Email basics

Adult Education: Computer Coaching HBPL

1. Email Basics Huntington Beach Public Library

2. What is email? Short for electronic mail - Email Send & receive messages over the internet Must have an email account on-line.

3. What you need a computer with internet access an email account with a service provider such as Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail, etc NOTE: Microsoft Outlook and Apple Mail, are NOT email providers (which is why you can’t email from library computers without an account)

4. Choosing an email provider Most common are Hotmail (Microsoft), Gmail (Google), Yahoo Mail (Yahoo!) For this class, we’ll be using Yahoo

5. Setting up your account Parts of an email address: Username and domain Example [email protected] user name : snoopy - you create your own - each must be unique @ symbol : unique to email addresses (Shift key + 2) Separates user name from domain email provider’s name: yahoo domain : .com - others could be .net or .org

6. Password Something easy to remember, but difficult to guess Do NOT use sensitive information, such as SSN, bank PIN, etc. Usually a combination of letters and numbers is best Verification questions in case you forget your password may be required on accounts.

7. Let’s set up our accounts !

8. Yahoo.com

9. Yahoo.com Click on “Create new account” Be sure to have user name and password ready Fill in as many blanks as required When finished – “Create new Account” http://yahoo.com

10. Let’s compose an email! Click on NEW Have email address ready for the person to receive your email

11. Parts of an email To : Enter the exact email address of your recipient Remember: [email protected] For multiple recipients, separate each address with a comma (semi colon) CC : carbon copy BCC : BLIND carbon copy – is anonymous Subject : the topic of your email – very important – keep it brief and to the point.

12. Parts of an email Body : the message of your email Attachments : Use the ATTACH button for files or photos or other emails

13. Sending an email Communication can be tough with written correspondence. No body language or facial cues to help set the tone properly. Can be easily misunderstood Err on the side of too formal Punctuation & spelling Greeting & closing signature ATTACH a file from a flash drive ALWAYS - Spell-check & proofread!

14. Sending an email Click on SEND to mail your letter Message will now appear in your SENT folder Once an email is sent, you cannot stop it or take it back Check your SENT box now Check your inbox for your BCC

15. Draft Emails Drafts: When creating an e-mail the computer will automatically save your work periodically. If for any reason you should be interrupted (i.e. lapse in internet connection) you can retrieve your latest work in the DRAFT BOX.

16. Receiving email If you have any messages you should see them listed in your Inbox At the top of each message is a header with information about the sender, date, and routing of each message.

17. Receiving email From: [email protected] To: [email protected] CC: Subject: Email Basics class Date:Tues , 1 March 2011 10:31 PST

18. Replying to an email Reply vs Reply All When you click on Reply , your message will automatically be sent to the person who sent you the email (FROM field in header.) When you click on Reply All , your message will automatically be sent to the person who sent you the email AND everyone in the CC fields in the header.

19. Forwarding an email When you click on FORWARD, you may share the email you’ve received by sending it to others. You may add your own message before sending. Enter the TO’s and CC’s if using Click on SEND

20. Opening attachments Usually photos or documents are attached If you don’t know the sender, do NOT open the attachment(s) SAVE vs OPEN the attachment FILE dialog box

21. Deleting email Once you’ve read an email, you should decide if you want to save/file it or delete it. Click on delete to send the email to the TRASH CAN(delete folder) The message disappears from your list of messages but is not truly deleted, so if you make a mistake you can get the message back – look in the trash folder.

22. Deleting email Once you exit the program, the messages are usually deleted for good.

23. Netiquette Common abbreviations – BTW, LOL Emoticons aka smilies

24. Privacy, viruses, & spam Privacy: CC vs BCC Viruses: Never open attachments from unknown senders. Safety: Never send personal financial information via email, even if it looks like a legitimate request from your bank or financial institution. Spam: unsolicited commercial email Delete - Click on Report Spam SPAM BOX on Yahoo

25. Chatting Chatting This is real-time communication with no delay. Usually done with those you know online. Be selective who you chat with. As with spam and phishing, scams can occur with chatting as well

26. Important – Sign Out!

27. Signing off Be sure to log off the account before shutting down

28. Next Steps Visit the Computer Coaches Most hours that the library is open Hours are subject to change. Please call ahead to confirm: 714-842-4481 ext. 6 Don’t forget that we’re here to help! Good luck!

29. Questions