Email
Email is mail sent electronically from one computer to another. Email messages can be sent to anyone with an email address, anywhere in the world. Email is stored on a computer and can be read when the recipient checks their email inbox—just like a post mailbox.
As well as text, emails can include attachments such as pictures, music and video clips.
While emails can be lengthy and formal, they are generally more casual in style than a written letter.
Users either need email software, such as Outlook, or a web-based email service such as Gmail or Hotmail to create and send email.
Emailing safely
Sending emails can be unsafe. For example, private emails can be broadcast to an unintended audience, for example if someone hits ‘reply all’ instead of just ‘reply’. Automatic address books—which are included with most email software—can make it easy to address an email to the wrong person, by simply mistyping an address. Emails can also be forwarded on to other people with a single click and it’s easy for insulting emails to be forwarded directly to the one person who should never have read them. Because of this, many people have learned the hard way to be cautious when writing emails.
Most email is not encrypted, meaning it is not secured, and could potentially be read by others while in transit. As this is the case, it’s advisable not to send sensitive information, such as credit card numbers to others by email.
Everyone writes in a unique quality and tone and this wide variety of styles can lead to emails being misinterpreted by recipients. A harmless joke emailed may be interpreted as a serious insult, and an attempt at a polite refusal to an invitation might read like a rude rejection to some people. A neutral tone avoids issues.