Electronic mail (also known as email or e-mail) is a tool on the internet that allows people to send messages to one or more recipients.

The format for any email address is

• The"username" identifies the person who has the address, whether it's their real name or an alias.
• The "@" or “at sign” always comes next.

NOTE: If an address doesn't have an @ sign attached, it's not an email address!

• The "domain" refers to the provider of the email account. Some examples are yahoo, aol, and hotmail.
• The "extension" refers to a three-letter extension signifying the type of email provider.

NOTE: If the extension is a ".com" it belongs to a commercial entity, ".org" it belongs to an organization, ".net" it belongs to a network provider, and ".edu" it belongs to an educational institution.

To get started, we need to open an internet browser.

1. Look for and double click any one of the following icons located on the desktop of your computer. A Safari, Firefox, Explorer or Opera window will open.

To create an email account or return to your existing account, you'll want to go to an email provider's web site. Below are the most popular email providers on the internet:

www.hotmail.com	www.mail.yahoo.com	www.email.excite.com

www.mail.lycos.com	www.mail.google.com

To create an email account, all email providers pretty much work the same and most of the same basic steps must be followed:

1. Choose an username for yourself
   The name you choose is the name people will see in front of the @ symbol. It should be short and must also be unique within the provider where you have your account. You could have bruiser@something.com if you are just sending mail to friends, but this wouldn't be the wisest choice to send to a prospective employer. Likewise, douglastimothysmith@something.com is a little lengthy and is likely to be misspelled. dtsmith@something.com would be a better choice-- short and unique. Another suggestion is to choose your first name, then a period, then your last name (firstname.lastname@something.com) and see if it's available. If the email name you choose is already taken, then just keep trying until you find something unique.

NOTE: An email address can include the following characters:

• Any lowercase letter from a to z
• Any number
• The characters ".","_" and "-" (period or dot, underscore, and hyphen)

2. Choose a password
   Usually your password needs to be 5-8 alpha-numeric characters long, but your provider will specify the requirements. Make certain it is something you will remember. You cannot use any special characters or punctuation -- no spaces, hyphens or periods.
   
   
3. Choose a secret question
   This is a question that only you would know the answer to. Some providers will give you access to your email account even if you forget you password IF you can answer a previously chosen secret question. When you create your email account, the secret question you might choose for yourself might be "favorite snack?" Then, of course, you provide an answer as well, like "chocolate."
   
   
4. Enter your first and last name
   Your real name will be displayed next to your email address on your messages. For example, someone will see a message coming from: dtsmith@freemail.com "Doug Smith." You should list your name in a proper format; upper and lower case conventions apply.
   
   
5. Read and retype the CAPTCHA
   

   Some providers require you to read and copy some letters from a picture. This is what's called a CAPTCHA. You will see some distorted text in a box and will be asked to type the letters you see into a text box. The reason they do this is to make sure you are a real human being and not an automated systems attempting to sign up for an account in order to email spam (junk mail).

   
   
6. Miscellaneous extras
   
   • Some providers may ask if you wish to sign up for e-mail subscriptions to specific content magazines. Usually these are free. You may or may not want to sign up for these depending on your interest and how much time you have to read e-mail.
     
     
   • Many providers will also ask if you want to be listed in online e-mail directories. If you think it would be helpful to have a listing that might be found by a distant friend or relative, go ahead. It is also possible that a listing will generate some solicitations or junk e-mail -- it's hard to say (or prove). If you like your privacy and control, simply say you do not want to be listed.
     

When you first create an email account with an email provider, you'll be automatically logged into your account.

1. To return to your email account at a later time, type the name of your provider and then the word "email" into the address bar at the top of any internet browser window.
   For example, typing into the address bar will take me to the login page of Yahoo Mail. You can also type in the full web address of the email provider as shown in the Creating an Email Account/Choosing an Email Provider section of this document.

2. Once you arrive at the login page of your email provider, enter your ID (may also be called your Username) and Password and hit enter. The main window of the software program that will allow you to write, check and send email from your email account will open.

All software programs used for writing, checking and sending email, generally consist of the same main areas:

Incoming, In, Inbox: This is where you'll recieve your mail. If you have new, unread messages, the number of those messages typically shows to the right of your Inbox. Any messages you read and don't delete will stay in your Inbox. Drafts: If you start an email but aren't ready to send it, you can save it in your Drafts folder and come back to it later. Sent, Outbox, Out: These are copies of messages that you have sent. Deleted, Trash: This is the trash bin containing the emails you've deleted from your Inbox. When emails are shown in the trash, you can still retrieve them. To permanently delete them, you will need empty the trash bin by clicking the word Empty, usually found to the right of the Trash. Contacts: Most providers allow you to save a list of people's email addresses, just like a traditional address book. Folders: Most providers allow you to set up folders into which you can sort and store the email that you recieve.

1. Click the button.
   It should be on your email account's main menu or toolbar, although it may have a different name. Other possibile names include Message, New Message, Compose, or New Mail Message. A New Email window will appear and at the top, you should see something like this:
   
   
   
   
2. Address the message.
   In the "To:" field type the e-mail address of the person you're sending the email to. Make sure the format is valid, for example: john@something.com.
   

NOTE: In addition to the "To:" field, there are the "Cc:" and the "Bcc:" fields

• Cc: "Carbon Copy" - This sends a copy of the message to another person.
• Bcc: "Blind Carbon Copy" - This sends a copy of the message to another person without any reference to that person in the actual email.
  
  
3. Give the message a subject.
   Move your cursor to the "Subject" field, and give it a short, clear title, summarizing the message you'll be sending.
   
   
4. Compose the message.
   Position your cursor in the message field, the large open space below the headings. Type the message. You can format the message (make text bold, change the font, font size, or font color, etc.) using the formatting tools shown just above the message field. At the end, add a salutation and your name if desired, just as you would if you were writing a letter.
   
   
5. Click on the button if you want to send a document or an image as part of your message.
   1. Select the location where the document or image you want to attach is saved. For example:  
   2. Select the file you want to open. For example:
   3. Click the  button in the bottom left corner of the screen. The document will open.
      
      
6. Click on the button if you want to ensure that the content of your message is spelled correctly.
   
   
7. Click the button.
   Or choose the appropriate Send command from the menu bar.

NOTE: If you want to save the email you're writing and come back to it later rather than send it, click on the button. You can then go to your Drafts folder, select the email, continue working on it, and send it at a later time.

1. Click on the button or click your Inbox.
   The button may also be called Check New Mail, or New Mail. The Inbox window will appear and at the top, you should see something like this:
   
   
   
   
2. If you have any new, unread messages they will now appear listed in bold in your Inbox. You can see who the message is from, the subject of the message, the date on which it was sent and the size of the message. Emails with attachements will be larger in size and may take longer to open.
   
   To preview an email message while still viewing your Inbox: click once on it's subject (example: "Welcome to Yahoo!"). The preview will appear in a small area, just below your Inbox.
   
   To view an entire email message: click twice on it's subject (example: "Welcome to Yahoo!"). The entire message will appear in the window, taking the place of your Inbox. To return to your Inbox where you can see all of your email, click Inbox.

• Click the button to delete a message from your Inbox that you do not wish to keep. The button may also be called Erase or Remove.
  
  
• Click the button to send a reply message to the sender of a message you recieved. Usually the message they originally sent you will appear in the body of the document, with each line preceded by the symbol ">". In addition, "Re:" followed by their chosen subject will show up in the Subject field. You can also choos to Reply All and send a reply to the sender as well as everyone else who had been included as a recipient of the original email.
  
  
• Click the button to send a message you recieved along to someone else. The subject is generally preceded by "Fwd:" to indicate that it is a forwarded message.
  
  
• Click the button to mark an email message as one that came unsolicited from someone that you would like to no longer recieve emails from in the future. The button may also be called Flag As Spam.
  
  
• Click the button to move a message from your Inbox to a specific folder so that it can be easily found as a later time. Click Add next to My folders to set up different folders in which to store messages. For example, you could set up a folder called "Vacation" and then move all of the emails you recieve about hotels, car rentals, etc. into that folder to find them later without having to look through all the email in your Inbox.
  
  
• Click the button to print a hard copy of your email message.
  
  
• Click the button next to a sender's address to add Sender To Contacts

When you're all finished using your email account, you'll want to log off so that no one else can gain access to it.

1. To log out, find and click on the Sign off, Log off or Log out link to log out of your email account. The link is usually found in the upper left or right corner of the internet browser window.
2. Close the internet browser by clicking the red X in the upper right corner of the window.

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