E-mail is a fast and efficient form of electronic communication used by many people today.

A basic e-mail message is mad up of the following parts:

E-mail is:

• Not private
• Quickly transmitted
• Not necessarily read immediately
• Easy to copy and paste into other documents
• Remarks can be recalled, re-sent, or copied to someone
• Misunderstandings can easily occur

Outlook is a multipurpose program that will manage your e-mail, maintain your schedule, update your address book, track the time you spend on a document, create "sticky notes," and keep your TO-DO list.

In order to get started quickly, we will look at the following Outlook options:

• Starting Outlook
• Creating an e-mail message
• Setting up an appointment
• Putting a note on your screen
• Creating a record of one of your contacts

Using Outlook to its fullest will encourage you to:

• Increase your productivity (Calendar, Task Lists, E-mail)
• Share information (E-mail, Publish in Net folders)
• Get organized (Task Lists, Calendar, Journal)
• Stay in contact (Contacts, Cards)
• Integrate your computer use (Mail Merge your E-mails, Outlook Forms, Mail Merge your Contact List with WORD Form Letter)
• Utilize collaborative solutions (Schedule meetings)

However, when everyone speaks of Outlook, they think of E-mail!

Select Start | Programs | Microsoft Outlook and it opens to Outlook Today.

Note: If it doesn't start up with the Outlook Today view, do the following:

• On the Outlook Bar, click Outlook Today
• On the Outlook Today page, click Customize Outlook Today
• In the Startup area, select the When starting, go directly to Outlook Today check box
• Click Save Changes

Note: If you want Outlook always available, do the following:

• Add a shortcut to Outlook in \Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Start Up

When you open Outlook and are viewing Outlook Today, you will first want to get the "lay of the land":

• Title Bar — shows the name of the open folder
• Menu Bar — access Outlook commands
• Toolbars — these change as you change folders
• Outlook Bar — one click access to Outlook folders (takes up valuable "screen real estate;" suggest you select View and deselect this option)
• Folder List — same as Outlook bar except you can also share net folders from here
• Folder Contents Pane — displays contents of currently selected folders
• Status Line — summary of contents of selected folder

In your folder list, click on Inbox.

• Click on the Inbox folder
• Select New | Mail Message
• In the To box, enter an email address
• In the Subject box, enter a brief description of your message
• In the large box, enter your text
• Click on the Send button (this step closes the message form and places your message into the Outlook Outbox folder.
• Click on the Outbox folder to see that your message is in the folder
• Click on the Send/Receive button to actually send your message
• Click on View | Folder List. I would uncheck View | Outlook Bar to save screen real estate
• Click on the Outbox folder to see that your message is in this folder
• Click on the Send/Receive button to actually send your message

• Click on the Calendar folder
  
• Click on the Day, Work Week, or Month button on the Outlook toolbar to choose the Calendar display
  
• Double-click the date of the appointment to display the Event form
• Enter a short name for the Event (this name will show on your calendar)
• To enter times, remove checkmark in front of All day
• Use the arrow to select the Start time
• Next select the End time
• Click the down arrow next to the Reminder list to choose how far in advance you want Outlook to remind you (up to two days or enter more)
• Enter any additional notes about the event in the large text box below the Reminder list box
• Click on Save and Close

• Click on the Notes folder
  
• Click on the New | Note button
• Type text (drag the borders if you need more space)
• Click on x to close your note and place it in the Notes folder
• Did your note get lost? Click on the Notes folder in the Outlook Folders

• Click on the Contacts folder
  
• Click on the New Contact button to see a blank form
• Enter information (you can edit this information later)
• Click on Save and Close

E-mail is both formal (typed) and informal (chatty) writing. Either way, the written word can make it difficult for the reader to understand what you are really saying since he cannot see your facial expressions or hear the tone or inflections of your voice. To better convey your mood or feelings you may choose to include emoticons in your writing.

For more emoticons to convey your thoughts and feelings, check out:

• EFF's Unofficial Smiley Dictionary - www.eff.org/papers/eegtli/eeg_286.htm
• Helwig's Smiley Dictionary - www.cg.tuwien.ac.at/~helwig/smileys.html

If your e-mail program doesn't support commands such as underline, bold, or italicize, there are ways to emphasize your writing using ASCII techniques. Consider the following:

Abbreviations are also common in informal e-mail. Here are some examples:

Of course you can make up our own, just make sure the people you correspond with understand your abbreviations. You may collect more abbreviations from e-mail you receive and from computer books and magazines.

Don't flame (i.e., I like Macintosh computers better than IBM) or participate in flame wars.

It is better to take time and be understood than to have someone misunderstand your intentions!

To start a new message, use one of the following options:

• Select File | New | Mail Message
• Select Actions | New Mail Message
  
• Press Ctrl-N
• Click on the New Mail Message button on the left side of the Outlook toolbar when a mail folder is open

There are at least three ways to do everything on a computer!

To create your message:

• Enter an e-mail address after To: (every address contains an @ sign, no spaces allowed; it must be accurate)
• Enter a brief subject line
• Enter a short message (use good grammar and correct spelling)

Click on the Options button or select View | Options and fill out the form to include such items as:

• setting the level of importance of your message
  
• having replies sent to (if you want replies not to come to you but to go to someone else)
• save sent message to (if you want a copy)
• do not deliver before (to prepare e-mails in advance)

• request a read receipt for this message (may not always work)

  Click on the Send button and the message goes into your Outbox.

  Click on the Send/Receive button to have Outlook log onto the server and actually send your message.

  

  When you click on the Send/Receive button, your incoming messages by default come to your Inbox. A message that is bold has not been read.

  You can send an e-mail to more than one recipient by separating the addresses with a semicolon.

You can also enter addresses from your Address Book:

• Click the To: button
• Double-click a name
• Click on OK

Note: When the Select Names dialog box is open, you can select additional names and include them in:

• To: (send to additional primary addresses)
• Cc: (send Courtesy Copy)
• Bcc: (send Blind Courtesy Copy)

When addressing e-mail Cc:, which stands for Courtesy copy, or Carbon copy, the understood intent is that the person receiving the e-mail is not the main recipient of the e-mail. It is understood that the e-mail being sent Cc: is for information-only purposes and that a response is not required, though it is not forbidden, either. The original recipient and other recipients, whether Cc:, Bcc:, or To:, can view the identity for the Cc: recipient.

When addressing an e-mail Bcc:, which stands for Blind courtesy copy or Blind carbon copy, the understood intent is that the person receiving the e-mail is not the main recipient of the e-mail. It is understood that the e-mail being sent Bcc: is for information-only purposes and that a response is not required, though it is not forbidden either. The original recipient and other recipients, whether Cc:, Bcc:, or To:, can NOT view the identity of the Bcc: recipient (in other words, no one knows the Bcc: recipient also received the message). However, if the Bcc: recipient decides to reply or reply all, the identity will be shown.

Double-click on a message to read it.

Tip: Click on column headers to sort your messages. Click again to reverse order.

To reply to a message, click the Reply button (adds sender's e-mail address to the To: box, adds RE: in front of the subject).

To reply to more than one sender, click the Reply to All button (all original recipients except you are added to the To: or Cc: address box, adds RE: in front of the subject).

Tip: A good way to quote the original message when replying is to select Tools | Options | Preferences | E-mail Options | When replying to a message | Prefix each line of the original message.

While it is good to quote the original message, click the Forward button (adds Fwd: in front of the subject, you must manually enter or select recipient).

An attachment is, in essence, electronically paperclipping a document or file (spreadsheet, word processing, picture, Web page) to an existing message that you wish to send via e-mail. Follow these steps to attach a file:

• Make sure you have a file to attach. You must know where that file resides.
• Create a New Message. Enter the address, subject, and short message. It is a good idea to let the recipient know that you have attached a file.
  
• Click on the paperclip button or select Insert | File. Locate the file you want to attach and click on the Insert button (you will see an icon at the bottom of your screen).
  

Some situations that give us problems when sending an attachment:

• Sending MSWORD files to someone who doesn't have MSWORD or who has an older version of MSWORD (can be a problem for any other program, for that matter)
• Sending PC to MAC (or MAC to PC)
• Sending attachments to someone who can't receive attachments (some free web-based e-mail programs)

To avoid the Attachment Blues, plan ahead and talk with your e-mail recipient. Ask the following questions:

• What e-mail program are you using?
• What kind of computer are you using?
• What program do you have that can read the type of file that I want to send?
• What is the version of your program?
• What kind of file form is acceptable to you?
• Can I compress the file before saving it?
• Can you decompress it?
• As a last resort, can I simply "copy and paste" information into a plain text message?

You can flag a message that you are sending (or reading). Click on the Flag button and select one of the following three choices:

• Reply no later than a specific date
• No Response Necessary
• Do Not Forward

You can create a Signature File, a tagline that Outlook will add to each of your outgoing e-mails.

• Select Tools | Options
• Click the Mail Format tab
• Click the Signatures button; if you have any signatures already created you may select one now
• If not, click the New button; if you have any signatures already created you may select one now
• If not, click the New button to begin creating a new signature
• Type a descriptive name for your signature in the Enter a name for your new signature text box (this name will not appear in your e-mail)
• Select Start with a blank signature radio button
• Click Next
• Type the signature text (limit it to six lines: name, title, phone, e-mail, quote)
• Click Finish | OK

You can send a vCard (business card) with your e-mail.

• Select Tools | Options
• Click the Mail Format tab
• Click the Signatures... button
• Choose the signature file you wish to modify
• Click the New vCard from Contact button to create the vCard
• Click OK | OK | OK

You can use stationery.

• Select Actions | New Mail Message Using | Stationery or More Stationery
• Scroll choices and select the stationery you wish to use
• Click OK

These are the default folders for Outlook:

• Inbox - holds incoming mail
• Drafts - holds copies of started, but unsent, e-mail
• Outbox - holds sent mail that has not gone out yet (last chance to recover it)
• Sent - holds copies of messages you have sent
• Deleted - holds messages you have deleted from other folders

Incoming mail is placed into your Inbox folder. To create a new folder:

• Right-click the folder you want to be the parent folder
• Select New Folder
• Select the location for the new folder from the Select where to place the folder list box
• Select Mail Items in the Folder contains list box
• Enter a name for the folder in the Name text box
• Click OK

You can drag messages into the folder to file them.

You can click on a header in Inbox or any mail folder to organize your mail by sender, subject, or date.

You can make a details column larger or smaller by pulling the heading with a double arrow.

You can delete a message by clicking on the message and then clicking on the Delete button.

You can verify or add a Contact to your address book after you click reply to their e-mail:

• Right-click on the underlined name and select Add to Address Book.

You can delete an e-mail address from your address book:

• Select Tools | Address Book. Then click on the name and then the Delete button.

You can create a Distribution List to make group sends:

• Select File | New | Distribution List
• Enter a descriptive name
• Click the Select Members button
• Select each member from the left list and click the Add button to add them to the right
• Click OK
• Click the Save and Close button to save your distribution list

To use a Distribution List:

• Begin a new message
• Click the To: button
• Select the distribution list and click the To: button
• Click OK
• Complete your message and click the Send button

One last way to manage and organize your e-mail is to Use Rules to filter your e-mail messages.

• Select Tools | Rules Wizard
• Click the New button
• Select a type of rule from the Which type of rule do you want to create list box?
• Click Next Scroll through the Which condition(s) do you want to check? list box. Remember all conditions you set must be met so fewer is better at first.
• Click each of the underlined items in the Rule description list box to edit
• Click OK
• Click Next

Choose any additional actions for this rule from the What do you want to do with the message? list box.

• Click OK when you are done
• Click Next
• Scroll through the Which condition(s) do you want to check? list box. Remember all conditions you set must be met so fewer is better at first.
• Click each of the underlined items in the Rule description list box to edit
• Click OK
• Click Next

Choose any additional actions for this rule from the What do you want to do with the message? list box.

• Click OK when you are done
• Click Next
• Enter a descriptive name in the Please specify a name for this rule text box
• Select the Run this rule now on messages already in "Inbox" check box. This is a good way to check the operation of your new rule
• Make certain the Turn on this rule checkbox is selected
• Click the Finish button
• Click OK

Because Junk Mail (or SPAM) is such a problem, Outlook has some rules that you may turn on right away.

• Select Tools | Organize (or click the Organize button)
• Click the Junk E-mail item at the bottom of the list of organizer tools
• Select Move from the action list box for each of the two categories
• Select the destination folder
• Click the Turn on button to apply the rule
• Click the Organize button to close the Inbox organizer
• To add someone to the junk or adult content E-mail message list, select a message from that person and choose Actions | Junk E-mail | Add to Junk Senders List
  

Please ask your system administrator to help you set up your school Outlook e-mail for use.

Author of e-mail message. Subject line of the message. [Online] Available e-mail:username@address.edu, date of message or download

Brown, Jane. The Attachment Blues. [Online] Available
     e-mail: jane@dzfx.com, March 6, 2002

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• E-mail Discussion Lists and Electronic Journals - edweb.gsn.org/lists.html
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