Harness E-mail: Anatomy of an E-Mail Message

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E-mail messages are similar to letters, with two main parts: The header contains the name and e-mail address of the recipient, the name and e-mail address of anyone who is being copied, and the subject of the message. Some e-mail programs also display your name and e-mail address and the date of the message. The body contains the message itself. The world's first e-mail message was sent in late 1971 by Ray Tomlinson. Just like when sending a letter, you need the correct address. But with e-mail, spelling is critical. If you use the wrong address or mistype it, your message will bounce back to you--the old Return to Sender, Address Unknown routine. An Electronic Postmark When you receive an e-mail, the header tells you where it came from, how it was sent, and when. It's an electronic postmark. Unlike a letter, which is sealed in an envelope, e-mail is not as private. It's more like a post card. Messages can be intercepted and read by people who really shouldn't be looking at it. Avoid including any confidential information unless you have a way to encrypt it. For more on this, read "How Private is Your E-Mail?" TRY THIS... To learn more about electronic mail, read Wikipedia's e-mail article. WATCH THIS... Sending e-mail is so easy, even an infant can do it. Last update: Jan 4, 2008 Related Articles: Step by Step: Sending E-Mail Understanding E-Mail Addresses Explore More: Search the Web Learn the Net (www.learnthenet.com) is Copyright 1996-2008. Michael Lerner Productions. All Rights Reserved.