: INTERNET AND E-MAIL

7.1 Introduction to the Internet and E-mail

 It is a large no. of connected computers (or a large set of computer
networks) linked together that communicate with each other, over
telephone lines.
 It is a worldwide computer network connecting thousands of computer
networks, through a mixture of private & public data using the telephone
lines.
 It is a worldwide (global or an international) network of computers that
provide a variety of resources and data to the people that use it.
 Internet refers to a global inter-connection of computers and computer
networks to facilitate global information transfer. It is an interconnection
of computers throughout the world, using ordinary telecommunication
lines and modems.
7.2 Learning outcomes
By the end of this topic, the trainee should be able to:
i. Define the Internet
ii. Explain the applications of the Internet
iii. Explain the challenges in the use of the Internet in the business
environment
iv. Explain the need for Internet security
v. Open the browser
vi. Surf the net
vii. Create e-mail accounts
viii. Use e-mail
ix. Use search engines
x. Print documents

7.3 Definition
Definition of the Internet The Internet is a global system of interconnected
computer networks that use the standard Internet Protocol Suite (TCP/IP) to
serve billions of users worldwide.
It is a network of networks that consists of millions of private and public,
academic, business, and government networks of local to global scope that are
linked by a broad array of electronic and optical networking technologies.
 The Internet carries a vast array of information resources and services, most
notably the inter-linked hypertext documents of the World Wide Web (WWW)
and the infrastructure to support electronic mail.

7.4 Historical Development of internet

History of the Internet In the 1960s, one of MIT’s projects Mac was funded by
ARPA (Advanced Research Projects Agency) of the department of defense.
During one of its conferences, ARPA rolled out the blueprints for networking the
main computers of about a dozen ARPA-funded universities institutions. They
were to be connected with communication lines at then-stunning 56 Kbps.
Shortly after the conference, ARPA proceeded to implement the ARPAnet, the
predecessor of today’s Internet.

Things worked out differently from what was originally planned. Rather than
the primary benefit of researchers sharing each other’s computer, it rapidly
became clear that enabling the researchers to communicate among themselves
via electronic mail (e-mail) was the key benefit of ARPAnet. One of the primary
goals for ARPAnet was to allow multiple users to send and receive information
simultaneously over the same communication paths. The network operated with
a technique called packet switching, in which digital data was sent in small
packages called packets. The packets contained data addresses, error control and
sequencing information.

The address information allowed packets to be routed to destinations. The

sequencing information helped reassemble the packets into their original order
for presentation to the recipient since they could arrive out of order. The
protocols for communicating over the ARPAnet became known as TCP
(Transmission Control Protocol). TCP ensured that messages were properly
routed from sender to receiver and that those messages arrived intact. As the
internet evolved, organizations worldwide were implementing their own
networks for both intra-organization and inter-organization communications. A
wide variety of networking hardware and software appeared. One challenge was
to get these networks to communicate. ARPA accomplished this with the
development of IP – the Internetworking Protocol, truly creating a network of
networks, the current architecture of the Internet. The combined set of protocols
is now referred to as TCP/IP.

The history of the TCP/IP protocol suite can be traced back to one of the first
WANs consisting of computers from different manufacturers running different
operating systems. Before ARPAnet, most computer networks were
 homogeneous, consisting of computers from the same hardware manufacturer
running the same operating system. The ARPAnet’s popularity became
apparent, and in 1975, it was converted from an experimental research network
into a fully operational network. Research into network protocols continued and
the Internet Protocol Suite resulted.

The TCP/IP protocols were adopted as Military Standards in 1983, and all
computers connected to the ARPAnet were required to adopt the new protocol.
The ARPAnet was then split into two networks: the MILNET, used for military
communications, and the new, much smaller ARPAnet, used for further
research. MILnet and ARPAnet together became known as the Internet. Initially,
Internet use was limited to the universities, research institutions and the military,
but eventually with time Internet has incorporated commercial applications.

The term internet (notice the lower case i) is now used to refer to any collection of
physically separate networks that share the same communication protocols (not
necessarily TCP/IP) to appear as a single logical network. The term Internet
(notice the upper case I) is used to refer to the worldwide collection of
interconnected computer networks that run the TCP/IP protocols.

Internetworking evolved as a solution to three key problems which are as

follows:
i) Isolated LANs It made electronic communication between different offices or
departments impossible.
ii) Duplication of Resources The same hardware and software had to be
supplied to each office or department, as did separate support staff.
iii) Lack of Network Management No centralized method of managing and
troubleshooting networks existed.

7.5 Web related terminologies:

(a) Web browsers
Web browsers are software applications that are used to retrieve web pages
from the Internet onto a device. They let you surf (or browse) through
information on the Web. Information on the Web is structured into pages. Each
page has a specific address that is used to locate and access information on that
page.

The three browsers that particularly dominate the Internet market are:
- Microsoft’s Internet Explorer
- Mozilla Firefox
 - Netscape’s Navigator
- Torch

(b) Modem (Modulator / Demodulator)

On the Internet, computers exchange information via telephone lines. A modem is a
device that enables you to connect to the Internet and access information through
telephone wires. As a transmitting modem, it translates computer information into a
form that can transmit over telephone lines (this is the process of modulation). As a
receiving modem, it translates the information in a form that your computer can
understand (this is the process of demodulation) i.e. from analogue to digital.

A fast modem is essential. It will reduce the amount of time spent waiting for web
pages, files, or messages from the Internet. Modem speeds are quoted in ‘bps’ (bits per
second). Typical speeds are 9600 bps, 4.4 Kbps (Kilobits per second), 28.8 Kbps, 56
Kbps, etc.

(c) Internet Service Provider (ISP)

This is a commercial organization that provides Internet connections, along with a set
of support services for a fee. Most people and organizations get a connection to the
Internet over a telephone line through an ISP, though some larger businesses and
institutions (such as universities) have their own internet connections.

An ISP will usually have a number of host computers. These hosts will typically
provide storage space for electronic mail messages for their users, users’ own web sites
and a set of related facilities such as advice, support software and appropriate security.

Examples of local ISPs include Africa Online, Kenya Web, ISP Kenya, Swift Kenya and
Inter-Connect. When you open an account with an ISP you will be provided with a user
name and a password: Username - Every time you get connected, you require a name to
identify yourself on the Internet. Password - This is needed for security purposes. This
ensures that your Internet account is secure. NB: ISPs charge for the services rendered.

(d) The World Wide Web

The World Wide Web is also known as the Web, WWW or W3.
The Web is a part of the Internet. The WWW is a collection of hyperlinked web
pages published on the Internet.
This huge collection of documents is stored on computers, called hosts,
around the world. The documents may contain text , pictures, sounds,
small programs or forms to be completed by a user.
 (e) Web Page
Web pages are documents published on the Web by organizations and
individuals interested in making themselves available online. Web pages can
include text, pictures, sound and video. Each web page has an address on the
Internet. This address is called a Uniform Resource Locator (URL). Web pages
are created using Hypertext Markup Language.

(f) Web Site

A collection of web pages belonging to an organization or individual is called a
website. These organizations or individuals maintain the website.

(g) Hyperlinks These are links that connect one page to another which creates
the World Wide Web. These links connect:
1: One web page to another part of the same web page. This is useful if it is a
really large page.
2: One web page to another website somewhere on the Web.
3: A page to a file, such as a sound clip, video, a spreadsheet or a Word
document etc.
These links to other pages can be links to objects stored anywhere on the
Internet. Hypertext links are indicated by underlined text highlighted in blue
(usually). Hyperlinks are also represented by buttons, graphics or pictures.

(h) Web Hosting

A World Wide Web server is a computer with programs that answer requests for
documents from clients (browsers) over the Internet.
Files containing web sites are placed on these servers also known as host computers. A
host computer is any computer connected to the Internet and has stored information
that has been made available to the Web.

(i) Home Page

The Home page is the web page loaded when Internet Explorer is first started i.e.
when you access the Web. You can set any web page as your home page. The
home page is also the first page of a company or an individual’s website on the
Web. Note: Do not confuse your home page with the home page of the websites
you visit. Your home page is set through Internet Explorer.
The home page of a website is the introductory page for the site.
If you click a hyperlink such as Home on a web page, you will jump to the
website’s home page, not yours.
To access your home page, click the Home button on the Explorer toolbar.
 (j) Web Address (Uniform Resource Locator (URL))
Each web page has a unique address or location, called the Uniform
Resource Locator (URL).
You can instantly display any Web page if you know its URL. For
example, http://www.compaq.com
You can include wildcards in a URL in cases when you may not know the
full path. For example:
http://www.mars.superlink.net/~zorro/humor.com
The wild card (~) is used to represent character(s). In the above example,
sites that have Azorro, Thezorro etc
instead of ~Zorro will be displayed.
A wrongly entered character can result in an invalid URL, e.g. a comma
instead of a full stop or a dash
instead of an underscore.

(k) Search Engines/Search Services.

A search engine is software that helps you locate information in the Web.
There are several search engines such as Google search engine, Yahoo, Infoseek, Lycos,
Web Crawler, and Excite that offer different kinds of searching capabilities.

(l) Spam
Unwanted internet mail and ads.

7.6 Importance of internet

Applications areas of the Internet
Once you’re connected to the Internet, there are limitless possibilities. You can
send messages to users in other countries, join a chat group, or try out new
games. Some of the services offered on the Internet include the following:
1. Electronic Mail (e-mail)
Email is a system for transmitting messages between computers. Exchanging
electronic mail is the most popular feature on the Internet. With Internet email
you can send messages to people all over the world including friends, customers
and even people you meet on the Internet. Electronic mail is faster than ordinary
mail, easy to manage, inexpensive and saves paper.

2. Information
The Internet gives you information on virtually any subject. This is because of the
World Wide Web. The World Wide Web (www) is a global system of linked web
pages containing information - text, pictures, sound and video. You can review
newspapers, magazines, academic papers and much more. Governments,
colleges, universities, companies and individuals all offer free information on the
Internet. For example, you can inquire about universities in Britain or America.

3. Programs
Thousands of programs are available on the Internet. These programs include
word processors, spreadsheets, electronic cards and much more. You can look for
the latest software over the Internet. For example, you can get the latest Anti-
Virus software available and in addition, retrieve a free trial issue.

4. Entertainment
Hundreds of simple games are available on the Internet, including racing cars,
chess, poker, football and much more.
The Internet also lets you review current movies and hear television theme
songs.

5. Discussion Groups (Chat groups/Rooms)

You can join discussion groups on the Internet and meet people around the
world with similar interests. IRC (Internet Relay Chat) is a chatting system on the
Internet that lets you chat privately or in groups. You can ask questions, discuss
problems and read interesting stories. There are many discussion groups on
various topics.

6. Online Shopping/trading and advertising (e-commerce)

You can order goods and services on the Internet without leaving your desk. For
example, you can view a catalogue of a certain clothes shop over the Internet and
fill in an online order form.

7. Newsgroups
These are discussions on a range of topics from recreational activities to scientific
research. Any Internet surfer can access some of these newsgroups, while others
will need subscription. You can read any articles or write articles and post them.

8. Social Networking
By far the most popular and fastest growing communication method made
possible by broadband Internet service, social networking started out as a way
for people to find old friends, stay in touch with current ones, and meet new
ones.

It has now grown into a prolific communication tool for both personal and
business use. You can organize groups, notify people of events, send mass email
 messages, chat, and so much more. Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace are
currently the most popular social networking sites, and have attracted billions of
users.
Many businesses have used social networking for advertising and marketing
purposes and seen great results.

9. As a research tool
To learn about new developments or products, competitors, market news and
customer opinions.

7.6.2 The challenges in the use of the Internet in a business environment

Explaining the need for Internet security
With the number of businesses that are connecting to the Internet and using
cable modems, DSL lines, and T1 circuits, the need to secure their connections is
not only necessary but also simply due diligence on the part of the company.
Businesses rely on their Internet connection to send credit card payments
through, to run their VoIP phones, and even to host their webpage. If Internet
connectivity is disrupted then business can not operate as usual.

In order to insure that the connection to the Internet is secure there are some
basic methods that can be utilized that are fairly cheap and will more than pay
for themselves with the increased security and uptime of the Internet connection.
A business does not need to make sure their network is as tight as an Army base;
they just need to make sure they are more secure than others so that attackers
will target the easier sites and leave theirs alone.

The very first thing that needs to be put in place at each and every Internet
connection is a firewall. All businesses should have a hardware firewall that
protects and separates their business from the Internet. A cable modem with
built-in firewall may be adequate for a household, but a business should look at a
commercially available firewall such as a Juniper firewall 5 series, a SonicWall
firewall, or even a Cisco SOHO. These are all inexpensive and are easy to
manage and configure. A firewall is the first step of protection that keeps out
those who do not need to have access to the internal business network.
Essentially installing a firewall is similar to installing locks on a house. Only
those with the proper keys can access the house just as only those who have been
specifically granted access can access the network behind the firewall.

Once a firewall has been installed, configured, and is working properly a

business is going to want to look at the computers themselves. There are two
 things that need to be done on all the machines that will insure that the machines
stay up and operational longer than those that are left unprotected. The two
things are necessary are: patching the machines for the latest updates for both the
operating system (OS) and the applications, and then installing antivirus
software.

The patching of the systems will insure that the vulnerabilities that virus/worm
writers are using to exploit and take over machines will not be effective against a
patched machine. By patching the machine the entry door is closed and the
worm will not be able to gain access. Application patches update their tools and
software being used on the machine. With the latest patches this too will make it
more difficult for attackers to exploit machines and gain entry to them.

Antivirus software is an absolute necessity on machines. System administrators

and users can become annoyed with it as it is a resource hog but that is because
the software is tasked with protecting the system and they continually scan the
system for infections. When used in “real-time” mode each file is scanned before
downloading, uploading, or being saved to the disk. This is important when
reading emails, sending emails, or even surfing on the Internet.

There are many other steps that can be taken to give a business a stricter security
posture. However, by taking the above steps a business can rest assured that
they have taken the due diligence and installed the most basic security measures
in their business that will make it difficult for an attacker to gain unauthorized
access to a business’s network.

7.6.3 Opening the browser and surfing the internet

There are several ways to start Internet Explorer.
1. To start Internet Explorer from the Windows desktop, double-click the
Internet Explorer icon.

OR
1. On the Windows taskbar, click Start.
2. Select the Programs menu item.
3. From the submenu displayed, select Internet Explorer from the Internet
Explorer group. You may be required to make a connection through your ISP in
order to log on to the Internet.
 4. Click in the User name: box and enter your user name.
5. Type in your password in the Password box. The password appears in
asterisk format (*) for added privacy and security.
6. Click Connect to access the Internet. Note: The Dial-up Connection dialog
box will not be displayed if you are connected to the ISP via a proxy server.
A proxy server allows several users to access the Internet account using a single
account.

Upon successful logging on, the Internet Explorer displays the ‘home page’ and a
Connection Indicator appears on the Taskbar to indicate that you are online.

NB: All the time you are connected, you incur a local telephone charge to the
local phone company and access time to the ISP.
Connection indicator
You can find out at what speed you are receiving data, how much time you have
spent online etc., by double
clicking the Connection Indicator.
Other browsers have a similar procedure for opening.

7.6.4 CUSTOMIZING THE WEB BROWSER.

Purpose.
Moving from site to site can be slow if the ISP or Internet lines are busy, if the
host server (the server storing the site you are trying to access) is busy or if you
are using a slow modem.
The volume of traffic is also growing on the Internet and so web designers are
constantly looking for ways in which they can make their pages load faster.
If a site contains graphics (or other multimedia content like video, audio etc)
you can prevent the graphics
from downloading so as to speed up browsing.

Step-by-Step.
1. From the View menu, select Internet Options….
2. Click the Advanced tab.
3. Scroll down to the Multimedia section.
4. Deselect the options or content that you want turned off e.g Show Pictures,
Play Animations or Play Videos.
5. Click OK.

NB: If the Show pictures check box is cleared, you can still view an individual
picture on a web page by right-clicking its icon and then clicking Show Picture.
 Information and Communication Page 8

7.8 Email software

7.9 Definition of email
This is a worldwide system for sending and receiving electronic messages from
one computer to another.
17.9.0 Electronic Mail (E-Mail)
One of the common services provided by the Internet is electronic mail, also known as
e-mail.
This is a worldwide system for sending and receiving electronic messages from one
computer to another. E-mail is a much faster, economical and convenient way of
sending messages to family, friends and colleagues than the old fashioned mail called
“snail mail”. With “snail mail” a message or letter is sent to the recipient through the
post office and takes days or weeks before reaching the destination. An e-mail message
can travel around the world in minutes.

7.10.0 Requirement for connectivity

For one to be able to communicate using email, the following components are
needed:
1) A computer where you will send or receive the e-mail messages.
2) Your e-mail address and that of the receiver.
3) An ISP company who will deliver your message to the receiver.
4) An e-mail program that lets you send, receive and manage your e-mail
messages, e.g. Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, Lotus Notes, Eudora.

Once you send a letter, it travels from your computer, through a modem, which
connects your computer to the Internet via the telephone network.
The mail travels through various computers, until it reaches the final
destination.

7.10.1 Components of an e-mail address:

An e-mail address consists of two parts separated by the @ symbol.
If your e-mail address is [email protected]:
i) The first part refers to the person’s identity or log-in name, e.g. “drg”

ii) The second part following the “@” symbol is usually made up of two to three
sub-parts to further identify the individual, organization or ISP. In this case:
• ‘Tropical heat’ identifies the business.
• ‘. com’ is the extension and this identifies the type of the organization.
The table below shows some extensions and what they represent: -
Extension Represents
.org non-profit making organization
.edu an educational institution/organization
.ac an academic institution
.com a commercial organization
.net network service provider
.mil military
.gov government

Sometimes the name of the country is included in the e-mail address

e.g. [email protected] or [email protected]. Here ‘.co.uk’ refers to a
company in the United
Kingdom whilst ‘.co.ke’ refers to one in Kenya.
Examples of E-mail Addresses:
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected] (free e-mail address)
[email protected] (free e-mail address)

Advantages of emails over Traditional Paper-Based Mail

• Emails are fast. They are delivered at once around the world. No other form of
written communication is as fast as an email.
• When you reply to an email you can attach the original message so that when
you answer the recipient knows what you are talking about. This is important if
you get hundreds of emails a day.
• It is possible to send automated emails with a certain text. In such a way it is
possible to tell the sender that you are on vacation. These emails are called auto
responders.
• Emails are easy to use. You can organize your daily correspondence, send and
receive electronic messages and save them on computers.
• Emails do not use paper. They are environment friendly and save a lot of trees
from being cut down.
• Emails can also have pictures in them. You can send birthday cards or
newsletters as emails.
• Products can be advertised with emails. Companies can reach a lot of people
and inform them in a short time.
 • It is possible to tell whether an email has been delivered or not. Disadvantages
of email

Disadvantages of emails
• Emails may carry viruses. These are malicious programs that harm your
computer system.
They can read out your email address book and send themselves to a number
of people around the world.
• Many people send unwanted emails to others. These are called spam mails.
It takes a lot of time to filter out the unwanted emails from those that are really
important.
• Emails cannot really be used for official business documents. They may be lost
and you cannot sign them.

7.10.2 EMAIL SYSTEMS

1. POP3
Its full name is Post Office Protocol 3. With a POP3 email service, email
messages are downloaded to the computer and then usually deleted from the
central email server.

If one uses POP3 to receive business email, they are usually restricted to using
one computer for the email. (Each person can have their own email account, but
everyone will be restricted to their own computer.)

Most email addresses that come as part of the internet connection package are
POP3 accounts.

2. IMAP
IMAP stands for Internet Message Access Protocol. It’s an alternative to POP3
which keeps messages stored on a central business email server, along with
information about whether each message has been read or replied to.

With IMAP, you can log in from any computer and see your whole inbox,
complete with the status of messages – so you can see which you’ve read, which
you’ve replied to, and so on.

IMAP is a good way to add extra flexibility to your business email. It’s a well-
established technology and you’ll find many entry-level email services (like those
from web hosting companies) will include IMAP as standard.
 3. Microsoft Exchange
The majority of companies use Exchange Server to store email and Outlook
as the client. Like IMAP, Exchange stores messages centrally, so you can log in
from different places. But it also offers lots of extra functions, including centrally
stored calendars, task and contact lists.

Exchange and Outlook integrate well with Windows, but make less sense in a
mixed environment with many Apple desktops and iPhone / Android mobile
users. Often used to create a closed email environment out of security concerns,
where it can be hard to get your email to outside systems.
4. Webmail or HTTP
As the name suggests, webmail services require you to use a web browser (like
Internet Explorer or Firefox) to log in and access your business email. Some
people call them HTTP email services.

Many free business email services – including Hotmail, Yahoo Mail and Google
Mail – are webmail services. To send or receive email, you visit a specific website
and log in with your username and password.

Webmail is convenient because you can log in from anywhere. However, it’s
useless unless you’re connected to the internet, meaning most companies prefer
to use another business email service which also offers webmail as an option. For
instance, Microsoft Exchange includes a webmail interface, so you can check
your business email if you’re not at your own computer.
So do many of the IMAP and POP3-based services available.

7.10.3 Reading e-mail messages.

Once an e-mail message that has been sent to you arrives at your computer, to
read the contents you must open it using the program you have installed for
sending e-mail, e.g. Microsoft Outlook.

Step-by-Step.
1. Launch the e-mail program Microsoft Outlook from the Start menu or a shortcut on
the desktop.
2. Enter the password if prompted and click OK. Alternatively, you may need to select
your profile from the Choose Profile dialog box that appears.
3. In this case, select your profile by clicking the down arrow key of the Profile Name
dialog box and click OK. NB: A User Profile is a group of settings that define how
Outlook is set up for a particular user. It also defines through the information services
how a user can send, store, and receive messages.
4. The Inbox is where all incoming messages are stored when you connect to Outlook.
Displayed are the e-mail messages that you have received. Unopened mail Opened mail
A list of e- mail messages
5. To open and read e-mail messages in the Inbox, choose the message that you want to
read. Then, double click on it to open it.

Message
The lower grid of your screen will have the full message. As you read the items in your
Inbox, you can reply to, forward, or file them in other folders that you create. When you
have finished reading a message, you can close the window by selecting the File menu,
then choosing Close.
This will take you back to the Outlook window. When you do not need to use any other
e-mail services, you can exit the Outlook program by selecting the File menu, then
choosing Close.
If there are any e-mail messages in the Outbox that have not been sent, a message will
appear prompting you to send the e-mail(s) at that particular time or you can choose to
send it later.

7.10.4 Reply to e-mail messages.

If you have read a message, you may want to send a reply to the original sender. If the
original message that you are replying to was also copied to a number of other people,
you may want to send a reply to all of them.

Step-by-Step.
When replying to a mail message, you can choose to reply with or without the original
message insertion. The original message, sometimes referred to as the history, appears
in the body of the message. This is just for reference purposes and can be removed by
selecting the text and pressing the Delete key or setting options in the Options dialog
box.

Reply and include the original message

1. If the message you want to reply is not open, select it and open it.
2. Click the Reply button in the Mail window. The Reply message window appears.
This window contains the message you are replying to at the bottom.
The Reply button
History/Original
Message part
3. Type the reply where the insertion point is.
4. When you have finished typing and editing the reply, click the Send button if you are
on-line to send the message. Send button NB: If you click the Send button while you are
offline, the mail will be placed in the Outbox folder and will automatically be sent the
moment you go online.
Reply without including the original message
1. From the Tools menu, click Options.
2. Click the Preferences tab, and then click Email Options.
3. In the On replies and forwards section, click the down arrow key under
When replying to a message box.
4. Select Do not include original message.
5. Click OK.
6. Open the mail message you want to reply to. Information and
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7. Click the Reply button in the Mail window. The Reply message
window appears. This window does not contain the message you are
replying to at the bottom.
8. Type the reply where the insertion point is.
9. When you have finished typing and editing the reply, click the Send
button.
Notes:
Working Off-line Connection to the Internet usually means that you are using
telephone lines, and therefore
incurring telephone charges and usage on your ISP account. Once you have
launched the Mail program, it is
not necessary for you to be connected directly so that you can read and write
your e-mail messages.
You may choose to work offline to save on costs and when you are ready to send
your messages you can connect and send them all at once.
1. On the Task bar, click on the Status button.
2. Choose Disconnect. Connection Indicator
3. The Connection Indicator disappears from the Taskbar showing that
you are now working off-line.
Some services like Internet, Usenet, newsroom, or shopping will not be
available when you are off-line.
To use these services, you need to re-establish the connection.
7.10.5 Sending an e-mail message.
1. To communicate with another user who has an e-mail address. This is cheaper
than sending fax or using the telephone especially for long distance calls.
 2. It is also faster to send e-mail than to post a letter. For example, to send a letter
around the world using e-mail is just a matter of minutes as compared to the
weeks ordinary mail takes.
For this reason, most Internet users refer to ordinary mail as ‘snail mail’.
Step-by-Step.
1. From the Outlook window, click the New Mail Message button.
The New Mail Message button
The message composition window is displayed:
Subject box
Message area
2. In the To… box, type the e-mail address (or select one from the address book
by
clicking on the To… button) of the recipient of your e-mail.
3. If you want copies of the message to be sent to other people, type in their e-
mail
addresses in the Cc… box. Be sure to separate each address with a semi-colon.
You can also send a Blind Carbon Copy (Bcc). Here, the recipients entered
receive the message but their names are hidden from other recipients of the
message.
To add a Bcc field, click the View menu and select Bcc field.

Cc: stands for "carbon copy". Anyone listed in the Cc: field of a message will
receive a copy of that message when you send it. All other recipients of that
message will be able to see that the person you designated as a Cc: recipient has
received a copy of the message. The Cc: field is useful in instances when you
wish to share a message with someone but are not requesting that they reply or
take any direct action in response.

Bcc: stands for "blind carbon copy". This is similar to the Cc: feature, except that
Bcc: recipients are invisible to all of the other recipients of the message (including
other Bcc: recipients). For example, if you send a message To:
[email protected] and Bcc: [email protected], then johndoe will see himself
as the message's only recipient, while janedoe will see that you have also sent the
message to johndoe. The Bcc: field is useful in instances when you don't wish to
share your recipients' email addresses with everyone who receives your
message.

To send a message, you must always specify at least one recipient in the To: field.
If you don't, an error message will appear when you attempt to send the
message.
 4. Type the subject or topic in the Subject box.
5. In the lower grid of the message composition window, type in the message
that you want to send as seen in the illustration above.
You can format the email message using the formatting tools like Bold, Font
size, Underline etc.

When you have finished typing the message, editing, and spellchecked it, click
the Send button.

NB: A message that returns to the sender because it cannot reach its destination
is referred to as a bounced message.

7.10.6 To display the Formatting toolbar

If the formatting toolbar is not visible, you will need to display it.
1. Click the View menu from the menu bar, highlight Toolbars then click the
Formatting option.
Formatting toolbar
• You can add Smiley/Smilies to your messages.
These are special symbols used to express emotions in messages.
These characters resemble human faces if you turn them sideways as shown in
the table below:
Smiley Represents
: `-( Cry
:-( Frown
:-I Indifferent
:-o Surprise
:-) Smile

7.17 Spell-Checking Mail Messages.

Before sending a mail message you can spell check it to correct any spelling
mistakes in the mail.
1. From the Tools menu click Spelling.
2. The Spelling dialog box appears as shown below. The misspell words are
highlighted and shown in this dialog box. Choose the correct word by selecting it
and clicking the Change button.
3. If the word or phrase is correct but is not in the dictionary, click Ignore.
4. Once the spell check is complete, click OK.
7.11 Summary of Topic One
 This technology assist in enhanced access to education, in the form of on-line
tutorials, and distance learning.

7.12 Session One Quiz

a. Explain the term Internet.
b. Explain the services provided by Internet.

7.13 Reflection
Through ICT we can easily communicate to other people, easily gain
information and the most important is that, we can increased our
leisure time as it makes our work done in less time. Another effect of
ICT in our society is that, It gives people opportunity to work in their
home.

7.14 Resources e.g Videos, Articles

7.15 References and further Readings