Electronic Mail

E-mail stands for Electronic Mail or Electronic Mailer. The most commonly used feature of the networks in the field of communication is e-mail. It is the transmission of messages from one computer to another. Communication can take place between two to many users. It not only sends the message in text format, but also we can add images, and documents in the form of PDFs, videos, or other attachments. 

The person who has to send a certain message is called the sender and the one who receives it is called the receiver. In order to have successful communication, each user should have a unique email address (it is just like posts, where each post is sent to persons with a unique home address). The e-mail address may look something like this

Copy of the Extent of Email Used Today

When was the First Email Sent?

E-mail is much older when compared to the internet. The first-ever e-mail was sent to computers in 1965 by using the MIT program called a mailbox. By using this program the user can type a message and send it. Whereas the receiver can see the message only after logging in to the computer. 

Whereas in 1969 the first message using ARPANET was sent from computer to computer by the US Department of Defence. 

The First Message was Sent using ARPANET

Later in 1972, Ray Tomlinson developed the ARPANET into ARPANET’s networked e-mail system and invented electronic mail. It is the one which we use today. Here his contribution was “@” which indicated the destination address of the message to be sent. It got tremendous popularity as people wondered how one can send an electronic mail to the others who are completely not present in the same place. 

In 1993, internet use increased and electronic mail was replaced by “E-mail”. Then Yahoo, Hotmail, AOL (America Online), and Echomail platforms were launched. Whereas the year 2004 completely changed the history of E-mail with the launch of Gmail (a platform to send an email). 

The overall history of e-mail in computer networks can be something like this,

History of E-mail

Mailing Format

The E-mail can be divided into three main components:

• Message Envelope

• Message Header

• Message Body

E-mail Format

Structure of Email

Types of Email

Emails are broadly classified into three categories:

Types of Emails

• Informal: It is sent to friends and family. There are no rules for writing an email of this type, and one can use any language.

• Semi-formal: It is sent to colleagues and teammates. We can use simple language here, and the messages can be casual or friendly in nature.

• Formal: It is used to communicate to the government department, schools, businesses, or any officers. Here certain rules have to be followed like text should be in respectful language. You shouldn’t add any unwanted things like jokes, funny text etc. Writing a subject is always mandatory.

There are other kinds of emails that are used today:

• Promotional email: This is a business to business email that mentions the products or services of a company.

• Transactional email: It is related to business deals or transactions.

• Plain-text email: In this type of email only a text message is sent.

• Newsletters: It is the report that is sent by the companies or organisations to their employees or subscribers about the company’s growth or achievements.

Evolution of Communication

Uses of E-mail

You can use email for the following purposes:

• It is easy to use and can be accessed easily.

• Can share information easily.

• We can send messages at any time.

• Can connect to people all over the world by sitting at your home.

• Can work with others.

• Communication can be done with many people at the same time.

Advantages and Disadvantages of E-mail

Email Etiquette

Email Etiquette

Interesting Facts

• First spam message was sent to the ARPANET in the year 1978.

Scariest Facts about Email

• The first email message sent was “Hello, have a good day!”.

Summary

Email or Electronic mail is the most common form of communication either formally or informally. However, all the types of communication through email may sound similar but if we follow certain rules then the messages are conveyed easily. 

Learning by Doing

1. Solve the given puzzle.

Solve the Given Puzzle