Hotmail E-Mail Basics

http://www.hotmail.com

E-mail is an electronic way to send or retrieve personal and/or business-related messages, including text and pictures.

How Does It Work?

Think of e-mail like the postal service.  To receive e-mail, you must have an account on a mail server.  This is similar to your mailing address where you receive letters.

Your message is sent from your computer to a server (like the post office) where the computer looks at the address (like the address on a letter) and then directs the message on to the server associated with the recipient’s e-mail account.  Once it arrives at its destination mail server, the message is stored in an electronic mailbox (like your regular mail box) until the recipient retrieves it.

You can still receive e-mail while your computer is turned off.  The mail server collects and stores your incoming e-mail until the next time you access your e-mail by opening your mailbox and downloading the messages.

Using E-Mail

Understanding E-Mail Addresses

You can send e-mail to anyone in the world, as long as you have his or her e-mail address.

Example of an e-mail address: JSmith@hotmail.com
vs. a web address: http://www.introducingemail.com

An e-mail address has two main parts:

1. The user name comes before the “@” sign.(To type the “@” sign (also known as the “at-sign”), hold down the shift key, and press the “2” key at the top of the keyboard. Notice how there is the “@” sign above the Two…) When you sign up for an e-mail account, you’re usually asked to supply a user name (first initial and last name often used).
2. The domain name comes after the “@” sign. This refers to the mail server, the computer that stores your electronic mailbox. It’s usually the name of a company or organization.
3. Finally, there’s a dot (.) followed by three letters that indicate the type of domain. (.com, .edu, .net, .lib.in.us, etc.)
   

NOTE: When you are sending an e-mail, you must type the entire e-mail address including the user name, the @ sign, and the domain name. E-mail addresses are not case specific meaning that it does not matter if you capitalize a letter, or leave it in lower case. I.E. JDoe@Hotmail.com is the same as jdoe@hotmail.com.

Further Information about E-mail

On the internet, everything moves at light-speed. This includes e-mail. Thus, because e-mail can be sent and received so quickly, sometimes it is more useful to write in a conversational manner than in a formal letter style. However, e-mail can be a reflection of yourself, thus, one should not become “sloppy” at grammar, because it shows that you “don’t care.” So, always check your e-mail and use proper grammar and capitalize your I’s. Sometimes, one might forget to capitalize one, or you might add an extra word. This is okay. Just don’t write the entire e-mail sloppily.

Getting a Hotmail Account


Fortunately, the basic Hotmail e-mail is free. If you want a larger inbox capacity, along with other features, you must pay money. Hotmail is free primarily because of advertisements. When you log into hotmail, you may see an advertisement banner.

How to sign up for Hotmail E-mail

1. Begin at the Hotmail home page: www.hotmail.com
2. Where it says “Don't have a .NET Passport? Get one now.” Click on “Get one now.”
3. Begin typing in your personal Information, however be cautious not to give out information you would not want to give out i.e. perhaps your birthday, in that case, you can make one up.
4. Type in your First Name, Last Name, The Language you Prefer to Use, The Country you live in, The State in Which you Reside, Your Zip Code, The Time Zone you are in, Your Gender, Your Birthday, and Your Occupation
5. Next type in your desired e-mail address.
6. Type in a password and write it down. This password must have at least 6 letters or numbers in it.
7. Retype your password for accuracy in the next box.
8. Select a secret question for which you will provide the answer. This is for if you forget your password, but know the answer to your secret question, you may enter the answer to the secret question and gain access to your account. If this ever happens, ask a friend or family member to help if you cannot resolve the problem.
9. Type in the Letters/Numbers that you see in the picture. This is for additional security for your account. You do not need to write the numbers/letters down.
10. The section under the heading “Tired of registration forms?” do not check any of the boxes.
11. Click “I agree” on the button at the bottom
12. If you forgot to enter information in a “required field,” Hotmail will let you know and you will have an opportunity to enter the needed information. Read everything carefully.
13. If it says that your e-mail address that you have requested has been taken, you may choose the names that they have suggested if you wish, or you may enter a new one in. Most of the time, if your name is unique, this step would not apply to you.
14. Once you get the screen where it says “Registration is Complete: Thank you for registering the following e-mail address as your Microsoft® .NET Passport:” you are almost done. Quickly write down your e-mail, your password, and the secret question and the answer to your secret question if you have not already.
15. Click continue.
16. Next a an advertisement for getting increased functionality and features is on the screen. These extra features cost money. If you want to, you can pay for it, however I recommend against it because the a free e-mail account is sufficient for just about anyone. Scroll down.
17. Then where it says “Or, sign up for FREE E-mail (with a 2MB storage limit and without the other features).” Click on FREE E-mail. By choosing this E-mail, you will not have to pay anything and will never be billed.
18. Select all the newsletters you want to receive by checking each box. Most are daily e-mails and can begin to fill your e-mail account quickly if you do not check it regularly. You do not have to check any newsletters. You also may come back later and sign up for them.
19. If you have chosen all the ones you want, or do not want to choose any at all, scroll down at the bottom of the page and click continue
20. There will be more newsletters and select the ones you want, and/or click continue.
21. And now you’re set up! You will then be brought to your new hotmail account! Congratulations!
    

Tip: You will want to write down your password. Keep it in a safe place or memorize it as soon as possible.

Using the Actual E-mail Account

Every time you want to check your e-mail, you must enter your password and e-mail address. This is because your e-mail account can be accessed at any computer via the internet (at hotmail.com). Other people may use the same computer to check their e-mail as well. They would have to enter their password and e-mail address too, but it would be different than from your e-mail address and your password. Thus, each time you check your e-mail via the internet, you must enter your own personal information.

Logging on to Hotmail

1. Type: www.hotmail.com into the address box of the browser.
2. Press Enter.
3. Type your Hotmail e-mail if it is not already in the box.
4. Type your password.
5. Click Sign In.

Getting To your Inbox

1. Click the Mail tab at the top near the MSN logo.
2. Your at your inbox!
   

Composing and Sending an E-Mail Message

1. To create a new e-mail click “New.”
2. Type the recipient’s e-mail address in the “To:” box.
   • To send a message to more than one person, you may enter multiple addresses by placing a comma and space between each address. (E.g.: To: jdoe@aol.com, LTorwalds@hotmail.com, DKent@Company.com)
   • Make sure you enter the address correctly, or the message will be sent either to a different person or back to you. – just like the postal service!
3. Type the subject of the message in the “Subject:” box. Keep the subject to a word or phrase summarizing the content of your message. (E.g.: Subject: Today’s Work Progress)
4. Click with the mouse in the message box to move the cursor to that space.
5. Type the body of your message.
6. When you are finished typing your message and wish to send it, click “Send.”

How long does it take for a message to be delivered?


It may only take a few seconds for a message to be delivered. The computer sends a message through the Modem ? then the e-mail message is sent to your mail server which sends it to the recipient’s mail server ? then to the recipient’s computer when s/he opens her or his mailbox. However, it may take longer if the mail server is overworked or offline.

Reading an E-Mail Message

1. After logging into your e-mail, go to your Inbox (by clicking on the “Mail” tab).
2. To read a particular message, click on the name of the sender before the Subject.
   Note: Unread messages in your Inbox will have an unopened envelope in front of it and may be tinted or highlighted.

Replying to a Message

1. Open the message you wish to reply to.
2. Click the “Reply” button. The program will present you with a message already addressed to the sender. The subject line will state “Re:” and then the old message’s subject. You will most likely leave the subject line as it is.
3. Place your cursor in the box above the text to which you are replying.
4. Begin typing your reply.
5. Click “Send” when you are finished typing your message and wish to send it.
   

*Note the difference between “Reply” and “Reply All.” Clicking the “Reply” button will send your reply only to the original sender of the message. Clicking the “Reply All” button will send your reply to everyone who received the original message.

Forwarding a Message

1. Open the message you wish to forward to another person.
2. Click "Forward."
3. Type the recipient's address(es) in the "To:" box.
4. Type a note above the forwarded message (optional).
5. Click "Send"

Deleting a Message

• When you have a message open, you may delete the message by clicking “Delete” at the top or bottom of the message.
• You may also delete messages from the Inbox.
  1. Click in the box to the left of the message you wish to delete. A check mark will appear in the box.
  2. Click “Delete” at the top or bottom of the list of messages in your inbox. You may delete more than one message at a time by deleting from the Inbox.

When a message has been deleted, it is transferred to the folder named “Trash.” The trash is periodically emptied automatically. You may also empty the trash yourself, by clicking Empty next to the trash folder.

Note: When you have finished your e-mail session, be sure to click Sign Out. This will close your e-mail account. This is especially important when you are using a public computer.

E-Mail Privacy

E-Mail is not completely private. You might consider e-mail much as a postcard. Don’t send something you wouldn’t want everyone to see. For example, it's probably not a good idea to put your credit card number, checking account number, or your social security number in an e-mail message. It is possible for messages to be intercepted by those who shouldn’t be reading them, especially in a work environment. The chances of someone reading your messages are slim, but just be aware of the possibilities. And remember, once you've sent a message, there's no getting it back. It's on its way for good!

How to Find Someone’s E-Mail Address

Again, you must have someone’s e-mail address to send them an e-mail letter. If you do not have their e-mail, you cannot send anything to them, just like if you do not have someone’s mailing address, you cannot mail anything to them via the post office. There are several ways to find someone’s e-mail address.

1. Ask them directly
2. Search an e-mail directory on the Web:
   • www.emailaddresses.com
   • www.whowhere.com
   • people.yahoo.com
     

SPAM!

SPAM is the internet equivalent to “junk mail.” Advertisers send very descriptive and sometimes fake advertisements that try to get your credit card number or your bank pin number. They send it out to millions of e-mail addresses. This is a very important thing to pay attention to. Spam is usually bad, and malicious, so never reply to spam, even if it has an unsubscribe link. One might suppose that this gets you off their advertising list, but in reality, it only confirms the accuracy of your e-mail address and even more spam will come your way.

Tips for Avoiding SPAM

• Hotmail already has SPAM protection, and all suspected SPAM goes to the “Junk Mail Folder.”
• If there is mail from someone you don’t know, and the subject line is questionable, don’t open those e-mails. They may be SPAM or contain Viruses.
• Never give out your e-mail address to a website or someone you do not know.
• Never open SPAM.
• Never Buy anything offered by SPAM

Using the address book

The address book in Hotmail is a place where you can store e-mail addresses. It provides a shortcut method for inserting an address into a new e-mail you are composing. Hotmail E-mail also gives you the opportunity to give your contact a “nickname.” You can type this nickname into the To: box as a shortcut for typing the entire e-mail address.

1. Add a new contact
   1. Click Contacts
   2. Click New
   3. Fill in the appropriate information (name and e-mail address as a minimum)
   4. Click Save Contact
      
2. Send an e-mail using the address book (you need to click Mail to get back to the mail section of Hotmail before you can send)
   1. Click New
   2. Click Edit Favorites
   3. Select the Contacts
   4. Click Add
   5. Continue with the usual steps for sending a message.

Note: Copies of e-mail messages may be sent to additional persons by typing the e-mail address in the CC field (carbon copy) or the BCC field (blind carbon copy). In the case of the CC, the recipient of the e-mail will know that you have sent a copy and to whom you sent it. In the case of the BCC, the recipient will not know you have sent a copy to another person.

After you send a message to someone that is not in your contact list, Hotmail may ask whether you want to add this address to your address book. You may choose to add this address by clicking Add to Address Book.Likewise, if you receive an e-mail from someone who is not in your address book, Hotmail may ask if you want to add that person to your address book.

Attachments

1. Adding an Attachment to your e-mail

It is possible to attach documents or pictures to an e-mail message by using the “Attach” feature of your e-mail program. It is important, however, that the recipient have the specific program to open the file. For example, if you attach something you’ve created using Microsoft Word, your recipient needs the same Microsoft Word version (or a more recent version) in order to open your file.

Think about the size of your file. The free Hotmail e-mail accounts have a limit of 2 MB of space. This amount of space will hold a lot of text e-mail messages. If you receive photos through e-mail, you will need to be careful of the limit. You may need to save photos you receive on floppy disks instead of leaving them in your e-mail account. The 22 MB limit includes your Inbox, Sent folder, and all the other folders.

1. If the file you wish to attach is on a floppy disk, insert it into the disk drive.
2. Begin to compose an e-mail message in the usual way.
3. After typing the body of your e-mail message, click “attach files.”
4. Click Browse to find your document. (Click 3 ½” floppy)
5. When you’ve located the document you wish to attach, click on it.
6. Click Open.
7. You should now see the name of your file in the “attachment” box.
8. Click Attach Files.
9. When you are finished, click Done.
10. Click Send to send your e-mail message as well as the attachment.
    

2. Reading an attachment you receive in your e-mail

When you receive an e-mail in Hotmail mail with an attachment, you will see a paperclip icon to the left of the subject.

To view the attachment:

1. Click the paperclip icon or the subject.
2. Hotmail E-mail offers you the option to scan with an antivirus program. We recommend you do this when using Hotmail E-mail and also if you are using other e-mail that offers this option.
3. After scanning, Hotmail offers you the option to Download File
4. Click Download File.
5. At this point you may choose to open the file or save the file.
6. Click open if you wish to view the attachment, click save if you wish to save the file to a disk or to your computer’s hard drive.
7. If you click save, you will need to browse for the location in which you wish to save the file. At the library or other public computer, you will choose 3 ½ Floppy [A:]
8. Check the file name and make any changes you desire, then click Save.

If you receive an attachment that was created in a program you do not have installed on your computer, you may have trouble viewing it.

If your e-mail program does not open the attachment, and if you do not know what the attachment is, and if the attachment is from someone you know, write to them and ask what it is. Tell them your e-mail will not open the attachment and ask them if they can send the information some other way.

NOTE: If you do not know where an attachment came from, we recommend you delete the e-mail without opening the attachment. Viruses often infect computers via attachments.

Using folders

Folders may be used for filing and sorting messages you wish to keep.

• Add a folder
  1. Click Folder
  2. Click New
  3. Type the name of your folder in the space provided
  4. Click OK
     
• Move a message from your Inbox into a folder
  1. Click in the box to the left of the message you wish to move
  2. Click the drop down menu that says “Move to folder…”
  3. Choose the folder you want by clicking on its name
  4. Click OK
     
• Delete a folder
  1. Click Folders (under Mail)
  2. Scroll down to the folder you wish to delete
  3. Click the check box next to the folder
  4. Click Delete

Click on a folder to view its contents. The number of unread messages in each folder will be displayed to the right of the folder.

E-Mail Definitions

*Attachment – a text file or image, such as a photograph, sent as part of an e-mail message. (will be covered in advanced class)

*Bouncing – when a message is not delivered because of incorrect address, misspelling, etc. and is sent back to you by the e-mail system. Sometimes there will be a delay in receiving notification of bounced mail. The system usually tries for several hours before giving up.

E-Mail – electronic mail – the transmission of messages over a network

*E-mail Acronyms: Some acronyms you may see in your e-mails.

BTW by the way
IMHO in my humble opinion
IOW in other words
LOL laughing out loud
OTOH on the other hand
ROTFL rolling on the floor laughing
TTFN ta ta for now

*Emoticons: Also referred to as smileys, these symbols help convey the tone, or emotion of an online message. Examples:

:-) happy
:-( sad
;-) wink
:-o shocked, surprised
$-) just won the lottery

Folders – (Inbox, Draft, Sent, Trash, etc.) can be used to organize your messages. (will be covered in advanced class)

"Forwarding" a Message – Sending a message on to another person.

Header – the section of an e-mail message that includes To, From, Subject, Cc, and attached fields.

Inbox - where incoming mail is stored in your e-mail account.

Internet – A network of computers that carries data and makes the exchange of information possible. Allows access to the World Wide Web and e-mail functions.

ISP- Internet Service Provider – The company that provides access to the Internet (like a gateway between you and the Internet.) E.g., American Online (AOL). Almost all ISPs offer an e-mail address with every account.

mail server – a computer in a network that acts as a post office, sorting incoming mail and forwarding outgoing mail.

Netiquette: Network Etiquette. Acceptable practices of using various Internet resources. Example: DON'T USE ALL CAPS. IT APPEARS AS IF THE WRITER IS SHOUTING.

online service – a company that maintains an exclusive network and provides subscribers with services like e-mail and chat rooms.

POP/POP3: Post Office Protocol. A mail protocol used to service intermittent dial-up connections to the Internet. Mail is held until the user access the account, at which time the mail is transferred to the user's computer.

Signature Line: A set of 4 - 8 lines of text placed at the end of a mail message to provide the reader with the author's contact information, favorite quote, special of the month, autoresponder/web site address, etc. The signature line is composed and placed into the e-mail software's signature file for automatic appending.

*SPAM: To send unsolicited commercial e-mail, usually in large amounts and indiscriminately, to discussion groups or subscriber bases.

*Trash – Where your deleted messages are stored for a short time before they are periodically deleted for good. You may choose to delete messages permanently yourself by clicking "empty trash."

WWW – World Wide Web - a subset of the Internet. A collection of inter-linked documents. Remember, the Internet can exist without the web, but the web can’t exist without the Internet.