Email Management

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Email Management

If you utilize a computer at home or work it is likely that you use email. Email is an electronic message that is sent from one computer to another following a specific protocol (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol or SMTP). As email's popularity has grown so too have the inherent problems with email.

In order to send email you must have the exact spelling of the email address. If there are any typographical errors in the recipient's email address then an unintended recipient could receive the email message. When creating an email address avoid characters that cause confusion, like the number 1 (one) and the letter l (el), computer fonts often cause those two characters to have similar appearances. Try to create an email address that cannot easily be misspelled.

As email has become a popular communication medium the email address should not be too long or complicated, but easily said in a phone message. Choose an email address that is easy for others to remember, as a pen is not always handy.

Unfortunately spam, unsolicited email has become common place, though many countries are taking action to make spamming illegal, these measures will unlikely have any short term effect on your email inbox. Many email clients that are used to read and respond to email messages, include basic filtering options that will sort your email messages into folders, based on rules that you define. Email messages can typically be stored and filtered by sender, subject and contents. There are also a number of 3rd party tools available for limiting the amount of spam received. Spam filters typically use different filtering technologies. When evaluating whether a spam solution fits your needs consider sorting filtered email into a specific mailbox for review prior to deletion. This will prevent any important messages from being unintentionally deleted.

As with almost anything, the best defense is a good offense. It is best not to post your email address in public forums, where spammers can harvest it. If you have a website consider typing out the email address: 'name at domain.com', without using the "@" symbol, as this will prevent the address from being abused by email harvesting bots. Another alternative is to provide a contact form rather than an email address.

Resources: Email Clients - http://www.messaging-software.net/e-mail-client-software.htm

Spam Filters - http://www.email-software.org/spam-filter-software.htm

About The Author

Sharon Housley manages marketing for NotePage, Inc. http://www.notepage.net a company specializing in alphanumeric paging, SMS and wireless messaging software solutions. Other sites by Sharon can be found at http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com, and http://www.small-business-software.net

In The News:

Yahoo! News: Top Stories

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Obama: Financial bailout must help homeowners, too (AP)

AP - President-elect Barack Obama signaled a clear desire Wednesday to use a significant portion of $700 billion in financial bailout funds to stanch foreclosures by helping struggling homeowners with their mortgages. "The deteriorating assets in the financial markets are rooted in the deterioration of people being able to pay their mortgages and stay in their homes," he said.

Leftover explosives found in Mumbai train station (AP)

AP - Police on Wednesday discovered leftover explosives hidden in a bag in Mumbai's main train station Â— a stunning new example of botched security after the deadly rampage that left the government open to accusations it missed warnings and bungled its response.

Obama names Richardson to head Commerce Department (AP)

AP - President-elect Barack Obama named New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson as commerce secretary on Wednesday, filling a top economic post in troubled times and placing a second former campaign rival in his new Cabinet.

Cruise passengers describe "cheeky" pirate attack (AP)

AP - Ordered to get inside and stay down, Oregon tourist Clyde Thornburg heard the pirates' rifle shots hit the side of the luxury cruise liner Â— "Pop! Pop! Pop!" Â— then felt the ship speed up to escape.

Police arrest aunt in Calif. shackled teen case (AP)

AP - The aunt and one-time guardian of an emaciated and shackled 17-year-old has been arrested, as police tried to determine how she knew the couple accused of holding the teen against his will for nearly a year.

Scientists ask: Is technology rewiring our brains? (AP)

AP - What does a teenage brain on Google look like? Do all those hours spent online rewire the circuitry? Could these kids even relate better to emoticons than to real people? These sound like concerns from worried parents. But they're coming from brain scientists.

Lawyers: Hudson in-law angered by wife's dating (AP)

AP - Prosecutors allege Jennifer Hudson's estranged brother-in-law killed three family members because he was angry the singer's sister was dating another man.

The one that didn't get away yields long-lost ring (AP)

AP - The one that didn't get away held an unlikely surprise for a Texas man. The blue-stoned class ring of Joe Richardson, engraved with his name, turned up inside an 8-pound bass 21 years after he lost it while fishing on Lake Sam Rayburn.

Red Sox give AL MVP Pedroia a 6-year, $40.5M deal (AP)

AP - AL Most Valuable Player Dustin Pedroia and the Boston Red Sox agreed Wednesday to a $40.5 million, six-year contract. The deal includes a club option for 2015. He would not have been eligible for free agency until after the 2012 season.

Obama says automakers' plan is "more serious" (Reuters)

Reuters - President-elect Barack Obama said on Wednesday struggling automakers have put forward a "more serious" restructuring proposal to Congress but withheld judgment on the plans until hearings are held.

Deepening recession fears foreshadow rate cuts (Reuters)

Reuters - Record declines in the vast U.S. and European service sectors and more bleak U.S. employment news on Wednesday sparked fear of an economic "free fall," setting up another round of deep interest rate cuts.

Rice urges Pakistan to cooperate in Mumbai probe (Reuters)

Reuters - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged Pakistan on Wednesday to cooperate "fully and transparently" in investigations into the Mumbai attacks that have upset India-Pakistan relations.

All options on table as Congress reviews autos bailout (Reuters)

Reuters - All options were on the table on Wednesday as congressional committees scrutinized auto company restructuring proposals and an urgent appeal for $34 billion in aid ahead of make-or-break hearings.

Senate Democrats will pack plenty of muscle (Reuters)

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Paulson said weighing bailout's next $350 billion (Reuters)

Reuters - Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson is weighing whether to ask Congress for the remaining $350 billion of the financial bailout fund, with White House aides approaching President-elect Barack Obama's transition team about the idea, an Obama aide said on Wednesday.

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Reuters - A string of departures by the U.S. military's allies in Iraq is turning into an exodus as violence subsides and the end of a U.N. mandate permitting their deployment to the country approaches.

Thai protesters lift airport siege (Reuters)

Reuters - Anti-government protesters lifted their crippling, eight-day blockade of Thailand's main airport on Wednesday, raising the hopes of 230,000 stranded tourists even though there is no end in sight to the wider political crisis.

India warns all options open with Pakistan after Mumbai attacks (AFP)

AFP - India on Wednesday warned that all options were open in dealing with Pakistan after last week's attacks on Mumbai, as the United States pressured Islamabad to show urgent cooperation with the probe.

Riot police break up Zimbabwe protests as cholera deaths mount (AFP)

AFP - Baton-wielding riot police broke up protests in Harare and detained dozens Wednesday, as the death toll of a cholera epidemic neared 600 in Zimbabwe's worsening health and economic crises.

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