Introduction
The electronic mail or e-mail for short is one of the Internet's greatest tools that allows users to share information and communicate with ease. With just a hit of a button, our messages can be send instantly to the directed party. E-mail started way back in 1965, even before the Internet was introduced. (Wikipedia,2007) Just like how the invention of telephone has made it easier to communicate, e-mail has also changed the way we interact with others.
"one could write tersely and type imperfectly, even to an older person in a
superior position and even to a person one did not know very well, and the
recipient took no offense. The formality and perfection that most people expect
in a typed letter did not become associated with network messages.." (Email
History, n.d)
However, it was Raymond Tomlinson who implemented the e-mail system that is similar to that we are using right now. Unlike the system that were used in 1965, the e-mail could not be sent to users who were using the same computer. As such, Tomlinson came up with the use of @ to separate the users from their machine. (T.Vleck, 2001)
Besides composing messages, images, audio and video files can also be sent. The messages can also be sent to multiple recipients. This special feature makes communication so much efficient. It is especially useful for organizations where information can be reached to many members at once. Sorting letters would be such a hassle but with e-mail, we can arrange our mails accordingly. Lawrence Roberts improved on READMAIL, which required messages to be read in order, and with no ability to save or reply.... The new program included capabilities to sort email headers by subject and date..(Email History, n.d) Users now have control over which mail to read, reply, or save in the order that they wish.
Unfortunately, the e-mail is not without its problems. One of it is spamming which involves sending identical messages to numerous recipients through e-mail.(Wikipedia, 2007) We can say that spam is the electronic version of junk mails. Considered a nuisance, spam is rapidly increasing in the virtual world.
Unfortunately, the e-mail is not without its problems. One of it is spamming which involves sending identical messages to numerous recipients through e-mail.(Wikipedia, 2007) We can say that spam is the electronic version of junk mails. Considered a nuisance, spam is rapidly increasing in the virtual world.
Another threat to e-mail would be worms. Typically the worm will arrive as email, where the message body or attachment contains the worm code, but it may also link to code on an external website. (Wikipedia, 2007) Although a virus corrupts files on a computer, worms only harms the network.
Today, communication is even more efficient. With the development of the e-mail, arises other Internet tools such as IRC and Instant Messaging. These programs, like e-mail, saves time, share files and require no formality but they have an extra feature. IRC and Instant Messaging recieves instant feedbacks. Recipients reply to their message instantaneously and senders can view the replies too. All this happening in a short period of time.
The e-mail gives a whole new meaning to communication and interaction. People all over the world are virtually closer. Physical boundaries are not an obstacle to reach out to one another. Great discoveries like the electronic mail create opportunities for the human race to interact and share information in a new way altogether.
References
Computer Worm From Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, Retrieved January 27, 2007, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-mail_worm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-mail_worm
E-mail From Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, Retrieved January 27, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_mail#Internet_e-mail_header
Email History, Retrieved January 27, 2007, from
Ray Tomlinson From Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, Retrieved January 27, 2007, from
The History of Electronic Mail, T. Vleck, Retrieved January 27, 2007, from
