Email: advantages, parts and how it works

We explain what email is, how it works and what its advantages are. We also explain its characteristics and its component parts.

What is email?

The email or e-mail (of English: electronic mail) is a means of written communication through a device connected to the Internetand that in a similar way to the letters and postcards of yesteryear, allows the deferred sending of a text between two or more interlocutors.

The email It was the standard form of communication between Internet usersespecially in terms of the transmission of information (attachments), at least until the appearance of instant messaging and telecommunications 2.0, which relegated it more to a work or corporate environment.

Currently It is estimated that about 144 billion are sent daily of emails in the world.

See also: Social networks.

Email Origin

Although it became widespread with the arrival of the Internet, email predates it. It was first used free of charge in 1971.although since 1965 there has been the possibility of electronically sending data between one computer and another using a local network.

It is estimated that in 1977 it was already the standard information exchange mechanism globally in certain communities.

How email works

Email operates in a very similar way to postal mail, and in fact uses it as a reference point in its operation. For example, messages are considered letters and are often represented with envelopesinboxes are called “mailboxes”, etc.

The operation is simple: a user A writes a letter to a user B in which he tells him something that you want to share, and along the way includes some relevant photographs that you have on your computer. User B receives the letter and downloads the photographs to his own computer, where he can see them as many times as he wants. You can then write a letter in response to user A, returning your impressions and, if desired, any accompanying material you consider. This process can be repeated as many times as you wish.

Advantages of email

The advantages of email over other written communication formats are several:

• Speed. Data transmission is almost immediate and the risk of information being lost along the way is minimal.
• Security. Although it is a debated topic (that of Internet privacy), it is often estimated that email providers employ powerful defense mechanisms to shield their users’ data from potential information thieves.
• Attached data. Although there are limits on the size of attachments that can be included in an email message, they are usually generous enough to send most personal documents you might want to share. For large data packets, there are other digital options.
• Versatility. An email box can be used in any way its user wants, within a certain framework of legal and procedural regulations, of course.
• Low cost. Nowadays almost all email services are free.
• Ecological. By not using real paper, it also produces no waste.
• Global. It can be consulted anywhere in the world.

Disadvantages of email

The disadvantages of email compared to other messaging mechanisms are:

• It is not interactive. Unlike chats or instant messaging services, emails must be read in turns, in a dialogue of mutual responses that does not occur in real time.
• It’s vulnerable. Hackers and computer viruses use email as one of their preferred ways of transmitting information on the network, using numerous trap emails and other forms of deception to try to access the information of unwary users.
• Requires Internet. In conditions of poor connectivity or countries with low Internet penetration, mail is simply not an option.
• Requires a device. To access email you must have a computer, smartphone or tablet.

Parts of the email

Common parts of an email are:

• Inbox. Where the messages received by the user rest, in chronological or personalized order.
• Outbox. Where messages sent to different possible recipients can be reviewed.
• Spam. This is the name given to spam, usually containing misleading advertising or promotions, which is often filtered from the “legal” content of the mailbox.
• Addressee. The person to whom an email will be written.
• Affair. A brief description of the message content, which the recipient will be able to view without having to “open” it, i.e. from their general inbox.
• Message body. The message in question that you wish to convey.
• Attached files. Those additional data that you want to transmit along with the message.
• CC/BCC. Acronym for Carbon copy and Blind carbon copygive the sender of the email the possibility of sending an identical copy to a third user who is not the direct recipient of the message (cc), and also the option of doing so without the recipient knowing (cc).
• Description. A field in the received or sent email where the data of the email is specified: its recipient, its subject, its date and time of sending, as well as other technical data that may be of interest.

Email addresses

Just as postal mail uses postal addresses to send a letter to a friend in another city, email uses electronic “addresses”, which They are nothing more than an identifying name of the useraccompanied by an at sign (@) and the name of the company that offers the user its messaging service. Like this: .

In this case, The user’s address contains his/her “name” (it does not necessarily have to be real, nor be coherent), then an @ sign and then the name of Hotmail, the company that provides you with email services.

Email requirements

To have an email service is not necessary much. You simply must have an electronic device with stable Internet access, and an email provider service.

There are thousands of these and they are usually all free, so just fill out a subscription and choose a valid email address (not used by another user or containing illegible characters). Then you will choose a password and you will be able to create a personal mailbox.

However, since 2014, companies that provide this service have required their users a minimum of official informationlike a verifiable phone number.

Most popular mail services

The main email companies in the world are three:

• Outlook (formerly Hotmail)
• Gmail
• Yahoo

Email Confidentiality

Many mail service companies find themselves in the awkward position of deciding between violating the confidentiality of their customers’ information, often requested by governments or by various forms of researchor deny key information for various social and political scenarios that could have dangerous consequences.

Email Personalization

Email services provide their users with various levels of organization of their mailboxeswith labeling, folder sorting, custom signatures, and even auto-reply options.