ICF 9 Quarter 4_week 1

Exploring the Web and Network

What is an Email Address?

An email address is a designation for an electronic mailbox that sends and receives messages over the
internet, known as email, on a computer network.

An email address is a unique identifier for an email account.

Similar to physical mail, an email message requires an address for both the sender and recipient in order to
be sent successfully.
Every email address has two main parts: a username and domain name.
The username comes first, followed by an at (@) symbol, followed by the domain name.

Understanding E-mail and E-mail Address

amvillas@teachnology.com.p
h
User Name Domain Name Top Level Country
Domain Level
Domain
Electronic mail, E-mail or email is the transmission of messages over electronic networks.

Electronic mail can be accessed in many ways, including:

 electronic mail software such as Microsoft E-mail, Eudora, or America Online;
 web-based systems such as Hotmail;
 integrated applications such as Lotus Notes; and
 cell phone or other wireless device.

Microsoft E-mail is a messaging and personal information manager, or PIM. E-mail lets you send and
receive E-mail messages, schedule appointments, and organize your contacts and addresses. It also reminds
you of tasks you need to complete. For many people, E-mail is often the least-used Microsoft Office
application—unless you’re part of a large organization, in which case E-mail may be your most-frequently
used application.

Within an organization’s internal network, electronic mail messages are routed from one user to
another user via network servers. In order to send mail to the correct recipient, the local electronic mail
software must know who is and who on the network. For example, just like you need to know a person’s street
address if you want to send them a letter, you need to know a person’s E-mail address if you want to send
that person an E-mail message. Figure 6.1 is an example of what a typical E-mail address looks like.

E-mail addresses consist of three parts or in other countries, four: a User Name, a Domain Name,
and a Top Level Domain (TLD), Country Level Domain (CLD).

 User Name: The User Name refers to the name of the person’s E-mail account. It is similar to the
person’s name on an envelope.

 Domain Name: The Domain Name, also known as the Host Name, refers to the location of the
person’s account on the Internet. It is similar to the address on an envelope. The User Name and
Domain name are separated by the @ symbol.

 Top Level Domain (TLD): The TLD falls at the end of some E-mail address and is preceded by a
period, or “dot.” This refers to the type of organization where the person’s E-mail account is located. It is
similar to the state or country on an envelope. See Activity 5 for the different Top Level Domain.

 Country Level Domain (CLD): The CLD falls at the end of E-mail address and preceded by a period or
“dot” like the TLD. This refers to the country where the person’s email account is located. See Appendix
A for different Country Level Domain.
Here is how you can create a Gmail account
Gmail is one of the most used email services around the world. If you want to create a Gmail account in just a few
simple steps you can create it. But before that, you need to sign up for a Google account.

To create a Gmail account you need to provide some basic information like your name, birth date, gender, and
location. Even you have to choose a name for your new Gmail address. Follow the below steps and create your own
Gmail account with the quick sign-up process.

How to create a Gmail account?

You can use your username and password to sign in to Gmail and other Google products like YouTube, Google Play,
and Google Drive. Follow the steps, create your Gmail account and start sending emails.
Step 1: Visit Google account creation page, accounts.google.com
Step 2: Click on Create account.
Step 3: The sign-up form will appear. Enter your first and last name.
Step 4: Choose a Username for your account. (Here you can also use an existing email address)
Step 5: After choosing a username, enter a password. Type the password again to confirm. (As per Google's
instruction always use 8 or more characters with a mix of letters, numbers & symbols)
Step 6: At last tap on Next. (Right corner of the screen)
Step 7: On the next page enter your phone number to verify your account. (It is a two-step verification process for
security)
Step 8: On the given mobile number you will receive a text message from Google with a verification
code. Enter the verification code and tap on Verify.
Step 9: On the next page enter your DOB in the specified fields.
Step 10: Choose a Gender.
Step 11: Tap on Next.
Step 12: Read, Google's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy will appear on the screen and click on I agree.
Congratulations! your account has been created. From now onwards every time you sign in you just have to
enter your email id and password. And every time you sign-in don't forget to sign-out because it prevents others from
viewing your emails. Do you know how to sign-out?
 Navigate to the circle (in the top-right corner of the page). Here tap on it, from the below option, select Sign-
out.

Composing and Sending E-mail Message

This activity explains the most basic E-mail task of all: how to compose and send an E-mail message.
Before you begin, however, it is important to take note of the fact that sometimes other forms of
correspondence are more appropriate than E-mail. Some communication, such as the transmission of legal
documents that require a signature, should be sent via traditional delivery methods rather than electronically.

1. Open your E-mail account program and make sure you are in the Inbox folder - click the Inbox button on
account if you’re not. The Inbox appears.
2. Click the Compose New Message button. An Untitled - Message form appears, ready for you to enter a
new message. First, you need to specify the recipient’s E-mail address in the To field.
There are two ways to do this:
 If you know the E-mail address, you can type it into the
To: box.
 If you don’t know the address, you can click the
To: button and select the address from your list of contacts.

In these procedures, you will send the same message to two people, using both methods.
 First let’s enter a name directly into the To box…
3. Type your E-mail address into the To text box.
If you need to send a message to more than one person, simply place a comma (,) between the
recipients’ E-mail addresses—for example: amvillas@deped.gov.ph, amvillas@yahoo.com. Let’s send
this message to another person, this time using the address book to address the message.
4. Click the To button.
The Select Names dialog box appears.
5. Click the Show Names from the: arrow and select Contacts if necessary.
This will display the names and addresses in the Contacts folder.
6. Click the name of any recipient in the Name list and then click the To button.
If you need to send a message to more than one person, you can repeat Step 6 to add the other
recipients. When you’re finished, move on to the next step.
7. Click OK.
The Select Recipients dialog box closes, and the recipient(s) appear in the To field.
8. (Optional) To send a copy of a message to someone, click in the Cc field and/or the Bcc field and Repeat
Steps 3-7 to enter their E-mail addresses, only click the Cc or Bcc button instead of the To button.
 Table 2-2: Ways to Address an E-mail Message describes carbon copies (Cc) and Blind Carbon Copies
(Bcc). Next, enter the subject of the message so your recipient(s) will know what your message is about.
The subject will appear in the heading of the message in the recipient’s inbox.
9. Click the Subject field and type Greetings from Lubang Island!
Now you can type an actual E-mail message.
10. Click anywhere in the body of the message (in the lower pane) and type:
Hi everyone - just wanted you to know that my vacation in Lubang Island is going great!
Type the message as you would in a word processor. All the generic Windows commands such as
cutting, copying, and pasting text work in your E-mail account.
11. When you’re finished with the message, click the Send Message button on the toolbar.
The message is sent to the Outbox folder and will be sent the next time that you click the Send and
Receive button.
12. Click the Send and Receive button on the toolbar.
Your E-mail account program sends all the messages that are stored in the Outbox folder and retrieves
any new E-mail messages it finds on the E-mail server.

Ways to Address an E-mail Message

Address Description
To Sends the message to the recipient you specify (required).
Carbon Copy (Cc) Sends a copy of the message to a recipient who is not directly involved, but might be
interested in the message.

Blind Carbon Copy Sends a copy of the message to a recipient without anyone else knowing that he or
(Bcc) she received the message. You need to select View → Bcc Field from the menu to
use the Bcc Field.

Email etiquette tips in order to write more effective email.

The improvised back-and-forth pattern we are comfortable with in social media conversations differs greatly from the
pre-planned, more self-contained messages most professionals expect in the workplace.

1. Don't overcommunicate by email.

Email is not as secure as you might want it to be, particularly as people may forward emails without thinking to
delete the conversation history. So avoid sharing sensitive or personal information in an email, and don't write
about anything that you, or the subject of your email, wouldn't like to see plastered on a billboard by your office.
2. Make good use of subject lines.
A newspaper headline has two functions: it grabs your attention, and it summarizes the article, so that you can
decide whether to read it or not. The subject line of your email message should do the same thing.
A blank subject line is more likely to be overlooked or rejected as "spam," so always use a few well-chosen words
to tell the recipient what the email is about.
3. Keep messages clear and brief.
Emails, like traditional business letters, need to be clear and concise. Keep your sentences short and to the point.
The body of the email should be direct and informative, and it should contain all pertinent information.
4. Be polite.
People often think that emails can be less formal than traditional letters. But the messages you send reflect your
own professionalism , values, and attention to detail, so a certain level of formality is needed.
5. Check your tone.
When we meet people face-to-face, we use the other person's body language , vocal tone, and facial expressions to
assess how they feel. Email robs us of this information, and this means that we can't tell when people have
misunderstood our messages.
6. Proofread.
Finally, before you hit "send," take a moment to review your email for spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes.
Your email messages are as much a part of your professional image as the clothes you wear, so it looks bad to send
out a message that contains typos.

Quarter 4_week 2

Once you have received a message, there are several things that you can do with it. You can select the message and
do one or more of the following:
 Reply to the Message: When you reply to a message, E-mail opens a Message form that contains the E-mail
address, subject, and body of the message you are responding to. To reply to a message, click the Reply
button on the toolbar.

 Forward the Message: When you forward a message to another recipient, E-mail opens a Message form that
contains the subject and body of the message you are forwarding. You must specify to whom you want to
 forward the message in the To box. To forward a message, click the Forward button on the toolbar.

 View or Download any Attachments: Messages with a paperclip icon have one or more files attached to
them. To view and/or download these files, click the paperclip icon on the message header and select the
files you want to open or view.

 Print the Message: To print a message, click the Print button on the toolbar.

 Delete the Message: To delete a message, press the <Delete> key.

 Move the Message to a Different Folder: If you’re the type of person who has your desk and filing cabinets
neatly organized, you can create your own set of folders and move important messages that you want to
save to those folders.

Message Icons for explanation of the icons that appear with your E-mail messages and then move on to the next
activity to learn how to Reply to an E-mail message!

Table 2-4: Message Icons

Icon Description
Unopened This message has not yet been read or opened.
Message
Opened Message This message has been read (or at least opened).

Reply You have replied to this message.

Forward This is a forwarded E-mail message.

Attachment This message has one or more files attached to it.
! Urgent This message is marked as urgent—you better look at it fast!

Flagged This message has been flagged to remind you about something.

Attaching and Deleting a File

One of the most powerful and useful features of E-mail is the ability to supplement an E-mail message with
additional information, including attaching one or more files to a message. Such files are called attachments and can
be pictures, documents, and more. Attachments allow the immediate sharing of files with other users. The recipient of
an attachment opens the attached file in the program in which it was created.

In this activity, you will learn how to attach a file to an E-mail message.
1. On your computer, go to Gmail.
2. Click Compose.
3. At the bottom, click Attach .
4. Choose the files you want to upload.
5. Click Open.
Tip: Add an image by dragging it directly into the compose window.

Remove an attachment
To the right of the attachment name, click Close .
Send attachments with confidential mode
Note: If you're using Gmail with a work or school account, contact your admin to make sure you can use confidential
mode.
1. On your computer, go to Gmail.
2. Click Compose.
3. Click Attach .
4. Choose the files you want to upload.
5. In the bottom right of the window, click Turn on confidential mode .
Tip: If you've already turned on confidential mode for an email, go to the bottom of the email, then click Edit.
6. Set an expiration date and passcode. These settings impact both the message text and any attachments.
 If you choose "No SMS passcode," recipients using the Gmail app will be able to open it directly.
Recipients who don't use Gmail will get emailed a passcode.
 If you choose "SMS passcode," recipients will get a passcode by text message. Make sure you enter the
recipient's phone number, not your own.
7. Click Save.
Send emails as attachments
You can attach emails to other emails without downloading them first. When you attach an email, it becomes an .eml
file.

How it works
When you send emails as an attachment:
 You can attach as many emails as you’d like.
 If the file size grows over 25 MB, it will attach through Google Drive.
 When you click on an attached email, it will open in a new window.
 A security banner will appear at the top of an attached email sent or received

Forward an email as an attachment

1. On your computer, go to Gmail.
2. Select the emails that you want.
3. Click More Forward as attachment.
4. In the “To” field, add recipients. You can also add recipients in the “Cc” and “Bcc” fields.
5. Add a subject.
6. Write your message.
7. At the bottom, click Send.
Note: To forward as an attachment, you can also right-click on a message or drag and drop the file into the body of
your message.

Reply with an attached email

1. On your computer, go to Gmail.
2. Open the email click Reply.
3. At the top right of the email, click the Pop out icon .
4. From your inbox, select the email you want to attach.
5. Drag the email into your message.
6. At the bottom, click Send.

Managing E-mail
Many people prefer to use E-mail as their primary form of communication. In fact, many regards their personal
computer E-mail application as their most important program. In recent years, the uses for E-mail have expanded
rapidly. At first, E-mail was only used as a quick, easy, and inexpensive form of communication that offered
instantaneous results. E-mail applications have developed rapidly and are now used to conduct business transactions;
carry on extended conversations or contract negotiations; manage daily, weekly, or even monthly tasks; and many
other types of activities. The result of this “E-mail revolution” is that users can end up sending and/or receiving
hundreds of E-mail messages every single day, and that can be a lot to handle!
There are multiple types of E-mail messages that may be received in a given day, such as online newsletters,
business E-mails, personal E-mails, Web order forms, invoices, and the list goes on and on.

Use Folders to Organize Your Inbox

A filing cabinet organizes information into related folders; similarly, E-mail application programs store items in
their own separate folders. You may be used to folders in Microsoft Windows, where they are used to organize files
and programs. In E-mail, each module stores its information in its own folder, which you can view using the Folder
List.
Just like the folders in a filing cabinet or in Microsoft Windows, sometimes you may find that one of your E-
mail folders is getting too big to manage and you will need to organize and move its information into several new
folders or subfolders. For example, you could create a “Personal” folder to store all of your personal E-mail messages.
Remember that once you have created these folders, it is important that you move messages to the appropriate
folders right away so you do not end up with a cluttered Inbox.
Many people don’t use the Folder List because the E-mail Bar includes the folder choices that people use
frequently. If you don’t send and/or receive much E-mail, you probably won’t need to work with the Folder List. On the
other hand, if you’re having difficulty sorting through the deluge of E-mail you receive on a daily basis, you will
definitely want to read on into this chapter to learn how you can use folders to organize your Inbox.

Delete Unimportant E-mails Immediately

This may seem fairly obvious, but sometimes this step can be overlooked. When you receive an E-mail
message, take a second and decide what to do with it. If it is important, or relevant to something that you are doing,
move the message to an appropriate folder. If the E-mail is not important, delete the message immediately. Deleting
unimportant E-mails keeps your Inbox neat and tidy, thus preventing “Inbox Overflow.” If you do not delete
unimportant E-mails right away, your Inbox can become overrun and cluttered, making it difficult to find E-mails that
are truly important.
Don’t be afraid to delete E-mail messages. Most applications offer you at least one chance to retrieve the
message before it is permanently deleted. E-mail, for example, moves deleted E-mail messages to the Deleted Items
Folder. This folder must be emptied for the contents to be deleted permanently. If you are familiar with Microsoft
Windows, this folder is similar to the Recycle Bin that is found on your desktop.

Use the Address Book and Distribution Lists

An address book is similar to a phone directory, except it can also store E-mail addresses, departments at
work, mailing addresses, job titles, and much more! You can use an address book both to look up individual
addresses and phone numbers and to address E-mail messages. Unless you only correspond with two or three
people, it’s almost impossible to memorize the phone numbers, mailing addresses, and E-mail addresses of everyone
that you know. Fortunately, if you use the address book, you won’t have to.
A distribution list, or group, is an entry contained within the address book that is comprised of several names.
You should use distribution lists to send an E-mail message to every member of a group in a single mailing. These
groups may include employee groups that work in the same department, members working on the same project or
committee, or groups of friends.

Table 6.4 E-mail Folders

Folder Description
Inbox Stores the messages you’ve received.
Outbox Temporarily stores any messages that you’ve composed but have not been sent.
Sent Items Stores copies of messages you have sent.
Deleted Items Stores messages that you have deleted.
Drafts Stores draft messages that you haven’t completed yet.

Using Folders to Organize Information

A filing cabinet organizes information into related folders; similarly, E-mail stores its various items in their own
separate folders. You may be used to folders which are used to organize your files and programs. You can copy,
move, and delete files to and from the folders on your hard drive. E-mail has its own set of folders for storing the items
you create in various modules: appointments, contacts, E-mail messages, and so on. Each module stores its
information in its own folder, which you can view in the Folders List.
Just like the folders in a filing cabinet or in Windows, sometimes you may find that one of your E-mail folders
is getting too big to manage and you will need to organize and move its information into several new folders or
subfolders. For example, you could create a “Personal” folder to store your personal E-mail.

Many people don’t use the Folder List because the E-mail Bar includes the folder choices that people normally
use. If you don’t receive and/or send much E-mail, you probably don’t need to work with the Folder List, either. On the
other hand, if you’re having difficulty sorting through the deluge of E-mail you seem to receive on a daily basis, you will
definitely want to review the next few lessons, which explain how you can use folders to organize your E-mail
information.

Quarter 4_week 3

Advantages and Disadvantages of Email

Email is still among the most widely used communication tools in the workplace today. However, while email
is still the go-to medium for a lot of people, companies find that its disadvantages overtakes its advantages if they
don’t take steps for improving email communication.
Knowing the advantages and disadvantages of email will help you analyze the time you spend using it.
Learn the pros and cons to decide when and how to use email effectively.

The Advantages of Email for Internal Communications

1. Email is a free tool. Once you are online, there is no further expense that you need to spend on in order to
send and receive messages.
2. Email is quick. Once you have finished composing a message, sending it is as simple as clicking a button.
Email, especially if an email system is integrated into the network, is sent, delivered and read almost
immediately.
3. Email is simple. It is easy to use. Once your account is set up, composing, sending and receiving messages
is simple. Also, email allows for the easy and quick access of information and contacts.
4. Email allows for easy referencing. Messages that have been sent and received can stored, and searched
through safely and easily. It is a lot easier to go through old email messages rather than old notes written on
paper.
5. Email is accessible from anywhere – as long as you have an internet connection. Whether or not you are in
the office or on the field, or even overseas, you can access your inbox and go through your messages.
6. Email is paperless, and therefore, beneficial for the planet. Not only can you reduce the costs of paper,
you are actually reducing the damage paper usage does to the environment.
7. Email allows for mass sending of messages. An effective medium to utilize to get your message out there,
you can send one particular message to several recipients all at once.
 8. Email allows for instant access of information and files. You can opt to send yourself files and keep
messages so that you have a paper trail of conversations and interactions you have online just in case you
may need them in the future.

On the other hand, while email certainly has its advantages, it can also have disadvantages especially if an email alert
system is not available in the workplace.

The Disadvantages of Email for Internal Communications

1. Email could potentially cause information overload. Some messages may be dismissed or left unread,
especially if there are a lot coming in and the network has not integrated some sort of email alert system into
the computers at work.
2. Email lacks a personal touch. While some things are better off sent as written and typed messages, some
things should be verbally relayed or written by hand in a note or letter.
3. Email can be disruptive. Going through each email can be disruptive to work as it does require a bit of time.
This disruption is decreased through the utilization of an email alert system.
4. Email cannot be ignored for a long time. The thing with email is that it needs constant maintenance. If you
ignore it, more and more messages will enter your inbox until it gets to the point that your inbox is no longer
manageable.
5. Email can cause misunderstandings. Because email does not include nonverbal communication, recipients
may misinterpret the sender’s message. This is particularly true of senders fail to go through their messages
before they send them.
6. Email messages can contain viruses. It’s best to be aware of this possibility so that you are careful when
opening messages from people you don’t know, or when downloading attachments.
7. Email should be kept short and brief. This is especially difficult if you are one to send messages that are
too long.
8. Email requires timely responses. While some people tend to disregard messages, those that require
responses should be replied to as soon as they are received and read. If not, urgent and important messages
may be left untended.

Improving email communication in an organization

Love it or hate it, email is probably here to stay for a long time to come.
It doesn’t have to be the bane of corporate life if you take steps to make it work more effectively for your organization,
recognizing both its strengths and limitations and including it alongside other internal communications tools and
channels.
Actively improving email communication will make it a much more valuable internal communications tool.
Effective email communication in the workplace is achievable if you set clear guidelines for employees about
appropriate email use.

This includes:
• Minimizing the use of email when there is an email substitute that is a more effective option, such as having a face-
to-face conversation with a colleague, using instant messenger, sharing ideas on a project platform etc.
• Employees should be discouraged from hitting “reply all” or responding with unnecessary one-word emails like “ok”
or “thanks”.
• Emails should only be sent to relevant employees.
• Restricting access to those who are able to send emails to the entire organization.
• Encouraging employees to adopt “inbox zero” or similar programs to cut down on their emails.
• Using clear subject lines that people can look at and instantly know what the topic of the email is going to be about.
• Email communication should be clear, concise and easy to understand.
• Insisting on a standard of professionally written, proof-read emails.
• Encourage employees to delete unnecessary emails and to set up good archival systems to hold on to important
emails they may need in the future.

Email communication is different!

Why and how is email communication different from any other medium? And some communication theory to boot.
To understand how electronic mail is different than ANY other medium we need to look at a little bit of painless
communication theory. Before we do, a comment on some models of communication you may have come across in
the past in training sessions or other books. Many of the models used in training are based on the "telegraphic model".
The telegraphic model suggests that there is a sender and a receiver for any given message, and they switch
positions in turn. So the simplified model looks like this:

Person A-------->Person B------->Person A--------->Person B

The sender sends a message which arrives at the receiver, who figures out what it means, and then in turn becomes
the sender while the other becomes the receiver. This model, commonly applied to all communication is mostly
incorrect. It applies to telegrams and telegraphs, but not to all forms of communication
.
Let's fix it so it reflects what really happens with face-to-face communication. In face-to-face communication,
communication is not sequential. When two people talk in person, both parties are sending and receiving information
at the exact same time. For example,
when one person is talking, the other may be not talking but through the use of non-verbal’s (facial expression or
nodding) send messages of approval or disapproval WHILE the person is talking. So face-to-face communication
involves both parties being sender and receiver at the same time. It looks like this:

Person A<------------------>Person B

This allows for what we call simultaneous mutual influence. Each person's behavior influences the other's reactions on
the fly, in real time. It allows for mid-course corrections if both parties are sensitive to the messages sent by the other
person and willing to be influenced by them.

Different communication mediums differ in terms of how close they are to face-to-face real time communication and
influence or how close they are to the telegraphic model where only one person sends at a time and influence goes
one way, then switches to the other.

Telephone conversations are closer to face-to-face interactions, but have less mutual simultaneous influence. Letter
writing is much closer to (or perhaps identical to the telegraphic model. Electronic communication (via e-mail) is
telegraphic and sequential. You send a message to a colleague, wait for a response, and then respond to that.

The critical point here as it relates to e-mail is that the closer a medium is to telegraphic communication, the more
likely it is to end up creating conflict, and the more difficult it is to resolve conflict using that medium.
Misunderstandings cannot be clarified or fixed in real time.

Quarter 4_week 4
What is Email tracking?

Email tracking is the process of tracking sent emails and using that data to inform business decisions. Most
email tracking tools capture data on open rates, times, and locations, as well as click-throughs on links and
attachments.

How does email tracking work?

Email tracking notifies you when any email you sent has been opened or clicked. Email tracking software places an
invisible image pixel in your emails that can detect the exact time and date an email has been opened by a recipient.

The Benefits of Email Tracking

1. Email tracking saves time.

No one wants to get multiple follow-up emails when they haven’t even opened the first one. Email tracking enables
you to see whether your first email was interesting enough to your recipient to open. If they haven’t opened the first,
they’re unlikely to open future follow-up emails, so you can and should stop there. By preventing unnecessary follow-
up emails, email tracking saves time both for the sales rep and the email recipient.
2. Email tracking provides context.
Email tracking provides you with valuable insight into your email interactions with contacts, networks, customers, or
prospects. You can use this insight to strengthen your outreach by catering to their specific relationship with you.
 If you see that a contact has opened your email multiple times in one day, you can follow up while you're top-
of-mind.
 If you included links or attachments in an email prior to a meeting, you can see if your contact has viewed
them.
 If you sent a follow up email, you can determine if the recipient is reviewing what you sent.
3. Email tracking provides unique insight.
Let’s face it, writing emails can be daunting and frustrating. It's easy to struggle with how to begin or what to say to fill
in that white space.

Understanding Unsolicited E-mail and Computer Viruses

Isn’t it nice when you open your Inbox in the morning and find important E-mail messages waiting for you?
Probably not. These are all examples of Spam. Spam is, quite easily, one of the most annoying aspects of E-mail.

What is Spam?
If the E-mail meets both of the following criteria, it can be defined as Spam.
 The E-mail message was unsolicited: This means that the message was sent to you even though you
never asked for it. Usually, Spams are sent in an effort to get you to buy a particular product or service.
Most, but not all, Spams are commercial in nature. Not all unsolicited E-mails are Spam. Your long-lost friend
from preschool in Kansas could send you an E-mail trying to get back in touch. You would certainly not want
this e- mail classified as Spam simply because you didn’t solicit it. Therefore, there must be another criterion
 by which to define Spam.

 The E-mail message was sent in bulk and without discrimination: If this message was sent to a large
group of random people, it is most likely Spam. Spammers do not discriminate to whom their junk mail
is sent. They will send to anyone and everyone in an attempt to earn a sale.

Your friend obviously did not send her E-mail to a large group of people. Therefore, the E-mail message does
not meet both criteria and should not be classified as Spam.

How can you prevent Spam?

It is almost impossible to prevent businesses and other organizations from sending you Spam. However, most
E-mail programs on the market nowadays include some sort of junk mail filter or encryption software. While these
filters cannot repel Spam, they can most certainly keep it away from your Inbox. Unfortunately most of these filters
prove to be quite ineffective, simply because they are based on a limited lexicon. If a Spammer uses different
vocabulary than you might expect to find in a Spam, the filter will allow it into your Inbox.
Luckily, there is another anti-Spam feature in most E-mail applications. They allow you to create a junk mail
sender’s list. When you add a name to this list, that person can no longer send you E-mails, junk or not. Adding a
name to a junk mail sender’s list is like telling your postal worker, “Don’t deliver any more mail from Publisher’s
Clearing House.”

What is a virus?
The average keyboard has thousands of germs on it, but that’s not how computers get viruses. A computer
virus is a small computer program created by a malicious programmer for the purpose of damaging other computers.
When viruses become installed on a computer, the computer is infected and the virus carries out the damage it is
programmed to do.
There are many different types of viruses. Most viruses attack computer hard drives by erasing data and
damaging system files, but programmers can write the virus to do anything they want. If your computer isn’t working
the way it usually does, you have probably been infected with a virus.
One of the most devastating effects of a virus is that the virus often has the ability to spread from computer to
computer. The most malicious viruses—such as the “I Love You” and “Melissa” viruses—have caused billions of
dollars in damage worldwide.
How are viruses spread?
The most damaging computer viruses are programmed with the ability to reproduce and infect more
computers. Many viruses invade computers through E-mail programs by riding the backs of E-mail messages, or
through networks and file sharing. Viruses can also be found in storage devices like diskettes, CD/DVD-ROMs, or
memory cards. The Internet is a host to many viruses as well.

What can I do to prevent a virus?

Good judgement is the first line of defense against a virus. Installing anti-virus software on your computer will
keep out most viruses, but you can do a lot to prevent contracting a virus as well. Here are a few guidelines to keep in
mind:
 Do use an anti-virus program. Installing an anti-virus software program on your computer is a must if you are
going to be working on the Internet.

 Don’t post your E-mail address in a public place. Once a spammer gets a hold of your E-mail, it’s almost
impossible to avoid receiving unsolicited E-mails that may or may not contain a virus.

 Don’t open messages from unknown senders. Viruses are often sent through E-mail messages. If you don’t
know the sender, don’t open the message.

Don’t open attachments from unknown senders. A virus has to be opened to install itself on your computer. Even if the
sender is familiar, think twice before opening the attachment.

Guidance on effective use of email

These guidelines will help you make efficient and effective use of email. Follow the advice and you will be able to
develop good practice for handling email and avoid many potential pitfalls.
Email is an essential means of communication. However, if you don't manage your email use, it can be a drain on your
productivity and become stressful.

Managing Your Email

1. Clear out your inbox - it reduces clutter and stress. Don't store emails in your inbox. Move them into folders. A
cluttered inbox risks items being overlooked, missed or forgotten. It is also stressful to open you inbox at the beginning
of the day to hundreds of messages. By keeping a clear inbox you can take charge of your day and your work
priorities.
2. Avoid any folder becoming too large. Large folders are difficult to manage and are slow to open. Carry out regular
housekeeping to remove messages which you no longer require.
3. Manage when you check your email. Make sure you check your email as frequently as is required to carry out your
role but try to set specific time aside to deal with email so that you can have blocks of time when you can work on
other strategic work without interrupting your productive flow. For example, you might choose to check your email 5 or
6 times a day. You might want to consider switching off any desktop pop-ups or sound alerts when new messages
arrive, so that you can gain more control over your working day.
4. Managers should be careful not to encourage unhealthy expectations - staff should not feel that they must respond to
emails immediately, out of hours, when on vacation, etc., unless it is part of their role.

Email Creation
1. Wherever possible talk instead of type! It is easy to overuse email to communicate. Don't use email to people in the
same office unless absolutely necessary and even in the same building if possible. It is often quicker and more
valuable to walk and talk to the individuals concerned or to pick up the phone.
2. Never use email for urgent matters. Regularly flagging messages as urgent creates an environment in which people
feel they must view each email as it arrives. This creates an unpredictable and inefficient working day. Use the "three
hour" rule - for anything that requires a response within three hours use more alternative communication methods
such as telephone or in person.
3. Use informative subject lines. When starting a new message, make effective and appropriate use of the subject. It is
important that recipients of your messages have a good indication as to which messages to read first and which ones
can be read at a later date. It is also easier to find relevant messages at a later date.
4. Stick to one topic per email. Several short messages are usually preferable to one long message covering many
separate subjects.
5. Be clear about any points of action. When you send a message to someone that requires an action, make it very clear
within the first few lines of the e-mail what is expected. If possible, you should also include a due date.
6. Avoid overuse of capital letters. Capital letters can be used sparingly to emphasize a word or phrase. If they are used
excessively then this is the email equivalent of shouting.
7. Ensure you are emailing the correct address! The University email system has the addresses of a huge number of
people. Some of them have very similar email addresses. You should avoid guessing email addresses and use the
University Email & Telephone Directory. This is available to both mail clients and via the World Wide Web.
8. Use mailing lists. Many hundreds of local email lists exist for different groups within the University. If possible, use one
of these lists rather than trying to maintain your own list and having a large number of individual addresses as
recipients. If you do email large numbers of recipients individually, consider using the Bcc (blind carbon copy) field to
enter their addresses as this will prevent recipients from identifying one another - this is very important if the message
you are sending is sensitive or confidential.
9. Use proper spelling, grammar and punctuation. This is important because poor spelling, grammar and punctuation
may give a bad impression of the University and will not help you to clearly convey your message. Messages with no
full stops or commas are difficult to read and in extremes can sometimes distort the meaning of your text. The
supported email programs have facilities for checking your spelling which you should make use of.
10. Use a short informative email signature. Your email signature should include your name, contact details such as brief
postal address, telephone and email details. It should also include the URL of the University website.

Replying
1. Think before you hit "reply-all". Ask yourself whether all of the people on the recipient list really need to see your
reply. Many times people are added to an e-mail thread and get included in all of the subsequent discussions which
occur. This can be a major inconvenience for some of the recipients.
2. Pause before you hit the Send button. If you are angry or upset about the message you are replying to, give yourself
some time to calm down before replying. Reading through your reply several times will also help. Sending a quick and
angry response rarely helps and often leads to an increasingly acrimonious exchange of messages.
3. Paste responses to common queries. If you are frequently asked the same questions then save the text of your
responses so you can paste it into subsequent replies. Alternatively, consider proving the information on a web page
and then send your recipient the URL (web address).
4. Take care when replying to email lists. When you receive a message from an email list, be very careful to direct your
reply to the appropriate address. A common problem arises when a person should reply to an individual, but instead
sends that reply to the entire list.

Forwarding
1. Add a summary to put the forwarded message in context. When forwarding messages consider including a summary
at the beginning. This will allow the new recipient to determine what has already been discussed. It will also allow you
to include the actions or information specific to that person so that he/she can quickly provide the response you
require.
2. Legal obligations. Never send or forward messages containing libelous, defamatory, offensive, discriminatory or
obscene remarks.
3. Never forward virus hoaxes and chain letters. If you receive a message warning you of a virus that will damage your
PC, it is almost certainly a hoax. Sometimes virus hoaxes actually contain viruses themselves! By forwarding hoaxes
you will waste valuable resources and will not be helping any of the recipients. See information about hoax emails.
 Email chain letters usually promise untold riches or ask for your support for a charitable cause. Even if the
message seems to be legitimate, the name of the senders is often forged. If such a message seems to be too good to
be true, it probably is! It is therefore sensible to just delete such messages

Attachments
1. Be very careful when opening attachments, even if the message appears to be from someone you know. E-mail
attachments infected with viruses are one of the most widely used methods for infecting PCs.
2. Be selective in the sending of attachments. Wherever possible either include the text in the body of the email or even
better, save the file onto a shared drive or web space and then send your recipient the web address.
 For documents being shared within a department or within the University, you can store them on
your departmental drive or your M drive and give other people permission to access these files.
 Staff can also consider using SharePoint, the University's collaborative working environment to share
documents. SharePoint Online is a user friendly, secure system that is fully integrated with Microsoft Office and
makes collaborative working with internal and external colleagues simpler and more efficient.
3. Consider the file format of the attachment. When sending an attachment you should ensure, in advance, that the
recipient can handle your attachment - remember, not all computer users use the same software. For example, a user
external to the University might not have the latest version of Word installed whilst other organisations may have a
policy which discourages the sending or receiving of certain file types.
4. Be careful about the size of an attachment. If you really do need to add attachments, think carefully about the file size.
Files in text (txt), revisable text format (rtf) and portable document format (pdf) are usually more compact formats than
files in Word (doc) format. Office 2007 file formats, for example, docx, are more compact than the doc format,
however, you will need to take care that the person you are sending the file to can open files that are in Office 2007
format. Images in documents can result in very large file sizes.
5. Use a virus scanner. If you need to send an attachment from a PC which is not running the Managed Windows
Service then use a virus scanner to ensure that the file does not contain a virus.
Transfer and Delete
1. Before saving emails you must identify if the email is a record.
2. If your email is a record which should be kept it must be transferred to the appropriate place. For example into a case
file or a secure departmental record keeping system, either in paper or electronic format. In some cases you may
need to print out the email as it makes it easy for all the corresponding records to be held in the same place.
3. If your email has no corporate value and therefore is not a record it should be deleted, and any paper copies should
be confidentially destroyed. This includes personal emails, which should be deleted, however, if you do need to keep
any personal emails, keep them in a folder titled ‘personal’ in your inbox.
Saving
1. To save an email to a shared drive, open or highlight the email, select File, then Save As. If the email is sufficiently
valuable it should be saved in this way which creates a .msg file. However, if you think there is a reasonable possibility
the authenticity of the email will be questioned, as well as saving the email to a shared drive save the original in your
email account.
2. When you have decided the email should be kept it is important to save it in an area where your colleagues will be
able to access it and identify it easily in case, they need it while you are away.
3. Once the record has been transferred it is important to ensure that if stored electronically, no element of the email can
be changed or altered in any way. This can be done by changing the properties of the file to ‘read only’. If you do have
a departmental record keeping system, it is advised that access to this is restricted.
4. An alternative way to ensure staff will be able to access important emails should you be off is to share your outlook
folders. You can do this by left clicking on the folder you’d like to share, choosing properties, the permission tab, then
add, and selecting from the list the members of staff you’d like to allow permission, you can also edit the permission
level, for example allowing someone to only see emails you are the author of.