We explain everything about email, its history, types, advantages and disadvantages. Also, the parts of an email.
What is email?
The email or e-mail (taken from English electronic mail) it's a written digital communication medium similar to the letters and postcards of the postal mail of yesteryear, which takes advantage of Internet multimedia technology for delayed message delivery more or less long and with or without attachments, between two or more different interlocutors.
Email was for a long time the standard form of communication between Internet users. Even today it occupies a privileged role, especially when transmitting additional information (attachments of various types) that do not require immediate attention.
In the latter, email, instant messaging and other 2.0 telecommunications are distinguished, which privilege immediacy and simultaneity. It should be noted that the term is used both to name the medium and the message itself; That's why we usually say that “we will send an email”.
Although emails have been relegated to the work and corporate sphere in recent years, it is estimated that About 144 billion email messages are sent around the world every day.
History of email
The most important antecedent of what we understand today as email emerged in 1962, with the IBM 7090 computer which allowed the interaction of different users from remote terminals, which could exchange messages.
However, In 1965, the MAIL service emerged, a true precursor of email which allowed the sending and receiving of messages between the users of this computer.
Ray Tomlinson was the creator of today's email. He created the first experimental protocol for the exchange of information between machines connected to the same network: CYPNET. It was also he who introduced the at sign (@) as a demarcation symbol to distinguish in email addresses between the username and the name of the service.
With the arrival and massification of the Internet, obviously, email became a popular and everyday tool. It was first offered free of charge in 1971 and in 1977 was already the global standard information exchange mechanism in communities on-line.
Email Types
Email works broadly the same regardless of your specific goals. However, according to the use given to it, we can talk about:
- Personal email Those held by individuals, and that obey their particular interests, that is, for private and personal use. A single person can have numerous personal email addresses and use them as they see fit.
- Corporate email Those that serve as a written link between the different departments or segments of a company, corporation or organization, and which can generally be accessed only from workstations, corporate cell phones or by using a password that guarantees the secrecy of the information. managed information.
- Institutional email Those that represent the entire company, organization or institution of any kind, serving as a communicative bridge between the organization and its clientele, that is, between inside and outside it.
How does email work?
In principle, the email works in a very similar way to postal mail which is why it uses it as a reference for its operation. This ranges from how things are named (messages are considered “letters” and are often represented as envelopes; inboxes are called “mailboxes,” etc.) to how they work.
For its part, the latter couldn't be simpler: a user A writes a message to a user B in which something tells. If you wish, in addition it is possible to include some photographs, files relevant audio or video files contained on your computer.
Moments later, user B's email receives the letter and, eventually, reads it and downloads the photographs to his own computer. You can then write a response to User A, returning their impressions and, if you wish, sending them attachments that you consider. This process can be repeated as many times as you wish, and it does not necessarily take place in strict shifts.
Parts of an email
Usually, an email is made up of:
- Inbox The virtual space where the received messages rest, according to a chronological or personalized order, either in general or organized in folders.
- Outbox Similarly, messages to be sent rest in this virtual space, before being classified as “sent.”
- Sent folder Where the history of letters and documents sent is located, organized chronologically.
- Spam This is the name given to spam, usually containing misleading advertising or promotions, which is usually filtered from the “legal” content of the mailbox.
- Addressee The email address of the person to whom the email will be sent.
- Affair Space for a brief description of the content of the message, as a primer, that the recipient can read without having to open the email completely.
- Message body The written information that you wish to transmit.
- Attached files The additional data that you want to transmit along with the message, as annexes.
- CC/BCC Acronyms of carbon copy and Hidden carbon copyallow the sender the possibility of also sending an identical copy to a third user, either visible to everyone (cc), or invisible (cc).
Advantages of email
The advantages of email over other written communication formats are:
- Speed Data is transmitted almost immediately and the risk of information loss is minimal.
- Security This is a debated topic (Internet privacy in general is), but generally email providers use powerful encryption mechanisms to shield their users' data from third parties and information thieves.
- Attached data While there are computer limits on the size of computer attachments that can be attached to an email, they are often large enough to send most personal documents that you want to share.
- Versatility Our email may be used in any way we wish, within a certain framework of legal and procedural regulations.
- Low cost Almost all email services today are completely free.
- Ecological It does not use real paper and therefore does not produce waste, nor does it consume physical resources (beyond the electricity necessary for Internet access).
- Global We can check our email anywhere in the world, and send and receive messages from anyone in any corner of the planet.
Disadvantages of email
For its part, email has the following disadvantages compared to other modes of messaging:
- Lack of interactivity Unlike chats and instant messaging services, emails must be read one at a time.
- It is relatively vulnerable Email is a source of evidence that hackers (hackers) and computer viruses can eventually gain access, for which they create trap emails and other forms of deception to access the information of a careless user.
- You need the Internet In conditions of poor connectivity or countries with low Internet penetration, email is not a good option.
- You need some electronic device In order to access email we must have a computer, smartphone or tablet, which also means having electricity.
Continue with: Origin of the media
References
- “Email” on Wikipedia.
- “What happens when you send an email?” in Digital Guide (IONOS).
- “Learn the types of email and how to use them in your marketing strategies” on Rockcontent.
- “The History of email” in NetHistory.
- “E-mail” in The Encyclopaedia Britannica.