Email

Electronic mail, usually shortened to email or e-mail, is a way to send and receive digital messages using electronic devices over a computer network. It was created in the late–20th century as the digital version of regular mail, which is why we call it “e-mail.” Today, email is used almost everywhere—in businesses, schools, governments, and everyday life.

Email works over computer networks, mostly the Internet, and also on smaller networks called local area networks. Modern email systems use a “store-and-forward” method. This means people don’t need to be online at the same time to talk; they can connect to a mail server or a webmail service whenever they want to send or receive messages.

At first, email could only send simple text messages using a format called ASCII. Later, it was expanded using something called MIME so it could include pictures and other types of content. There are also standards for international email addresses using UTF-8, though these are not used as much yet. Having an email address, usually shown as a name followed by the symbol @ and a domain name, is now a basic part of many activities around the world.

Terminology

Email, short for electronic mail, is a common way to send messages over the internet. People have used words like "e-mail" and "EMAIL" since the 1970s, but today, "email" is the best way to spell it.

Emails have parts like "To" and "From" to show who sent and received the message. Each email has a header with details and a body where the message is written.

History

Main article: History of email

Email began in the early 1960s when computers let people send messages to each other. One of the first systems was made by MIT in 1965. In 1971, the very first email was sent over the ARPANET, and it used the ‘@’ symbol that we still use today.

As technology improved, big companies like IBM, CompuServe, and Xerox made their own email systems. In 1983, a new method called SMTP was created to send email, and by the mid-1990s, it became the normal way we send and receive emails worldwide.

Operation

When someone sends an email, many steps happen behind the scenes. First, the sender’s email program gets the message ready and sends it to a nearby server. This server then finds out where the email should go by checking the recipient’s address.

The message moves through many servers until it gets to the recipient’s server. There, it is saved until the recipient opens their email. People can send and receive emails in many ways, like using websites or special company tools. Sometimes, emails may take a little longer to arrive if the servers are busy or if the message is very big.

Message format

Email messages have a special way of being made and sent. This way is set by rules called RFCs.

An email has two main parts: the header and the body.

The header has important details. It tells who sent the email, who it is for, the date, and the subject.

The body is where you write your message.

Headers can show fields such as "To," "From," "Date," and "Subject." These help organize the email.

The body can be written in plain text or HTML. HTML lets you make text bold or add pictures. But plain text is often used because it works on all devices and avoids problems.

Main article: Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions

Main articles: Internet email, Email address

Servers and client applications

Emails are sent and received using special software. Messages travel between computers using a protocol called Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. Programs called mail transfer agents send the messages, while mail delivery agents store them. If a message can’t be delivered, a bounce message is sent back to tell the sender there was a problem.

People can read their emails using programs called mail user agents on their computers, or through websites like Gmail or Yahoo! Mail. These websites let users check their email from any device using a web browser. Emails can be stored on the user’s computer, on the server, or in both places. Some common file types for saving emails include .eml, .emlx, .msg, and .mbx, each used by different email programs.

Main article: mailto

Types

Main article: Webmail

Email can be opened in different ways. One common way is through web-based email. You can log in using any web browser to send and receive messages. This usually needs an internet connection.

Another way is to use special programs on your computer or phone. Some programs download messages and then remove them from the server. Others let you see message details and choose which ones to download. This helps you manage your email from different devices.

Uses

Email is an important way for businesses, governments, and many organizations to talk to each other. It helps people share information quickly and cheaply, without needing to meet in person or make phone calls. Email lets people work at their own pace and keeps a written record of messages.

People also use email to send messages to friends and family, often using computers or smartphones. While many young people now prefer texting or social media, email is still widely used around the world for both personal and work-related messages.

Issues

Email messages can have extra files called attachments, like pictures or documents. Most email services set a size limit—usually around 25MB—to keep things running well. If you need to send something bigger, you might use a file-sharing website instead.

Email spam is unwanted messages sent to many people. It can include ads or harmful content. Laws and special computer programs help block most spam, but some still gets through.

Email spoofing is when someone makes an email look like it came from someone else. This can trick people into thinking they're getting a real message from a company or a friend.

Email bombing happens when someone sends too many emails to one address on purpose. This can make the email address very hard to use.

Keeping emails private can be difficult. Messages pass through many computers before reaching you, and sometimes other people can see them. There are ways to make emails more secure, but it's not always easy.

Sometimes people get so many emails that they can't keep up. This is called email bankruptcy or email fatigue. Some people send a message saying they're clearing out their inbox and will get back to you later.