Using Email

by Lee Alexander

Microsoft offers two programs for Email use: Outlook Express, which is part of the Windows Operating System; and Outlook, which is part of the Office Suites and also available on its own. We will start with some generalities of the two programs.

General

There are three kinds of accounts:

• POP – Plain Old Postoffice- is by far the most common.

• IMAP – Internet Message Access Protocol – is more popular within enterprise organizations.

• Web based mail – such as AOL, Yahoo, MSN, etc.; these all have proprietary formats but are usually accessible to all. There are instances where AOL mail can not be fully accessed by non-AOL members; in particular, with graphics and animations.

Connections

The two categories are broadband and dial-up. In all cases you must subscribe to an ISP – Internet Service Provider. Costs can vary significantly with the primary factor being the speed of transmission. Within the broadband category (for the home user) are Cable-Modem and DSL – Digital Subscriber Line. Typically, Cable generally costs slightly more than DSL and is (usually) faster. Both systems are “constantly on” (you can power off the modems if circumstances dictate) and allow you normal use of your telephone. Dial-up, as its name implies, uses your phone line for access to the Internet; when connected you cannot make or receive phone calls. This could be a hindrance if you are seeking help with Internet performance from a friend or technician, and have only a single phone line.

The first stumbling block you can run into when trying to get broadband service is accessibility – not all services are available in all areas. Dial-up is more universal but make sure the ISP has a local phone number or your time on the Internet will be a toll call. The Baby Bells will guarantee you get voice communication over your standard phone line – data transmission is another story. You may have a 56 K modem (56,000 bits per second) but you are never going to see that speed. FCC (Federal Communications Commission) regulations limit phone line transmissions to 53 Kbps. The age and condition of your home phone lines can further attenuate signal strength and introduce noise. A good set of conditions for dial-up transmission is in the 40 – 50 Kbps range; however, don't be surprised if you find yourself in the 20's at times.

Getting Started

As a Novice Group, we will forego the intricacies of broadband and/or third party Email programs and concentrate on Windows Operating System and Outlook Express.

First step is to connect to your PC to a phone line. A standard cable with an RJ-11 male connector at each end is run from a phone outlet to the modem input on the back of your PC or laptop. Some computers have a second pass-through jack for a regular phone. Some computers may have a slightly larger, similar looking jack (RJ-45) which is used for a network connection. It is recommended that you run this line through surge protection. Even then, in the event of a thunderstorm, it is advisable to disconnect the line. Modems tend to be more sensitive to voltage spikes than other components of a computer.

Armed with the information or software from your ISP, you are now ready to set up an account using Windows' New Connection Wizard. Go to Start | All Programs | Accessories | Communications | New Connection Wizard and hit Next. Now select "Connect to the Internet." You are now faced with three choices. The first, “Choose from a list …” is probably unlikely. The other choices are to set up manually or use software from your ISP is more likely. Clicking Next offers the choice of a dial-up connection or broadband. Supplying the necessary information will set up the connection and optionally put a shortcut on your desktop.

Elements of Outlook Express

Configuring the applications opening appearance offers four panes available in the Window:

• Folder List – a tree-structure of Default and Created Folders

• Contacts – a buddy list you can create

• List pane – the main part where the contents your email folders are shown (most set this as the only visible pane upon opening the program)

• Preview pane – this is a big NO_NO! This feature opens selected messages in its viewing sub-window. Messages from an unknown or spoofed source (you think it is what it is not) can contain malware – viruses, Trojan horses, worms, spyware, and other malicious code.

To set the appearance of the program, go to View | Layout and check/uncheck the elements listed. Make sure “Show preview pane” is unchecked.

If you set it up to show the Inbox only upon opening, you can further control what appears relative to each message. Note that clicking the icon to the left of Inbox or the down-triangle to its right drops down a temporary list of your folders. On the heading toolbar beneath the folder toolbar you will find columns. Right-clicking any where on this toolbar pops up a mini-menu to sort on the column plus an item, Columns. The resulting dialog box allows you to show/hide message characteristics and rearrange their order. The usual navigation controls, such as setting column widths, moving pane borders, etc. applies.

Default Folders

Inbox – holds the messages downloaded from the mail servers. Messages in bold type are unread.

Outbox – holds messages you have composed, replied to, or forwarded. They have yet to be transmitted. They get to the folder when you hit the Send button in the individual message box. For
Outlook (but not Outlook Express), messages ready for transmission (Send/Receive) are listed in italicized type. If it is not italicized, it will not be transmitted. How do they get de-italicized? Typically, when you look at a message in the Outbox to check whether you actually included the attachment you said was there, to edit the message, or if you have moved the message into Outbox from another folder. Always use the Send button in the message dialog box to put it in the Outbox if you intend to transmit it. For Outlook Express, you can monitor the Outbox and watch the message disappear with a successful
transmission.

Sent Items – messages end up in this folder after a successful transmission. “Successful” in this case means it went out – not that it was received properly. It is a good repository for mail you might want to edit and resend, send to someone you overlooked earlier, or have it available if a recipient tells you she never received it or it came garbled. Depending upon your email activity, it could fill quickly. It is a good idea to periodically purge it.

Deleted Items – this is Outlook Express's Recycle Bin. My routine is to check it each time before I close the program. A quick scan usually reveals there is nothing there worth saving and you can select Edit | Empty “Deleted Items Folder.” A confirm box gives you even another chance to change your mind.

Options

Upon using Outlook Express for the first time (or any time that you have not done so) pay a visit to Tools | Options. The dialog box consists of ten tabbed pages that allow you to set up the program to your liking.
General – check boxes to do things for you automatically. Make application the default mail handler.

Read – how to handle received messages. Set the font characteristics.

Receipts – verify your message has been read; send return receipts.

Send – set behavior of outgoing messages. Set format of messages: HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) for effects such as graphics and pictures or Plain Text. Note that HTML messages can contain hidden code. Unless your missives require it, do your recipients a favor and send email in Plain Text.

Compose – font settings for new messages; Stationery selection; business card inclusion.

Signatures – create personal signatures or use a file to end your messages.

Spelling – control the “Check spelling” behavior; edit the custom dictionary

Security – virus protection; image blocking in HTML (you might want to disable this for a trusted source); encryption.

Connection – prompt for dial-up switching; change Outlook Express and Internet Explorer correlation.

Maintenance – clean up selected folders automatically; select message store folder.

Message Rules

The way to organize your electronic correspondence is to create custom folders and then make RULES to direct messages to their appropriate destination. Examples are: family, friends, organizations, and just about anything you think of as a category. In Outlook, there is a separate feature called Category. That is not what I am discussing here.

Under Tools, Message Rules will get you a dialog box where you can name and define the Rules of organization. Check boxes determine what field (From, Subject, To, text within the body, etc.) is examined. In Section 2 you select the action to be taken. Section 3 provides for a description of the rule. Checking a box in Section 1 presents key words (underlined and in blue) for parameters of the rule. And, finally, in Section 4 you must name the rule.

Let's create a typical rule. We put a checkmark in the first ‘Condition,' Where the From line contains people. In Section 2 we check ‘Move it to the specified folder.' In Section 3 we now find contains people in (default) blue and underlined. Clicking on that text opens a dialog box headed Select People. Typically, you would select people from your Address Book and there is a button for just that purpose. Now for the specified folder; usually you will create a new folder (but you can select an existing folder to expand it). The thing to watch for is WHERE you create the New Folder. You want Local Folders to be selected (highlighted). If you sit on another folder, the New Folder will be created as a sub-folder. We hit the New Folder button and get a dialog box for the folder name. In this case, MUG.

Note that Section 3 has been rewritten with the selected names and folder. The default “New Mail Rule # n” is not very descriptive. Be imaginative and use a more informative name. I entered Club_Mail. OK'ng out of here returns you to the Message Rules dialog box where you can check your entries and begin a new rule, apply the rule immediately, or close out the task.

Before you quit, you might want to add a name or two to the Blocked Senders tab. However, using this feature for spam fighting is not very effective – Spammers know all about rules and vary their messages accordingly. For general use, select the message from the sender, click Message | Block Sender. To subsequently remove a blocked sender, return to the Message Rules, select the tab for Blocked Senders and hit the Remove button to delete the listing.

In Conclusion

Actually, we are a long way from “conclusion.” There are a multitude of features to be covered in this new wonder of communication. This article is meant to be an introduction to a very complex system involving world wide networks with all its attendant pros and cons. As powerful as the system is, it is fraught with stumbling blocks and hazards. New vulnerabilities appear frequently and the straightforward message, “Do not open attachments,” no longer is sufficient to protect your system from malware.

The first order of protection is to use Plain Text rather than HTML whenever feasible. This is mentioned a few times earlier in the article, but I feel it is worthy of a repeat. Email means opening your system to the Internet just as with a browser. Make sure your armor, anti-virus, firewall, and anti-spyware is in good order and up to date. Free software for these programs leaves no excuse to be without them.

Also remember, sending an email message (unless encrypted) is tantamount to sending a postcard. If you do not want others to see its contents – I suggest First Class mail via the USPS.