We are going to start with email systems because you need to use email right away in this course. We'll get quite involved in this topic. Even if you've been using email for some time there is likely to be information here that will be new.

The more you know about how email works, and its limitation, the better you can communicate using this new medium.

The only important point to be made here about the hardware connections is that the email system consists of lots of personal computers hooked to a large and complex network of email host computers. Software exchanges the messages behind the scenes, with all of the work being shared among the computers.

We'll look at how this happens in a subsequent lecture.

Right now, we're interesting in the results of this networking and how to use it.

Email brings some big benefits when compared to regular mail delivered by the post office (often called "snail mail").

Email is delivered quickly. Some messages get half way around the world in a minute or two. Not all messages go that quickly. Some may take as much as a day to reach their destination. In any case, it is much faster than snail mail.

The advantage comes in the speed of the reply. You are likely to get an answer to an emailed question while you still remember why you asked the question. That leads to efficiency. It also means that people switch to exchanging a series of brief messages quickly, rather than trying to handle a lot of issues in one or two long exchanges.

The ease with which you can electronically paste information into an email message (generally, it is done automatically) means that you can maintain a discussion thread with short comments. If a person's question is kept in the response, it may mean that all that is typed is the "yes" or "no" answer. That doesn't work with snail mail.

These factors have contributed to email being a relatively informal medium.

Several other email features make it quite handy. You don't have to search for most email addresses. Email programs organize addresses for you so that it takes only a moment to properly send a message to a correspondent. 

Also, your email messages can be kept in an electronic filing cabinet for later review. Correspondence is much of what people traditionally put into filing drawers. Doing this with the paperless medium makes it more efficient.

Even with all the advantages, sometimes you have no choice but to use email. An example is when the only address you have for a person is their email address.

To some people, the fact that email is free means that they choose to use it. Is it really free? Yes, for an individual. Institutions pay the bill for the network and its associated email host computers.

Not everything is perfect with email. There are a lot of shortcomings.

You generally aren't sure that a message is delivered.

Finding email addresses is often difficult.

How do you include people who don't yet use email?

And many people miss the human touch that comes with a well-written letter, with careful penmanship on fine paper. Email, by comparison, comes off as impersonal and boring.

There are a lot of other problems, but you get the idea. Email hasn't yet completely replaced snail mail. At least for some people.

All email messages have a common structure.

There is a header that controls information about who should get the message, who is it from, and a lot more.

The text of the message goes into the body.

Sometimes there is a third part: the attachments. These attachments are files that may contain anything that is stored on a computer. Generally there is a size limit to these attachments, so don't expect to send huge things this way.

You need to know some of the key features available in the header.

A few are obvious. 

There is the author of the message. The email program inserts it automatically.

You need to give the addresses of people who will receive the email. The "to:" category consists of the primary recipients. If it is an "action" message, then it is understood that they are the ones who will do what is requested.

The "cc:" (which stands for carbon copy) has the addresses of people who will also receive the message. They are getting an information copy and are not expected to answer the message or do the "action" if one is needed.

The "bcc:" category, which is available on most - but not all - email systems requires that you handle it correctly. This is true for both the person sending a message with a "bcc:" as well as a person who receives it. Basically, the "blind cc" means that the people listed in the "to:" and "cc:" categories don't know that the "bcc:" people are getting the message. They are secret recipients. Therefore, a "bcc:" person should never reply to the message in any way that would inform the other people. This has great political sensitivity. It is often used to inform a "secret" advisor of what actions are being taken while not letting other people know that there is such an advisor. This category is not used very often. When it is used, it must be used very carefully.

The date that the message is sent is automatically added.

The subject of the message is a short header that tells the recipient what the message is about. It is very important. I'll give you some examples next.

Finally, the header often lists the files that are attached.

Let's look at two messages. Both are from Bill and are sent to Vanessa.

You can tell by looking at the header what type of information each message will contain.

People who get a lot of email message use the header information to set the first level of priority in looking at the contents. They are also important when messages are filed.

You can see the importance of header information, particularly the "subject:" (often called "re:" for "regarding:"), by looking at the replies to these two messages.

If Vanessa responds to Bill with just a short message in the email body, there is no context. What does Vanessa mean in Alternative 1 (at the top)?

Is it about the physics lab or is it about Friday night? It could make a very big difference!

Alternative 2 is much clearer.

Get used to giving every email message a "subject:".

Some people feel strongly about this. They won't open a message that doesn't have a subject. They just throw it away.

Don't be too brief with your message. In the first alternative, it isn't clear what the message means. Yes, but to what?

In the second alternative, the context is made clear not by writing more, but by including part of the previous message.

Note that most email system will automatically copy the previous message into a response. The "old" message is indicated by the addition of greater-than signs (>) in front of the lines.

You can remove any lines that aren't needed, just as you would with a word processor.

Get used to building on previous email messages.

Clearly, it is impossible to include everything that you want in an email message.

Missing are behavioral cues that we use in face-to-face discussions.

You can't use your appearance, or even the subtle manipulation of the language.

A person's state of mind when they create a message. No way.

As a result it is often hard to tell basic things about a person sending a message. Are they happy or sad? Are they serious or kidding? Are they frustrated or euphoric? Even these extremes are often hidden by the limitations of email.

Look at this message. 

Is Bill serious or being sarcastic? 

You'd know in a conversation. In this email message, it remains a mystery.

Look at this letter. Is Vanessa mad?

You bet!

This is a typical email "flame." These are messages that are sent in the "heat of the moment."

If you actively correspond with email, and you have a rich and varied life, it is likely that you will - one day - want to send an email flame.

When ever you write a heated email, you should really pause before you send it.

Ask yourself, "Would I say this to the person?"

Even if you write a flame, it doesn't mean that you need to send it.  Writing it may be enough to get the emotions out of your system.

What if you are really upset?  That doesn't mean that you need to reply to another persons heated message.  Sometimes silence is more powerful than speaking out.

Finally, always (always, always) think before you send that flame.