E-mail first came out in 1971 and was an early online technology. Over the years email has been used more often as technology has grown.
Nowadays emails are used regularly to communicate with people; emails are often replaced by phone calls too.
Emails are fairly simply to do and for those who use computers often; it is very easy. Basically a message is sent to an individual post box on a mail server, where it waits until the person signs on their email and picks up the message. You have to be connected to an email server and have an email client to be able to sent messages. A client is a program, which allows you to produce and receive mail, for example MSN or Outlook Express.
As technology has extended throughout the years people are now able to sent emails on their phone, as long as they have the Internet. The mobiles are connected to GPRS, WAP or SMS. Emails can even be used on a Digital TV now.
An email client is a program, which allows you to send and receive mail. The server manages the communication of mail between Internet and clients.
An email system for example, Outlook Express, allows you to have a list of messages in your inbox, with an email address telling you who it is from, what time and day it was sent. You can compose messages choosing specific text, heading etc. Finally you are able to attach files to your original message.
Messages are mainly sent using SMTP and received using POP3 or an IMAP server. There are both many advantages and disadvantages or using email.
Advantages:
It is easy and fast to use.
Provides you with a record of communications.
Having attachments you are able to send almost any message and file type to anyone on your contact list.
Disadvantages:
If your Internet breaks down you are unable to use your email, so this could be seen as unreliable.
Spam mail can block up your mailboxes and affect your Internet itself.
Viruses, worms and Trojans can be caught through attachments on mail too.
A Virus is a harmful code that attaches itself to a program or file. A virus can spread and double itself once open, therefore spreading through the computer.
A Worm is a certain species of a virus, which can double itself in greater volumes once installed, as you don’t have to open any other files for it to spread. Worms can also take control over the computer system remotely and are very hard to remove from your computer.
A Trojan is another form of virus but in a code. It is made to look like an attractive attachment or download, which once clicked on harms your computer. Once installed onto the user it damages the system and could even take control of the user’s machine.
Olivia Danset – Sales
