Section 4: What is E-mail?

E-Mail (or email) = Electronic Mail

The Email address can tell you something about the person sending it, such as where they might be from.

  • An email address has two parts
    • The login
      • This is the part of the address before the @ symbol, and generally is the name, or a nickname for the person. Some logins have both letters and numbers, especially if they are created by large organizations.
    • The address
      • This is the part that follows the @ symbol. It includes the server name plus words or abbreviations that help to show where the email account is coming from.
    • Click on the following sample addresses to see how this works
  • Netiquette
    • Always remember, there is a human being at the other end!
    • Include a greeting (Dear ....) and a closing (Sincerely, ...)
    • Be aware of your GLOBAL audience
      • People you write may use another language
      • Be careful of using slang, or local expressions
      • Respect other cultures
    • No sarcasm (Look this up if you do not know what it means!)
    • A "Flame" is an email sent by an angry user. If you ever receive an inappropriate email be sure to report it to your teacher right away.
    • Capital letters are regarded as "SHOUTING."
    • You can use smileys to show feelings (smileys are also called emoticons ... check some out at this site)
    • Do NOT repost or send garbage.
    • Email is NOT private. System operators can look at messages sent from their systems, and people can forward email messages to others without your knowledge. Never send anything in an email that you do not feel comfortable telling to everyone in your class!

Let's go on to Section 5, The World Wide Web. This is what most people think of when they hear the word Internet.

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boy using computer

person12@k12.hi.us

person12 is the login

k12 = a server in a school district with Kindergarten to 12th grade

hi = Hawaii

us = United States

 Think time: what would the address be for someone from a school system in California?

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professional woman using computer

senatorsmith@hawaii.gov

senatorsmith is the login

.gov is the designation for email addresses of people who work for the government

(the military has a special designation, .mil)

 Think time: what would the address be for someone who works in the White House?

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man in wheelchair using computer

professorb@ucla.edu

professorb is the login

.edu is used for higher education, such as colleges and universities.

 

 FYI: Did you know that Email started as something called Arpanet between universities and the military?

[back to Email addresses]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

man on beach using laptop

jdoe@aol.com

jdoe is the login

aol = America Online, one of the pioneering providers of email addresses for regular people

.com means commercial. This is the designation for businesses that generally provide services for a fee.

 

Think Time: Another commonly used ending in email and websites is .org

Can you find out what .org stands for?

[back to Email addresses]