Communicating Online

With today's technology and fast paced society, more and more people are communicating with one another via online.  E-mail is one of the most popular online communication tools.  Benefits of using e-mail to communicate include the fast delivery of messages, low cost, easy access, convenience, and ease of management.  An e-mail address consists of a user ID, host name, and top level domain. 

There are four main steps involved in sending and receiving an e-mail message.  First, the sender creates and sends a message using an e-mail client.  An e-mail client is any program used to create, send, and receive e-mail messages.  Some examples of e-mail clients include Microsoft Outlook, Gmail, and Yahoo.  Next, a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMPT) server determines the best route to the message's destination.  The third step routes the message through multiple Internet routers.  Internet service provider's incoming mail server contains recipient's mailbox.  The forth and final step is when the recipient receives the message using an e-mail client.  The make-up of an e-mail address includes a to line, a courtesy copy line, a subject line, an attach line, message body, and a signature file.  The first four components of an e-mail make-up are all parts of the message header.