Chapter 2 - The Internet, the Web and Electronic Commerce

COMMUNICATION

Whenever users want to communicate with someone or an organization for formal occasion, users are required to state users e-mail address. This is because e-mail have become a platform to exchange information or message, so what is e-mail?? E-mail also known as electronic mail is the transmission of electronic messages over the Internet. Therefore, all users need is just computer, Internet connection and e-mail account for users to send and receive messages via e-mail. Basically, there are two types of e-mail account that is client-based and Web-based account. Client based account required certain program to be install on the computer before users can start e-mailing. Some of the famous programs are Windows Mail, Mozilla’s Thunderbird and Apple’s Mail.

                                                                 Figure 1 - Client-based e-mail

Meanwhile, Web based e-mail account does not require any special program to be install in computer. This is because all users have to do is connect to the e-mail service provider and users are good to go. There are three common Webmail service providers that are Google’s Gmail, Microsoft’s Hotmail and Yahoo!’s Yahoo!Mail.

                                                                                   Figure 2 - Web-based e-mail

However, Webmail is widely used due to it’s efficiently where users are free from installing and maintaining client-based e-mail account just to access the account. Next, we are going to discuss about the basic elements that typical e-mail has that are header, message and signature. When users want to compose an e-mail to be sent to users’ friend, at the header part users are asked to fill the blank with the correct detail before sending the e-mail. On the top of the header, users need to enter users friend e-mail address so that the message will be sent to the correct person. Secondly, users need to put subject on a one-line description to present the topic of the e-mail. Then come the important part which is the message. In the body part, users can fill it with the message that they want to send to the receiver. In the message part, there are option to insert attachment like files like pictures and video, emojis, links and even documents into the message. After all of this requirement is complete, then only users are able to send the e-mail through the Internet.

SOURCE

• Computing essentials 2013 (making IT work for you) written by Timothy J. O’Leary and Linda I. O’Leary.
• Pictures from Google Image
• Lecturer’s Slide