First email sent by Ray Tomlinson.
Email systems mainly used in universities and large organizations.
Source notes commercialization of email and lists Hotmail, Yahoo, Gmail as examples.
Widely used for personal, professional and marketing communication.
Sent to friends, family or individuals.
Used for work-related communication.
Commercial emails for promotions or updates.
Notifications such as password reset or purchase confirmation.
| Field | Source meaning |
|---|---|
| To | Primary recipient(s). |
| CC — Carbon Copy | Additional recipients. |
| BCC — Blind Carbon Copy | Hidden recipients. |
| Subject Line | Brief summary of the email's content. |
| Body | The main message. |
| Signature | Optional sign-off; often includes name, title and company. |
| Attachments | Files added to the email. |
Be clear and respectful.
Keep the message to the point.
Avoid mistakes for a more professional message.
Keep it clear and relevant.
Do not overuse unless necessary.
Acknowledge email in a timely manner.
Use strong, unique passwords for email accounts.
Be cautious of unknown-source emails asking for sensitive information.
Add an extra layer of protection.
Use for secure communication of sensitive data.
| Protocol | Full form | Role in source |
|---|---|---|
| SMTP | Simple Mail Transfer Protocol | Sending mail. |
| POP3 | Post Office Protocol 3 | Receiving mail; source says message is downloaded and stored on requesting device and accessed using the same device. |
| IMAP | Internet Message Access Protocol | Receiving mail; enables access from any device, anywhere. |
A mail message transfer agent is described as software that transfers emails between the computers of a sender and a recipient.
| Step | Source flow |
|---|---|
| 1 | Compose an email on computer or phone. |
| 2 | Click Send → email goes to an SMTP server. |
| 3 | SMTP server checks whether the email follows the rules. |
| 4 | SMTP server finds the recipient's server. |
| 5 | Email is sent to that server using SMTP protocol. |
| 6 | Receiving server checks for spam and viruses and decides Inbox/Promotions/Social/Spam placement. |
| 7 | Email is delivered to recipient's inbox; recipient gets an alert and can read it on computer or phone. |
Separates the user's email name from the domain name.
Name chosen to represent the email address; typically used with password to log in.
Secret code corresponding with the username.
Incoming mail received from others.
Allows typing the message before sending.
Saved unfinished/composed messages for sending later.
Completed outgoing mail before it is actually sent.
Where sent email goes after sending.
Folder containing junk mail.
Recycle-bin-like location for deleted email.
Location for saved email addresses of friends/associates.
Files appended to a message; web-based services may limit file size.
Free email service provided by Google; source notes paid business plans with extra storage, advanced features and support.
Available as part of Microsoft Office suite; source notes free and paid versions, cross-device/OS use, deleted-email recovery and automatic organization.
Source says launched in 1997; one of the oldest webmail clients available; useful for personal email and available as a mobile app.
Source describes it as formerly very popular and now part of Verizon Communications; offers unlimited mailbox size and account linking.
Source says launched in 2008 and part of Zoho Office Suite; offers security and affordable plans for personal/business use.
Source notes enhanced security and end-to-end encryption plus Proton Calendar and Proton Drive.
Source describes a free email address for Apple users, preinstalled on Apple devices, with 5 GB cloud storage per account and purchasable extra space.
| Term | Recall cue from source |
|---|---|
| 1971 | First email sent by Ray Tomlinson. |
| To | Primary recipient. |
| CC | Carbon Copy — additional recipients. |
| BCC | Blind Carbon Copy — hidden recipients. |
| Subject | Brief summary of email content/topic. |
| Body | Main message. |
| SMTP | Sending mail. |
| POP3 | Receiving; downloaded/stored on requesting device in source explanation. |
| IMAP | Receiving; access from any device, anywhere. |
| TLS | Encrypts email during transmission between mail servers. |
| Inbox | Incoming mail. |
| Drafts | Saved for later sending. |
| Outbox | Outgoing mail before actual send. |
| Sent Items | Mail already sent. |
| Spam | Junk email folder. |
| Reply All | Respond to all relevant recipients. |
| Forward | Send received email to another person. |