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A Guide: E-Mail on the Internet
by Ian Rochat (ianr@rnrtech.com)
Some guidelines to follow when reading and writing e-mail
Listed below are the best ways to avoid getting a virus through e-mail.
1. Get and install some virus scanning software such as Norton AntiVirus or McAfee VirusScan.
These are usually between $30-$60 and can be found in your local computer store. Keep your virus software
up-to-date with the latest virus lists. This can usually be set up to be done automatically, such as with
Norton's LiveUpdate feature. Hundreds of new viruses come out each month so it is important to keep on top of them.
If you are looking for FREE anti-virus software, try AVG Free Edition, it
seems to do an excellent job.
2. Do not open e-mails that are from people you are not expecting e-mail from.
Often times somebody will e-mail you
with an enticing subject or act like they are somebody who knows you. If it doesn't seem right, don't open it. Some
e-mail may have a subject such as "Congratulations, you have won a new color TV!" or "Hi Mike, it's been a while".
3. You should NEVER open an e-mail that has an attachment unless it is something you are expecting.
This goes for e-mail's
sent even from somebody you know. The reason for this is that if a friend of yours gets infected with a virus often times
that virus will scan their address list or hard drive for other e-mail addresses and send itself out to all of the addresses
found as if it were sent from them. This is how many virii spred to others very quickly.
4. Use e-mail software other than Microsoft Outlook or Microsoft Outlook Express.
Most virii that spred themselves quickly
through e-mail only attack people who use Microsoft Outlook or Microsoft Outlook Express. There are many reasons for this but
the main reasons are probably the fact that most people use those to pieces of software to read e-mail with so a virus will
spread to more people quicker if they specificly attack that software and Microsoft is hated by many and is therefore a big
target. You can use a program such as Eudora or you can use web-based e-mail as long
as you are not using Microsoft Internet Explorer (which will have the same problems as Outlook).
5. Keep your e-mail software up-to-date.
If you like using Outlook and/or Internet Explorer you should be sure keep all of your windows software up-to-date with
the latest security patches. You can do this by choosing "Windows Update" from your Start Menu. Do this frequently.
If you are using a program other than Outlook/Outlook Express/Internext Explorer then you should be sure to check the
companies website periodically for updates to your e-mail software.
Writing e-mail, some guidelines and suggestions
If you're typing to a friend who is use to you typing style then these guidelines probably don't apply. If you are writing
to a general acquaintance or business you should try to keep your e-mail in an easy to understand format. Below are a few
simple guidelines to follow.
Always quote the original message in a reply. If you are replying to a message be sure to quote the original message
(this is usually done automatically when you choose to reply), and you should generally type ABOVE the quoted message with
your reply. Leave 2 or 3 lines after your new message so it's easy to distinguish your new message from the original.
If the message is business related, give contact information. On any business-related message you should probably
always include contact information at the very bottom of your message, below your "signature". Giving your full name,
phone number, e-mail address, and website (if any) can be helpful. If this message is a reply, you should put your contact
information below your new message but before the quoted original message begins.
Don't use smiley faces or acronyms. If you are trying to keep things professional and easily understood you should
avoid using any "smiley faces" or other typing acronyms such as: :), TTYL, CYA, GR8, etc.. If you want to be extremely
casual, smiley faces are fine, however keep in mind that not everybody knows what they are. If you don't know what I mean
by smiley faces or acronyms read A Guide: Chatting on the Internet.
Use the subject field. You should make the "Subject" of a message something useful to the reader, it should allow
the person who receives the message to be able to quickly and easily determine what the message will be about before they
read it.
That's all for now. We may add some sections soon on what to do about junk mail, how to avoid it, and tips on how to filter
junk mail out if you are having problems with it.
Web-based e-mail sites:
Here are some places you can to set up a web-based e-mail account:
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