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One of the best things about the Internet is the ability to send/receive email from your account. You can communicate with anyone online!
That's the good news.
The bad news is that they can do the same with you! Which means when (note - not "if") your name gets on a spammer's list, you'll start receiving email from here to enternity.
But there are ways to really enjoy your email experience. And here they are.
Before You Begin - eMail Can Include
Besides the message body, email can include:
- Your Signature - Sure, you
can sign your email "Fred." (unless your
name is not Fred, in which case you can
sign it "Ethel." (unless your name is not
Ethel, in which case....)) But you can also
devise a signature that automatically gets
appended to every message you send out (removing
the task of typing it again and again).
Signatures are wonderful. If you have a business, you can include it in your .sig (the traditional name of a signature). My colleague's original .sig, C Code. C Code Run. Run Code, Run.....Please! has been immortalized in C program manuals everywhere. Now it's something more business-oriented:
Barbara T. Ling | Teaching Businesses the Netiquette Way The Internet Virtual Coach | Have you banned complacency today? http://www.barbaraling.com | You should...because... btl@barbaraling.com | Success Is An Attitude!
Once you've crafted your signature, every single email you send will automatically include it. That's instant advertising! 'Way cool.
- From: Address - You can change the way
your From: address appears. For example, you might
use an email service such as SpamCop.net .... but
have a business or vanity account such as joe@FoodIsGreat.com .
In your email preferences on Spamcop.net, you can set your
outgoing email as "joe@FoodIsGreat.com", and then set your
joe@FoodIsGreat.com account to forward to your Spamcop.net
account.
Why on earth would you want to do this? Well, if you have several online services (aol, msn, fool.com ,etc.), you can mentally designate a primary email service and then forward all of your incoming email to that address. Voila, no more checking a bazillion accounts for your email! 'Tis consolidation at it's finest. And the best thing is it's transparent to anyone who receives your emails.
- Attachments - In other words, files like
Microsoft docs, spreadsheets, cute pictures, etc. You
can send/receive just about any kind of file online.
Thing is, though, you should never ever open
an attachment unless you know for certain (as in,
a phone call to the person in question) it was
intended for you. Many computer viruses are spread
via attachments that contain malicious evil-doing
head-thumping confusion-generating distraughtness-generating
programs that will wreak havoc on your computer.
With that gentle warning aside, you can now send to your friends/family pictures, ecards and the like. It's a nice way to reach out and touch someone.
There's lots more you can do with eMail, but the above should be enough to whet your appetite! Here's how you take advantage of them.
Step 1 - Set Up Your Signature
Certainly you want to have a relevant, dashing, useful signature, right? Perhaps it can include your email address, your website, a quote you love and adore, a link to a cause you support, etc.
Next, determine your mailing program. It might be Microsoft Outlook, it could be Yahoo Mail or Google Mail, it could be quite a number of things, actually.
Let's say that you use Outlook. To configure your .sig:
- Click on Tools
- Select Options
- Select Signatures
- Click on New
- Enter in your new signature!
- Select Add signatures to outgoing messages
- Click on OK
And there ye go.
Hotmail users would login in and:
- Click on Options
- Click on Personal Signature
- Enter in your new signature!
- Click on OK
No matter what email service provider you are using, you can search their help for signature to get tailored instructions on how to create one.
Step 2 - Get Familiar With Attachments
Open your email client now (Outlook perhaps, or simply open another browser window to access your email online).
If you're using Outlook, create a new email and then select the Paperclip icon at the top of the message screen (or simply choose Insert | File Attachment from the top menu. Find the file you want to attach, click OK and you're on your way.
A few things to keep in mind - attachments can be quite huge and take time to download. Send information responsibly.
If you're using an online email client such as Hotmail or Google Mail or what have you, you can click on their Help link and search for Attachments. That should bring up a step-by-step method of securely attaching your files.
Step 3 - For More Information
Sending email is great...receiving email can be fraught with danger, if you are sent a virus by some unsuspecting individual. Here are some resources for your email pleasure:
- About.com's Email Resources - lots of useful resources
- Coolsig - excellent site for all sorts of signatures
- eMail Etiquette - a must read for creating effective emails
- eMail Security Test - See how secure your email really is
Considering pocket email devices? Consider:
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