Introduction to Electronic Mail (email) Part 2 – The Niebaumian View by Jerry Niebaum

In Part 1 we talked about reasons for using email and the etiquette involved. Then we used Outlook Web Access to demonstrate some of the basics of email.

Today we will explore some of the details of Outlook Express. Why Outlook Express?

We’ll use it as example because it is one of the most popular email programs and used by more of our attendees. Is it easy to use? All email systems are fairly easy once you know the basics.

The configuration I’m using is with POP3 (Post Office Protocol) with all files stored on your local computer and not kept at a central site.

Note the Folders column on the left. Click on a folder name to view its contents.

Click on Local Folders to get a summary description of all the email folders.

Create a new folder by selecting Local Folders and clicking the right mouse button.

Name your new folder anything meaningful to you. I generally use sender names or groups.

Select the Inbox folder. All of the email entries in your Inbox have already been downloaded to your computer by your email service. Select one of the entries and drag and drop it into your new folder.You can move that entry back to the Inbox by first selecting the new folder. Then, drag and drop it to the Inbox.

Right click the mouse in the blank space in the From heading.

Note that the choices are Sort Ascending, Sort Descending, and Columns.

Your Inbox and each of your Local Folders can be sorted by any of the headings.

Experiment with sorting by each of the headings.

The Columns option allows you to select which columns will be displayed.

Experiment with selecting different columns.

You can also put the columns in the order you like best. Simply click and hold on the column name. Then drag it to the position you want it to be. You can adjust the width of the columns by clicking on the separator bars in the heading column and dragging them to the size you wish. Try it.

What is the difference between Reply and Reply All? Reply means send only to the single address in the From line. Reply All sends to all to whom the email was directed, including the sender. Should you include the original message in your reply? Sometimes they should be included for continuity, but graphics are often just a waste of network time.

What does Forward do? It sends the message and all attachments to the addresses supplied by you. And it allows you to enter your own personal message. As a matter of etiquette I rarely forward a message without a personal comment.

What does Delete do? It doesn’t actually delete the email but rather it moves it to the Deleted Items folder awaiting your action to empty that folder. So the Deleted Items folder acts as a trash can, with contents remaining until it is emptied.

Send/Recv allows you to check for new mail and send any pending.

Under the Tools heading, select Options. Explore each of the categories to understand how you can customize Outlook Express for your use.

Select the Addresses icon to open the Outlook Express address book. Select an address line in the book and choose the Properties option. Then select the Name option to edit any given entry.