Introduction to email services

Invented by Ray Tomlinson in 1972, electronic mail allows people to send messages to each other over the internet. The term electronic mail was abbreviated to “email” which is the common term for this system today. Very simply, email allows you to communicate with your recipients via their email address and yours. Clearly key advantages include the fact that it is faster than snail mail, costs substantially less and is environmentally friendly on the basis that if used correctly, it is a paper-free means of communication. It also allows communication between several people instantaneously and allows the emails to be tracked based on folders that can be created based on subject headings, on email addresses and a host of others.

In order to set up an email address, you will need to sign up with an email provider. The email address takes the form of username@domain (domain here referring to the domain name of the email service provider). The email address you choose can be up to 255 characters long and includes lower and upper case of the alphabet, numbers, and selected characters or symbols. Once you have set up an email account, you will have what is known as an electronic mailbox that is distinct to you.

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