E-mail is listed as part of the course, and yet it is so ubiquitious now that I don't know how much people don't know about it. Here are some common misperceptions and lesser-known facts:
1. To get and receive e-mail, you and your recipient need computers and e-mail accounts.
If Uncle Bob doesn't have a computer, you can't send him e-mail.
2. The recipient has to log on to his account to get e-mail.
E-mail is not like a phone call, which interrupts the user and forces him to answer. That's why people like it.
3. E-mail can go from anywhere on the Internet to anywhere on the Internet.
If you have AOL and Uncle Bob has Compuserve, and Aunt Jenny's at Georgetown, you can all exchange mail.
4. If you can choose your e-mail, here are a few tips
- "Eudora" and "Pegasus" are easy-to-use mail programs
- "Pine" and "UNIX shell" are simpler and not as user friendly
- Microsoft Exchange has a lot of features, but is also slow and susceptible to viruses.
- You can also use your browser software, Netscape, for e-mail
Mostly, though, e-mail's pretty simple and basic - all of the above are pretty good.
5. You can get free e-mail over the web
Hotmail (http://www.hotmail.com) and Rocketmail (http://www.rocketmail.com) both allow web users to set up e-mail accounts over the WWW. This is good for people who travel a lot, who don't want to pay for a second e-mail address, or for people who access the WWW through libraries or the like.
6. It can be difficult to find someone's e-mail address
Some WWW services such as Bigfoot and 411 apparently can take regular names and find e-mail addresses for them. I really don't know how effective they are, but imagine trying to find your ex-boyfriend John Smith in a phonebook for the entire world...
7. YOU CANNOT GET A VIRUS FROM READING E-MAIL
...any more than you can get orange juice from an apple. Computer files are either text or binary. E-mail is text; pictures, sounds, software, and viruses are binary. Text files just display; they do not "run." So they can't activate and erase your hard drive.
Here's the exception: If you know that you use MS-Word (with Microsoft Exchange) to open and read your mail, you are at risk for MS-Word macro viruses. Ask me about it.
When you get a panicky notice about an e-mail virus, check these pages:
1. IBM Anti-virus page http://www.av.ibm.com/BreakingNews/HypeAlert/
2. Symantec virus hoaxes http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/hoax.htmlNotices are hoaxes almost 100% of the time, and can be found listed on these pages as such.
Introduction
to the
Internet
Jeff Williamson
What can I do on the Internet?