy to produce and send.

E-mail is LIKE a conventional letter:

  1. You must have an address to receive e-mail.

    An example: j-doe@students.uiuc.edu
    The address guides you to the sender.

    The extensions at the end of the address tell you something:

    edu = school
    com = business
    gov = government
    Therefore j-doe@students.uiuc.edu means: Jill Doe, at student at UIUC (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign), and the extension is a school, edu.

Some E-mail Rules to Live By:

  1. Try to Avoid Flaming

    A flame is a particularly nasty, personal attack on somebody for something he or she has written. Because people cannot see each other, they are often harsher than they would be in person.

  2. Be unambiguous

    If you are responding to a message, only include part of the original message--NOT the whole message! Make sure you clearly refer to the original message's contents. Always include a descriptive subject line in your message, such as About the lecture yesterday. If you are responding to another message, your subject line should be the same, with "RE:" at the beginning. Re: the lecture yesterday.

  3. Write Clearly and Carefully

    Your thoughts can come back to haunt you. So, since you are writing a letter, be thoughtful, as you would be in a letter. Read carefully what you receive, to make sure that you are not misunderstanding the message. Read carefully what you send, to make sure that your message will not be misunderstood. If you are using humor or sarcasm, make sure it is clearly labeled assuch-- use a smiley :-) face.

  4. Avoid cluttering your messages with excessive emphasis.

    DO NOT USE ALL CAPS (they have the effect of shouting). If you are responding to a message, only include part of the original message--NOT the whole message! Make sure you clearly refer to the original message's contents. Always include a descriptive subject line in your message, such as "About the lecture yesterday."

Common E-Mail Mistakes: