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CBSE Notes for Class 5 Computer in Action – Email- a communication tool
Internet, also known as the Net, is a worldwide network of computers that is used for exchanging information. Apart from providing information on any topic, the Internet has changed the way people communicate.
You have already learnt about one of the services of the Internet, called the World Wide Web.
World Wide Web is a collection of interconnected webpages that contain text, pictures, audios and movies. In this chapter, we will learn about another Internet service called email.
Email or electronic mail is an electronic message sent over a network such as the Internet.
Earlier, people used to send letters through postal or courier service. Sending letters through such means was very slow and took several days to reach the destination. Hence, the mails sent in this manner are referred to as snail mails.
Email is fast and convenient and has revolutionised the way in which the communication happens these days.
Advantages of Email
Email offers many advantages over snail mail system. The advantages of email are as follows:
- Low Cost: The cost of sending an email is very cheap as compared to the cost of sending a letter by post or through courier.
- Speed: An email is much faster than ordinary mail. It can reach to any part of the world in seconds.
- Convenience: Sending and receiving an email is very easy and convenient. You can send an email from anywhere. Files of any type can be sent as an attachment through an email. The received email is stored in your account and can be accessed as and when needed.
EMAIL ACCOUNT AND ADDRESS
In order to use the email service, you need to have an email account. There are many websites such as www.gmail.com,www.yahoo.com, www.rediffmail.com that offer free email accounts. Every email account has a unique email address. An email address consists of a username and a domain name of the server which provides the email facility. The username and the domain name are separated by the ‘@’ symbol. For example, in the email address [email protected]; the username is colsckumar and the domain name of the server is gmail.com.
Creating an Email Account
Let us learn how to create an email account by using the services of the website www.gmail.com. You can easily create an email account by filling a registration form wherein you choose your email address and password.
Step 1
Open any web browser. Type the URL as www.gmail.com (Fig.9.1a).
Step 2
Click the Create account link to open a new account (Fig. 9.1b).
Step 3
A registration form appears. Fill the registration form. Choose a username and password (Fig. 9.1c).
Step 4
Accept the agreement (Fig. 9. Id).Your email account gets created if all the entries have been filled properly. You are shown a welcome screen of the new Email account (Fig. 9.2) and when you click on the Continue to Gmail button on this page, you are directed to the default inbox page (Fig. 9.3) of your Email account.
Using an Email Account
After creating an email account, you can use it to send and receive emails. To use the email account, you must log in or sign in using your username and password. The interface or layout of different email accounts may differ, but they all offer the following basic features.
Inbox
The Inbox displays a list of received emails. Each message header shows you who sent the email, the subject line, the time and date when the email was sent. You can click on an email to view its contents.
Compose mail
You can send an email by clicking the side of the page. A New Message box will pop up
The general components of email message are-
To: Here you type the email address of the person to whom you want to send the email. You can make use of the email addresses stored in the contact list or the address book.
Cc: It stands for Carbon Copy. In this field you specify the email addresses of the people to whom you want to send a copy of the mail. The email addresses mentioned in the Cc field are visible to all the recipients of the email.
Bcc: It stands for Blind Carbon Copy. It is also used to send a copy of the message to several people. However, the email addresses mentioned in the Bcc field are not visible to the other recipients. Cc and Bcc fields are optional and appear only when clicked.
Subject: It is a short title that gives a brief description of the email.
Message: You can type the message and format it using the available features. Most email editors provide features such as aligning text and adding bullets or numbers to the points. You can also include emoticons in your message. Emoticons are symbols that are used to express emotions in a text message.
Attachments: You can send pictures, documents or any other files with your email. These are known as attachments.
Follow the given steps to send an attachment with an email
Step 1
Click on the Attach files button.
Step 2
The Choose File to Upload dialog box appears. Locate the file, select it and then click on the Open button. The file gets attached to the email message. You can attach more than one file to your mail by following the same steps.
Step 3
After filling the required fields, click on the Send button to send the email.
Replying to an email
You can also reply to an email. The reply also includes the original message. Therefore, both the original message as well as its reply will be visible to the receiver.
Forwarding an email
You can send a copy of a received mail to other people by forwarding it.
Deleting an email
You can delete an email by selecting the email in the Inbox and clicking
Signing out
After using an email account, you must close it properly by clicking on the Sign Out or Log Out button (Fig 9.10). This is necessary as it prevents other people from accessing your email account.
Spam email
An unwanted email sent to numerous people is known as a spam mail. Spam mails usually have an interesting ‘Subject’ that attracts the recipient to open it. These mails are used for advertising a product or a service. Spam emails may sometimes also contain viruses and other hidden malicious software that can affect the normal operations of a computer system. You should, therefore, be very cautious while opening spam emails or emails from unknown people.
Safety Measures wkile Sending and Receiving Emails
- Do not share your password with anyone. Change your password regularly.
- Always check with your parents before reading email received from someone you do not know. Do not reply or share information with strangers.
- Attachments may contain virus. Scan attachments before downloading.
- Sign out properly after using the email account.
Words to know
- Email or electronic mail: An electronic message sent over a network such as the Internet.
- Emoticons: Symbols that are used to express emotions in a text message.
- Spam mails: Unwanted emails sent to numerous people or email addresses.
- Cc (Carbon Copy): A field in an email message in which you specify the email addresses of the people to whom you want to send a copy of the mail. The email addresses mentioned in the Cc field are visible to all the recipients of the email.
- Bcc (Blind Carbon Copy): A field in an email message which is used to send a copy of the message to several people. However, the email addresses mentioned in the Bcc field are not visible to the other recipients.