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E-Mail Handout

E-Mail Terminology || E-Mail Etiquette ||
How to Get an E-Mail Account || How to Log In
Using Folders || Using an Address Book

What’s in an E-Mail Address?  

In order to receive E-mail a person has to have an E-mail address that the mail can go to. It’s just like when you send a letter via postal mail. The person receiving the letter has to have an address (street or post office box) in order to receive the letter.

The username defines the person who lives at the E-mail address. Again if you think of the way postal mail works, the username is analogous to the person’s name that goes on an envelope before the street address.

Along with the username, a person needs to have a location that the e-mail can be sent to for delivery and pickup. So instead of 12 Everett Street, as might be the location put on an envelope sent through postal mail, an e-mail address has the name of the computer that collects a person’s mail. In the illustration above that’s hotmail.com.

How To Get an Email Account:
1.  Go to http://www.hotmail.com
2.  Click on Sign Up
3.  Fill in the Profile Information Form with:
    Your First Name
    Your Last Name
    Language (default is English)
    Country/Region (default is USA)
    State
    Zip Code
    Time Zone (default is GMT, choose EST)
    Gender
    Date of Birth (note: you must be at least 13 to register for an email account)
    Occupation (select other)
4. Fill in the Account Information
    Email Address (select a Sign-In name)
    Password (at least 6 letters or numbers; type TWICE)
    A secret question & answer (in case you forget your password)
5. Uncheck boxes under services
6.  Click  "I Agree"
7.  Click Continue until you get to your inbox.

 Common E-mail Terminology

Address Book - An online listing of friends, family, associates, etc. E-mail addresses.

Attachment - Adding a computer file to an E-mail message so that the person receiving the E-mail can have a copy of the file. This can be any type of file – word processing document, image, sound, spreadsheet, etc.

Flame  - Sending a rude message to someone.

Forward - Sending a message that you have received onto someone else.

Reply - Sending a message back to a person who has sent you a message

Signature - The information included along with the sender’s name at the end of an E-mail message.

Internet Communication Etiquette

Remember these when communicating online:

• Use capitalization of words sparingly. HI HOW ARE YOU

  is considered shouting.

• Make sure to include a meaningful subject line.

• Avoid involvement in "Flame Wars." Flaming is sending unfriendly messages via E-mail.

• Respect the privacy and property of others. Remember that what is written in E-mail is the property of the creator and/or owner. The original sender may want to keep the information private.

• Get permission before forwarding someone else’s message.

• Check your grammar and spelling. E-mail may be a quick way to get a message to someone, but it is still important to proofread what you have written.

• Remember the Internet is global in nature. Exercise sensitivity. People from other cultures may be reading the messages you write.

Getting Back Into Your Hotmail Mailbox

Just in case you need a reminder – here’s how you can access your Hotmail E-mail again.

• Go to http://www.hotmail.com/

• Type in your Sign-in name and password and click on the "signin" button.

• You are now in your "inbox", where messages sent to you are displayed.

• To read an E-mail message from the list, click on the sender's name for the message, listed under "From" in the inbox menu.

• To reply to a message, click on "Reply" from the menu bar.

• To write a new message, click on "Compose" from the menu bar.

• To delete a message, click on "Delete" from the menu bar above each message, OR go to the "Inbox." And click the boxes next to the messages that you want to delete. Select "Delete."

• Don’t forget to "Sign Out" when you are done checking and sending mail. To do so select the "Sign Out" link from the bottom of the left sidebar.

Creating and Using Folders in Hotmail

Once you have an e-mail account with Hotmail.com you can organize folders in which to keep the e-mail you receive. You might want to have a folder for e-mail from family, a folder for e-mail from friends, or a folder for e-mail related to your hobbies. You can name folders in any way and then you can organize messages in those folders for ease of access. Here’s how to create folders in Hotmail Mail.

Creating Folders

• Select the "Folders" link from the top menu bar from anywhere in your mailbox.

• On the "Folders" page you will see the list of folders you already have.

• Click on the blue "Create New" link (next to the word Folders at the top)

• Type a name for your new folder (i.e. "Save These!" Or "Messages From Johnny") and click OK.

• You will now see the folder listed at the bottom of your list of folders.

• Pick any folder from the list ("Inbox", "Trash Can", "Sent Messages", etc.) and click on it to go there. From any of these folders within your mailbox, you can select a message and move it to another folder. (i.e., from "Inbox" to "Save These", or from "Save These" to "Trash Can", etc.)

• Select the messages that you want to move into another folder by clicking on the check box next to each of the messages (a "check mark" will appear there).

• Click on the down arrow next to the text box in the section of the page that says "Move to Selected Folder."

• Click on the name of the folder to which you want to move the selected message(s).

• Click on the "Move to" button.

• The message(s) will be moved to the designated folder. In the process, the folder will refresh itself and you will no longer see the message(s) that you moved. To see if your message was moved properly, select the "Folders" link again, from the top menu and click on the name of the folder which has your messages.

Creating and Using an Address Book in Hotmail

Chances are that you will be e-mailing the same people over and over again. With an Address Book, instead of having to type in the e-mail address each time you want to send a new e-mail, you can access e-mail addresses from your address book

Creating An Address Book

• From anywhere in your Hotmail box, click on the "Address Book" link at the top

• Click on "Create New"

• Fill in all the required information (the ones with *asterisks) and as much other information as you want for the person. You will at least want to add the first and last name and the e-mail address in order to be able to send each person on your list an e-mail message. "Quickname" saves even more time, by allowing you to type an individual's nickname in your "TO:" field for outgoing messages (see below), and have the message go to that person without you ever having to open your address book again! The e-mail addresses are listed as optional because this address book is used by some people for ALL of their addresses, not just for their friends with e-mail addresses. You can use it this way as well!

• Select the "OK" button when you are done adding contact information.

• After you save the name in your address book the "Address Book" page will display again. The name you have added will be listed on the page. You can continue to add names and e-mail addresses to your address book by selecting "Create New"

• To View, Edit, or Delete any information in your address book, click on the empty box to the left of the person's name, and then click on either "View/Edit" or "Delete" at the top of the page.

Technique #1

• Access your address book from anywhere in Hotmail by clicking on "Address Book" at the top of the page.

• Select the person (persons) to whom you want to send mail, by clicking in the checkbox next to the name(s).

• Click on "Send Mail" . The "Compose Mail" window will open with the "To:" box filled in already. Type in your message and click "Send."

• Click on "Compose" from anywhere in Hotmail. A new message window will open.

• Click on "Insert Address". A small version of your address book will open. You can select one or more addresses from your list by clicking to the left of the name(s) you want. "To:" is usually reserved for the primary recipient of your message, but you can use it for multiple recipients also. "CC:" is reserved for secondary (or additional) recipients. "BCC:" (blind carbon copy) is used to send your message to multiple recipients when you don't want any of them to be able to see the other names to whom the message was sent. When you are done selecting names from your address book, click on "OK"

• The e-mail addresses that you selected from your address book will automatically be inserted in the proper places in the "To" section of the message. All you need to do is type in your message and select "Send."

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