Home Computer and the Internet

Availabilityof a home computer along with an on-line service could be very helpful. That involves installation and a monthly charge for the use of an on-line service. These charges are computed on the basis of time, however they are not computed according to the distance to your contacts. Therefore, the opportunities offered by having a home computer with on-line services may be cost-effective.

Electronic Mail and How to Use It

Electronic mail (E-mail) combines the advantage of writing with the responsiveness of the telephone. E-mail systems turn computers into in- boxes. As quickly as the term E-mail was established, the ability to communicate with different libraries and countries has increased through linking it to an electronic network such as Internet. E-mail is used widely for internal and external messages and suits itself particularly well to short informal messages. Increasingly, organizations are adopting e-mail as the primary mode of internal communication. Some organizations have policies in place that treat e-mail as a business asset, not a personal asset; thus from a legal perspective, e-mail is admissible in court.

All you need to get started in E-mail is access to a computer with the right hardware, the appropriate software, and an E-mail address.

Guidelines for using E-mail:

- You will need to arrange for an E-mail address.

- Learn to write E-mail headings.

- Learn to write the body of the message entering it directly on the keyboard.

- Users of E-mail often use special abbreviations and emoticons to make their points.

In writing E-mail messages, you can depart from common writing conventions, but make sure that the speed the technology provides does not cause you to become careless. Veteran users of e-mail offer the following suggestions and cautions.

- Address one topic per e-mail message.

- Write an informative subject line.

- Keep screen length in mind when organizing.

- Make it easy for your reader to respond.

- When you respond to an e-mail message, include the context in your reply.

- Be concise.

- Re-read your message in various tones of voice to prevent misunderstandings.

- Don't forget that many people may read your message.

- Don't be too quick to push the "Send" button.

- Don't send highly confidential messages.

- Realize that e-mail cannot fully replace the need for other forms of communication.

Vocabulary.