Email or Electronic Mail transmission of messages and files via a computer network. Email quickly has become one of the more widely used forms of digital communications. Although e-mail is primarily a text-based form of digital communications, it also can be used to share photos, videos, and other types of files by attaching files to e-mail messages.
Email: The Personal Perspective
With a computer or mobile device connected to the Internet, you can use e-mail to keep in contact with friends, family, stores, companies, schools, and government agencies. Some people maintain several different e-mail addresses for use in different situations.
In below indicates some advantages, disadvantages, and good practice of personal email use.
Personal E-mail Use
Advantages:
- One of the most preferred methods of online communications.
- Avaliable on nearly any computer or mobile device with internet access.
- Send files, called attachments, via email messages to others.
- Fast, relaibale, and proven technology.
- Allows messages to be sent anywhere free of charge or inexpensively.
- Allows communications with more than one person at a time.
Disadvantages:
- Number of messages received can become overwhelming and unmanageable.
- Spam can overwhelm your e-mail inbox.
- Message tone can be misunderstood.
- Many computer viruses and other malicious programs are transmitted via email messages.
Good Practices:
- Keep messages as short as possible.
- Check with the recipient before sending attachments, especially large attachments.
- Respond to messages promptly.
- Use a reputable Internet access provider that uses a spam filter, which is a program that detects and removes spam, and use an email program that includes spam filter.
- Never respond to unsolicited advertisement or spam.
- Always include a Subject line.
- When replying to questions or comments include
E-mail: The Business Perspective
Nearly all business uses e-mail for internal communications among employees and external communications with customers and business partners. E-mail gradually has replaced typed and copied memos, letters, and faxes while increasing the reliability, cost effectiveness, and speed of the communications.
In below indicates some advantages, disadvantages, and good practice of email use in business.
E-mail Use in Business
Advantages:
- Easily archive, or store long-term, all e-mail messages sent from or received by the business.
- Generally can guarantee delivery of any email message that is sent within the business.
- A replacement for memos, letters, faxes, and other internal and external business communications when permitted by company policy.
- Communicated with someone who is not available at the time you need to communicate.
Disadvantages:
- Volume of email messages often becomes overwhelming.
- Often leads to overcommunication, which can result in important information being lost because it is ignored.
- Sometimes leads to avoidance of personal contact, such as a meeting or telephone call.
Good Practice:
- Because most companies archive, or save, all email messages, use email when you want a permanent record of communication.
- Understand your company’s email policies. Many companies prohibit sending personal e-mail messages from a business computer.
- Never include any language that would be considered inappropriate in a business environment.
- Check your email inbox regularly.
- Follow your company’s or departments guideline for formatting messages and including contact information and any appropriate disclaimers.
- In most cases, it is apparent to need rger attachments in business email messages as compared to those permitted in personal messages.
- Avoid Sending messages to many people simultaneously or replying to large groups of people. For examples, it is almost always such as a negotiation, legal matter, or employee review.
- When you need to know that the recipient has read your email message, use the return receipt feature of your email program to receive automatic notification as soon as the message is read.