E-mail 9738 225673642 2008-07-14T21:01:05Z Neon white 2481958 Reverted to revision 225546844 by [[Special:Contributions/SystemBuilder|SystemBuilder]]; removed promotional vandalism. ([[WP:TW|TW]]) {{otheruses4|electronic mail|the former manufacturing conglomerate|Email Limited}} [[Image:Mozilla thunderbird empty screenshot.png|thumb|right|250px|The interface of an e-mail client, [[Mozilla Thunderbird|Thunderbird]]]] '''Electronic mail''', often abbreviated to ''e-mail'', ''email'', or simply ''mail'', is a [[store-and-forward]] method of writing, sending, receiving and saving [[message]]s over [[electronics|electronic]] communication systems. The term "e-mail" (as a noun or verb) applies to the [[Internet]] e-mail system based on the [[Simple Mail Transfer Protocol]], to [[computer network|network]] systems based on other [[Communications protocol|protocols]] and to various [[Mainframe computer|mainframe]], [[minicomputer]] or [[intranet]] systems allowing users within one organization to send messages to each other in support of [[Workgroup (Computer networking)|workgroup]] [[collaboration]]. Intranet systems may be based on proprietary protocols supported by a particular systems vendor, or on the same protocols used on public networks. E-mail is often used to deliver bulk unsolicited messages, or [[E-mail spam|"spam"]], but filter programs exist which can automatically block, quarantine or delete some or most of these, depending on the situation. ==Spelling== <!-- this section has been hacked back so many times, maybe we should just split off an article to hold all the references/opinions/arguments. --> The spellings ''e-mail'' and ''email'' are both common. Several prominent journalistic and technical [[style guide]]s recommend ''e-mail'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/CMS_FAQ/HyphensEnDashesEmDashes/HyphensEnDashesEmDashes05.html|title=Hyphens, En Dashes, Em Dashes - Q&A|accessdate=2008-05-18}}</ref><ref>[http://safari.oreilly.com/0735617465 O'Reilly - Safari Books Online - 0735617465 - Microsoft® Manual of Style for Technical Publications Third Edition<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://standards.ieee.org/guides/style/annexa.html 2007 IEEE Standards Style Manual-Annex A<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.apstylebook.com/ask_editor.php APStylebook.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> and the spelling ''email'' is also recognized in many dictionaries.<ref>[http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/email Reference.com]</ref><ref>Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2006</ref><ref>The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition</ref><ref>Princeton University WordNet 3.0</ref><ref>The American Heritage Science Dictionary, 2002</ref> In the original [[Request for Comments|RFC]] definitions for the Internet's electronic mail system, neither spelling is used; the service is referred to as ''mail'', and a single piece of electronic mail is called a ''message''.<ref>[http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc821.html RFC 821 (rfc821) - Simple Mail Transfer Protocol<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc1939.html RFC 1939 (rfc1939) - Post Office Protocol - Version 3<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc3501.html RFC 3501 (rfc3501) - Internet Message Access Protocol - version 4rev1<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Some later RFCs also use ''email''.<ref>[http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc2821.html RFC 2821 (rfc2821) - Simple Mail Transfer Protocol<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The authors of some of the original RFCs used ''email'' when giving their own addresses (see footnotes 11 and 12 above). ==Origin== E-mail predates the inception of the [[Internet]], and was in fact a crucial tool in creating the Internet. [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology|MIT]] first demonstrated the [[Compatible Time-Sharing System]] (CTSS) in 1961.<ref> "CTSS, Compatible Time-Sharing System" (September 4, 2006), University of South Alabama, web: [http://www.cis.usouthal.edu/faculty/daigle/project1/ctss.htm USA-CTSS]. </ref> It allowed multiple users to log into the IBM 7094<ref> Tom Van Vleck, "The IBM 7094 and CTSS" (September 10, 2004), ''Multicians.org'' ([[Multics]]), web: [http://www.multicians.org/thvv/7094.html Multicians-7094]. </ref> from remote dial-up terminals, and to store files online on disk. This new ability encouraged users to share information in new ways. E-mail started in 1965 as a way for multiple users of a [[time-sharing]] [[mainframe computer]] to communicate. Although the exact history is murky, among the first systems to have such a facility were [[System Development Corporation|SDC's]] [[Q32]] and MIT's CTSS. E-mail was quickly extended to become ''network e-mail'', allowing users to pass messages between different computers by at least 1966 (it is possible the [[Semi Automatic Ground Environment|SAGE]] system had something similar some time before). The [[ARPANET]] [[computer network]] made a large contribution to the development of e-mail. There is one report that indicates experimental inter-system e-mail transfers began shortly after its creation in 1969.<ref>[http://www.multicians.org/thvv/mail-history.html The History of Electronic Mail<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> [[Ray Tomlinson]] initiated the use of the [[At sign|@ sign]] to separate the names of the user and their machine in 1971.<ref>[http://openmap.bbn.com/~tomlinso/ray/firstemailframe.html The First Email<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The [[ARPANET]] significantly increased the popularity of e-mail, and it became the [[Killer application|killer app]] of the ARPANET. ==Workings== ===Example=== [[Image:email.svg|center|How e-mail works]] The diagram above shows a typical sequence of events <ref>{{cite video | title = How E-mail Works | medium = internet video | publisher = howstuffworks.com | date = 2008 | url = http://www.webcastr.com/videos/informational/how-email-works.html}}</ref> that takes place when Alice composes a message using her [[E-mail client|mail user agent]] (MUA). She types in, or selects from an address book, the [[e-mail address]] of her correspondent. She hits the "send" button. # Her MUA formats the message in [[#Internet e-mail format|Internet e-mail format]] and uses the [[Simple Mail Transfer Protocol]] (SMTP) to send the message to the local [[mail transfer agent]] (MTA), in this case <tt>smtp.a.org</tt>, run by Alice's [[Internet Service Provider]] (ISP). # The MTA looks at the destination address provided in the SMTP protocol (not from the message header), in this case <tt>bob@b.org</tt>. An Internet e-mail address is a string of the form <tt>localpart@exampledomain.com</tt>, which is known as a Fully Qualified Domain Address (FQDA). The part before the @ sign is the '''local part''' of the address, often the [[username]] of the recipient, and the part after the @ sign is a [[domain name]]. The MTA looks up this domain name in the [[Domain Name System]] to find the [[mail exchange server]]s accepting messages for that domain. # The [[DNS server]] for the <tt>b.org</tt> domain, <tt>ns.b.org</tt>, responds with an [[MX record]] listing the mail exchange servers for that domain, in this case <tt>mx.b.org</tt>, a server run by Bob's ISP. <!--nitpick: DNS requests almost always go via a dns server acting as a recursive resolver they are not made directly by the app (in this case the mta) that needs the information [[User:Plugwash|Plugwash]] 02:30, [[22 May]] [[2005]] (UTC)--> # <tt>smtp.a.org</tt> sends the message to <tt>mx.b.org</tt> using SMTP, which delivers it to the [[Email Mailbox|mailbox]] of the user <tt>bob</tt>. # Bob presses the "get mail" button in his MUA, which picks up the message using the [[Post Office Protocol]] (POP3). This sequence of events applies to the majority of e-mail users. However, there are many alternative possibilities and complications to the e-mail system: * Alice or Bob may use a client connected to a corporate e-mail system, such as [[IBM]] [[Lotus Notes]] or [[Microsoft]] [[Microsoft Exchange Server|Exchange]]. These systems often have their own internal e-mail format and their clients typically communicate with the e-mail server using a vendor-specific, proprietary protocol. The server sends or receives e-mail via the Internet through the product's Internet mail gateway which also does any necessary reformatting. If Alice and Bob work for the same company, the entire transaction may happen completely within a single corporate e-mail system. * Alice may not have a MUA on her computer but instead may connect to a [[webmail]] service. * Alice's computer may run its own MTA, so avoiding the transfer at step 1. * Bob may pick up his e-mail in many ways, for example using the [[Internet Message Access Protocol]], by logging into <tt>mx.b.org</tt> and reading it directly, or by using a [[webmail]] service. * Domains usually have several mail exchange servers so that they can continue to accept mail when the main mail exchange server is not available. * E-mail messages are not secure if [[e-mail encryption]] is not used correctly. It used to be the case that many MTAs would accept messages for any recipient on the Internet and do their best to deliver them. Such MTAs are called ''[[open mail relay]]s''. This was important in the early days of the Internet when network connections were unreliable. If an MTA couldn't reach the destination, it could at least deliver it to a relay that was closer to the destination. The relay would have a better chance of delivering the message at a later time. However, this mechanism proved to be exploitable by people sending [[e-mail spam|unsolicited bulk e-mail]] and as a consequence very few modern MTAs are open mail relays, and many MTAs will not accept messages from open mail relays because such messages are very likely to be spam. Note that the people, e-mail addresses and domain names in this explanation are fictional: see [[Alice and Bob|''Alice and Bob'']]. ===Format=== The format of Internet e-mail messages is defined in RFC 2822 and a series of [[Request for Comments|RFCs]], RFC 2045 through RFC 2049, collectively called [[MIME|Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions]] (MIME). Although as of [[July 13]] [[2005]] RFC 2822 is technically a proposed [[Internet Engineering Task Force|IETF]] standard and the MIME RFCs are draft IETF standards,<ref>{{citeweb|title=RFC Index|url=http://www.ietf.org/iesg/1rfc_index.txt}}</ref> these documents are the de facto standards for the format of Internet e-mail. Prior to the introduction of RFC 2822 in 2001 the format described by RFC 822 was the de facto standard for Internet e-mail for nearly two decades; it is still the official IETF standard. The IETF reserved the numbers 2821 and 2822 for the updated versions of RFC 821 (SMTP) and RFC 822, honoring the extreme importance of these two RFCs. RFC 822 was published in 1982 and based on the earlier RFC 733. Internet e-mail messages consist of two major sections: * Header — Structured into fields such as summary, sender, receiver, and other information about the e-mail * Body — The message itself as unstructured text; sometimes containing a [[signature block]] at the end The header is separated from the body by a blank line. ====Header====<!-- This section is linked from [[Bracket]] --> The message header consists of fields, usually including at least the following: * From: The [[e-mail address]], and optionally the name of the sender * To: The e-mail address[es], and optionally name[s] of the message's recipient[s] * Subject: A brief summary of the contents of the message * Date: The local time and date when the message was written Each header field has a name and a value. RFC 2822 specifies the precise syntax. Informally, the field name starts in the first character of a line, followed by a ":", followed by the value which is continued on non-null subsequent lines that have a space or tab as their first character. Field names and values are restricted to 7-bit [[ASCII]] characters. Non-ASCII values may be represented using MIME [[MIME#Encoded-Word|encoded words]]. Note that the "To" field in the header is not necessarily related to the addresses to which the message is delivered. The actual delivery list is supplied in the SMTP protocol, not extracted from the header content. The "To" field is similar to the greeting at the top of a conventional letter which is delivered according to the address on the outer envelope. Also note that the "From" field does not have to be the real sender of the e-mail message. It is very easy to fake the "From" field and let a message seem to be from any mail address. It is possible to [[Digital signature|digitally sign]] e-mail, which is much harder to fake. Some [[Internet service provider]]s do not relay e-mail claiming to come from a domain not hosted by them, but very few (if any) check to make sure that the person or even e-mail address named in the "From" field is the one associated with the connection. Some [[Internet service provider]]s apply [[e-mail authentication]] systems to e-mail being sent through their MTA to allow other MTAs to detect forged spam that might apparently appear to be from them. Other common header fields include (see RFC 4021 or RFC 2076 for more): * Cc: [[carbon copy]] * Bcc: [[Blind Carbon Copy]] * Received: Tracking information generated by mail servers that have previously handled a message * [[Content-Type]]: Information about how the message has to be displayed, usually a [[MIME]] type * Reply-To: Address that should be used to reply to the sender. * References: [[Message-ID]] of the message that this is a reply to, and the message-id of this message, etc. * In-Reply-To: [[Message-ID]] of the message that this is a reply to. * [[X-Face]]: Small icon. Many e-mail clients present "Bcc" (Blind carbon copy, recipients not visible in the "To" field) as a header field. Different protocols are used to deal with the "Bcc" field; at times the entire field is removed, whereas other times the field remains but the addresses therein are removed. Addresses added as "Bcc" are only added to the SMTP delivery list, and do not get included in the message data. [[Internet Assigned Numbers Authority|IANA]] maintains [http://www.iana.org/assignments/message-headers/perm-headers.html a list of standard header fields]. ====Body==== {{Refimprovesect|date=November 2007}} =====Content encoding===== E-mail was originally designed for 7-bit [[ASCII]]. Much e-mail software is [[8-bit clean]] but must assume it will be communicating with 8-bit servers and mail readers. The [[MIME]] standard introduced character set specifiers and two content transfer encodings to enable transmission of non-ASCII data: [[quoted printable]] for mostly 7 bit content with a few characters outside that range and [[base64]] for arbitrary binary data. The [[8BITMIME]] extension was introduced to allow transmission of mail without the need for these encodings but many [[mail transport agent]]s still don't support it fully. For international [[character set]]s, [[Unicode]] is growing in popularity. =====Plain text and HTML===== Both [[plain text]] and [[HTML]] are used to convey e-mail. While text is certain to be read by all users without problems, there is a perception that [[HTML e-mail|HTML-based e-mail]] has a higher aesthetic value. Advantages of HTML include the ability to include inline links and images, set apart previous messages in [[block quote]]s, wrap naturally on any display, use emphasis such as [[underline]]s and [[italics]], and change [[font]] styles. HTML e-mail messages often include an automatically-generated plain text copy as well, for compatibility reasons. Disadvantages include the increased size of the email, privacy concerns about [[web bug]]s and that HTML email can be a vector for [[phishing]] attacks and the spread of [[malware|malicious software]].<ref>{{citeweb|title=Email policies that prevent viruses|url=http://advosys.ca/papers/mail-policies.html}}</ref> ==Servers and client applications==<!-- This section is linked from [[Catch-all (Mail)]]. See [[WP:MOS#Section management]] --> Messages are exchanged between hosts using the [[SMTP|Simple Mail Transfer Protocol]] with software programs called [[mail transport agent]]s. Users can download their messages from servers with standard protocols such as the [[Post Office Protocol|POP]] or [[IMAP]] protocols, or, as is more likely in a large [[corporation|corporate]] environment, with a [[Proprietary software|proprietary]] protocol specific to [[Lotus Notes]] or [[Microsoft Exchange Server]]s. Mail can be stored either on the [[client (computing)|client]], on the [[Server (computing)|server]] side, or in both places. Standard formats for mailboxes include [[Maildir]] and [[mbox]]. Several prominent e-mail clients use their own proprietary format and require conversion software to transfer e-mail between them. When a message cannot be delivered, the recipient MTA must send a [[bounce message]] back to the sender, indicating the problem. ===Filename extensions=== Most, but not all, e-mail clients save individual messages as separate files, or allow users to do so. Different applications save e-mail files with different [[filename extension]]s. ;<tt>.eml</tt> :This is the default e-mail extension for [[Mozilla Thunderbird]] and [[Windows Mail]]. It is used by [[Outlook Express|Microsoft Outlook Express]]. ;<tt>.emlx</tt> :Used by [[Mail (application)|Apple Mail]]. ;<tt>.msg</tt> :Used by [[Microsoft Outlook|Microsoft Office Outlook]]. ==Use== {{Refimprovesect|date=November 2007}} ===In society=== ====Flaming==== Many observers{{who}} bemoan the rise of [[Flaming (Internet)|flaming]] in written communications. Flaming occurs when one person sends an angry and/or antagonistic message. Flaming is assumed to be more common today because of the ease and impersonality of e-mail communications: confrontations in person or via telephone require direct interaction, where social norms encourage civility, whereas typing a message to another person is an indirect interaction, so civility may be forgotten. ====E-mail bankruptcy==== Also known as "email fatigue", e-mail bankruptcy is when a user ignores a large number of e-mail messages after falling behind in reading and answering them. The reason for falling behind is often due to information overload and a general sense there is so much information that it is not possible to read it all. As a solution, people occasionally send a boilerplate message explaining that the email inbox is being cleared out. [[Stanford University]] law professor [[Lawrence Lessig]] is credited with coining this term, but he may only have popularized it.<ref>{{cite news ||title=All We Are Saying. |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/23/weekinreview/23buzzwords.html?ref=weekinreview |publisher=[[New York Times]] |date=[[December 23]] [[2007]]|accessdate=2007-12-24 }}</ref> ===In business=== E-mail was widely accepted by the business community as the first broad electronic communication medium and was the first ‘e-revolution’ in Business communication. E-mail is very simple to understand and like postal mail, e-mail solves two basic problems of communication: logistics and synchronization (see below). LAN based email is also an emerging form of usage for business. It not only allows the business user to download mail when ''offline'', it also provides the small business user to have multiple users email ID's with just ''one email connection''. ====Pros==== * '''The problem of logistics''' Much of the business world relies upon communications between people who are not physically in the same building, area or even country; setting up and attending an in-person meeting, [[telephone call]], or [[conference call]] can be inconvenient, time-consuming and costly. E-mail provides a way to exchange information between two or more people with no set-up costs and that is generally far less expensive than physical meetings or phone calls. * '''The problem of synchronization''' With [[real time]] communication by meetings or phone calls, participants have to be working on the same schedule and each participant must spend the same amount of time in the meeting or on the call as everyone else. E-mail allows [[asynchrony]] -- each participant to decide when and how much time they will spend dealing with any associated information. ====Cons==== Most business workers today spend from one to two hours of their working day on email: reading, ordering, sorting, ‘re-contextualizing’ fragmented information and of course writing e-mail.<ref>{{Cite web|url= http://www.smallbiztrends.com/2007/06/email-has-right-to-privacy-why-small-businesses-care.html|title= Email Right to Privacy - Why Small Businesses Care| date=[[2007-06-19]]| publisher= Anita Campbell}}</ref> The use of e-mail is increasing due to increasing levels of globalization&mdash;labour division and outsourcing amongst other things. E-mail can lead to some well-known problems: * '''Loss of Context''': Information in context (as in a newspaper) is much easier and faster to understand than unedited and sometimes unrelated fragments of information. Communicating in context can only be achieved when both parties have a full understanding of the context and issue in question. * '''Antisocial Behaviorisms''': Email can be a "get out of jail" for those who are nervous or poor articulators in face to face situations. This can lead to society becoming less personal with a greater number of people being unable to hold conversations face to face. * '''Information overload''': E-mail is a [[push technology]]—the sender controls who receives the information. Convenient availability of [[mailing list]]s and use of "copy all" can lead to people receiving unwanted or irrelevant information of no use to them. * '''Inconsistency''': E-mails can duplicate information. This can be a problem when a large team is working on documents and information while not in constant contact with the other members of their team. Despite these disadvantages, email has become the most widely used medium of communication within the business world. ==Challenges== {{Refimprovesect|date=November 2007}} ===Information overload=== A December 2007 New York Times blog post described E-mail as "a $650 Billion Drag on the Economy"<ref>{{Cite web|url= http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/20/is-information-overload-a-650-billion-drag-on-the-economy|title= Is Information Overload a $650 Billion Drag on the Economy?| date=[[2007-12-20]]| publisher= New York Times}}</ref>, and the New York Times reported in April 2008 that "E-MAIL has become the bane of some people’s professional lives" due to information overload, yet "none of [the current wave of high-profile Internet startups focused on email] really eliminates the problem of e-mail overload because none helps us prepare replies".<ref>{{Cite web|url= http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/technology/20digi.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin|title= Struggling to Evade the E-Mail Tsunami| date=[[2008-04-20]]| publisher= New York Times}}</ref> Technology investors reflect similar concerns.<ref>{{Cite web|url= http://www.foundrygroup.com/blog/archives/2008/04/did-darwin-skip-over-email.php|title= Did Darwin Skip Over Email?| date=[[2008-04-28]]| publisher= Foundry Group}}</ref> ===Spamming and computer viruses=== The usefulness of e-mail is being threatened by four phenomena: [[e-mail bomb]]ardment, [[E-mail spam|spamming]], [[phishing]] and [[e-mail worm]]s. Spamming is unsolicited commercial e-mail. Because of the very low cost of sending e-mail, spammers can send hundreds of millions of e-mail messages each day over an inexpensive Internet connection. Hundreds of active spammers sending this volume of mail results in [[information overload]] for many computer users who receive voluminous unsolicited email each day. E-mail worms use e-mail as a way of replicating themselves into vulnerable computers. Although the [[Morris (computer worm)|first e-mail worm]] affected [[UNIX]] computers, the problem is most common today on the more popular [[Microsoft Windows]] operating system. The combination of spam and worm programs results in users receiving a constant drizzle of junk e-mail, which reduces the usefulness of e-mail as a practical tool. A number of [[anti-spam techniques (e-mail)|anti-spam techniques]] mitigate the impact of spam. In the [[United States]], [[Congress of the United States|U.S. Congress]] has also passed a law, the [[Can Spam Act of 2003]], attempting to regulate such e-mail. Australia also has very strict spam laws restricting the sending of spam from an Australian ISP,<ref>{{citeweb|title=Spam Bill 2003|url=http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/bd/2003-04/04bd045.pdf}}</ref> but its impact has been minimal since most spam comes from regimes that seem reluctant to regulate the sending of spam. ===Privacy concerns=== {{main|e-mail privacy}} E-mail privacy, without some security precautions, can be compromised because: * e-mail messages are generally not encrypted; * e-mail messages have to go through intermediate computers before reaching their destination, meaning it is relatively easy for others to intercept and read messages; * many Internet Service Providers (ISP) store copies of your e-mail messages on their mail servers before they are delivered. The backups of these can remain up to several months on their server, even if you delete them in your mailbox; * the Received: headers and other information in the e-mail can often identify the sender, preventing anonymous communication. There are [[cryptography]] applications that can serve as a remedy to one or more of the above. For example, [[Virtual Private Network]]s or the [[Tor (anonymity network)|Tor anonymity network]] can be used to encrypt traffic from the user machine to a safer network while [[GNU Privacy Guard|GPG]], [[Pretty Good Privacy|PGP]] or [[S/MIME]] can be used for [[end-to-end]] message encryption, and SMTP STARTTLS or SMTP over [[Transport Layer Security]]/Secure Sockets Layer can be used to encrypt communications for a single mail hop between the SMTP client and the SMTP server. Additionally, many [[mail user agent]]s do not protect logins and passwords, making them easy to intercept by an attacker. Encrypted authentication schemes such as [[Simple Authentication and Security Layer|SASL]] prevent this. Finally, attached files share many of the same hazards as those found in [[Peer-to-peer|peer-to-peer filesharing]]. Attached files may contain [[Trojan horse (computing)|trojans]] or [[Computer virus|viruses]]. ===Tracking of sent mail=== The original SMTP mail service provides limited mechanisms for tracking a sent message, and none for verifying that it has been delivered or read. It requires that each mail server must either deliver it onward or return a failure notice ("bounce message"), but both software bugs and system failures can cause messages to be lost. To remedy this, the [[Internet Engineering Task Force|IETF]] introduced [[Delivery Status Notification]]s (delivery receipts) and [[Return receipt#E-mail|Message Disposition Notifications]] (return receipts); however, these are not universally deployed in production. ==US Government== The US Government has been involved in e-mail in several different ways. Starting in 1977, the [[US Postal Service]] (USPS) recognized the electronic mail and electronic transactions posed a significant threat to First Class mail volumes and revenue. Therefore, the USPS initiated an experimental e-mail service known as E-COM. Electronic messages would be transmitted to a post office, printed out, and delivered in hard copy form. In order to take advantage of the service, an individual had to transmit at least 200 messages. The delivery time of the messages was the same as First Class mail and cost 26 cents. The service was said to be subsidized and apparently USPS lost substantial money on the experiment. Both the [[US Postal Commission]] and the [[Federal Communications Commission]] opposed E-COM. The FCC concluded that E-COM constituted common carriage under its jurisdiction and the USPS would have to file a [[tariff]].<ref>In re Request for declaratory ruling and investigation by Graphnet Systems, Inc., concerning the proposed E-COM service, FCC Docket No. 79-6 (Sept 4, 1979)</ref> Three years after initiating the service, USPS canceled E-COM and attempted to sell it off.<ref>[http://www.usps.com/history/history/his1.htm History of the United States Postal Service, USPS]</ref><ref>Hardy, Ian R; The Evolution of ARPANET Email; 1996-05-13; History Thesis; University of California at Berkeley</ref><ref>James Bovard, The Law Dinosaur: The US Postal Service, CATO Policy Analysis (Feb. 1985) </ref><ref>[http://www.cs.ucsb.edu/~almeroth/classes/F04.176A/homework1_good_papers/jay-akkad.html Jay Akkad, The History of Email]</ref><ref>[http://www.cybertelecom.org/notes/email.htm Cybertelecom : Email]</ref><ref>[http://www.gao.gov/archive/2000/gg00188.pdf US Postal Service: Postal Activities and Laws Related to Electronic Commerce, GAO-00-188 ]</ref><ref>[http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/ota/Ota_4/DATA/1982/8214.PDF Implications of Electronic Mail and Message Systems for the U.S. Postal Service , Office of Technology Assessment, Congress of the United States, August 1982]</ref> Early on in the history of the [[ARPANet]], there were multiple e-mail clients which had various, and at times, incompatible formats. For example, in the system Multics, the "@" sign meant "kill line" and anything after the "@" sign would be ignored.<ref>[http://www.cs.ucsb.edu/~almeroth/classes/F04.176A/homework1_good_papers/jay-akkad.html Jay Akkad, The History of Email ]</ref> The [[United States Department of Defense|Department of Defense]] [[DARPA]] desired to have uniformity and interoperability for e-mail and therefore funded efforts to drive towards unified interoperable standards. This led to David Crocker, John Vittal, Kenneth Pogran, and Austin Henderson publishing RFC 733, "Standard for the Format of ARPA Network Text Message" (Nov. 21, 1977), which was apparently not effective. In 1979, a meeting was held at BBN to resolve incompatibility issues. [[Jon Postel]] recounted the meeting in RFC 808, "Summary of Computer Mail Services Meeting Held at BBN on 10 January 1979" (March 1, 1982), which includes an appendix listing the varying e-mail systems at the time. This, in turn, lead to the release of David Crocker's RFC 822, "Standard for the Format of ARPA Internet Text Messages" (Aug. 13, 1982).<ref>[http://www.livinginternet.com/e/ei.htm Email History, How Email was Invented , Living Internet]</ref> The [[National Science Foundation]] took over operations of the ARPANet and Internet from the Department of Defense, and initiated [[NSFNet]], a new [[backbone]] for the network. A part of the NSFNet AUP was that no commercial traffic would be permitted.<ref>[http://www.cybertelecom.org/notes/internet_history80s.htm Cybertelecom : Internet History]</ref> In 1988, [[Vint Cerf]] arranged for an interconnection of MCI Mail with NSFNET on an experimental basis. The following year Compuserve e-mail interconnected with NSFNET. Within a few years the commercial traffic restriction was removed from NSFNETs AUP, and NSFNET was privatized. In the late 1990s, the [[Federal Trade Commission]] grew concerned with fraud transpiring in e-mail, and initiated a series of procedures on SPAM, fraud, and phishing.<ref>[http://www.cybertelecom.org/spam/Spamref.htm Cybertelecom : SPAM Reference]</ref> In 2004, FTC jurisdiction over SPAM was codified into law in the form of the CAN SPAM Act.<ref>[http://www.cybertelecom.org/spam/canspam.htm Cybertelecom : Can Spam Act]</ref> Several other US Federal Agencies have also exercised jurisdiction including the Department of Justice and the Secret Service. ==See also== {{portalpar|Internet}} ===Enhancements=== * [[E-mail encryption]] * [[HTML e-mail]] * [[Internet fax]] * [[L-mail]] * [[Push e-mail]] ===E-mail social issues=== <div style="-moz-column-count:2; column-count:2;"> * [[Anti-spam techniques (e-mail)]] * [[Computer virus]] * [[E-card]] * [[E-mail art]] * [[E-mail spam]] * [[E-mail spoofing]] * [[Email storm]] * [[Information overload]] * [[Internet humor]] * [[Internet slang]] * [[Netiquette]] * [[Reply All]] * [[Usenet quoting]] </div> ===Clients and servers=== <div style="-moz-column-count:2; column-count:2;"> * [[Biff (computing)|biff]] * [[E-mail address]] * [[E-mail authentication]] * [[E-mail client]], [[Comparison of e-mail clients]] * [[E-mail hosting service]] * [[Internet mail standard]]s * [[Mail transfer agent]] * [[Mail user agent]] * [[Unicode and e-mail]] * [[Webmail]] </div> ===Mailing list=== * [[Anonymous remailer]] * [[Disposable e-mail address]] * [[E-mail encryption]] * [[E-mail tracking]] * [[Electronic mailing list]] * [[Mailer-Daemon]] * [[Mailing list archive]] ===Protocols=== * [[IMAP]] * [[POP3]] * [[SMTP]] * [[UUCP]] * [[X400]] ==References== ===Notes=== {{reflist|2}} ===Bibliography=== * [[Free On-line Dictionary of Computing]] * Microsoft Manual of Style for Technical Publications Version 3.0 ==External links== {{Wiktionarypar2|email|outbox}} * [http://www.iana.org/assignments/message-headers/perm-headers.html IANA's list of standard header fields] * [http://www.multicians.org/thvv/mail-history.html The History of Electronic Mail] is a personal memoir by the implementer of one of the first e-mail systems <!-- please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WP:EL before adding links --> {{Computer-mediated communication}} [[Category:Articles with Alice and Bob explanations]] [[Category:Digital Revolution]] [[Category:E-mail]] [[Category:Internet terminology]] [[Category:Internet history]] [[af:E-pos]] [[ar:بريد إلكتروني]] [[ast:Corréu electrónicu]] [[bn:ই-মেইল]] [[zh-min-nan:Tiān-chú-phoe]] [[bs:Email]] [[br:Anvonerezh elektronek]] [[bg:Електронна поща]] [[ca:Correu electrònic]] [[cs:E-mail]] [[cy:E-bost]] [[da:E-mail]] [[de:E-Mail]] [[et:E-kiri]] [[el:Ηλεκτρονικό ταχυδρομείο]] [[es:Correo electrónico]] [[eo:Retpoŝto]] [[eu:Posta elektroniko]] [[fa:پست الکترونیکی]] [[fr:Courrier électronique]] [[fur:Pueste eletroniche]] [[ga:Ríomhphost]] [[gl:Correo electrónico]] [[ko:전자 우편]] [[hi:ईमेल]] [[hr:Elektronička pošta]] [[id:Surat elektronik]] [[is:Tölvupóstur]] [[it:E-mail]] [[he:דואר אלקטרוני]] [[kk:Е-пошта]] [[ku:E-peyam]] [[lv:E-pasts]] [[lt:Elektroninis paštas]] [[li:E-mail]] [[hu:E-mail]] [[mk:Електронско писмо]] [[ml:ഇ-മെയില്‍]] [[mr:ईमेल]] [[ms:Mel elektronik]] [[nl:E-mail]] [[nds-nl:Lienpost]] [[ne:इमेल]] [[ja:電子メール]] [[no:E-post]] [[nn:E-post]] [[oc:Corrièr electronic]] [[uz:E-Mail]] [[nds:Nettbreef]] [[pl:Poczta elektroniczna]] [[pt:E-mail]] [[ro:E-mail]] [[rm:E-mail]] [[qu:E-chaski]] [[ru:Электронная почта]] [[sq:E-mail]] [[scn:E-mail]] [[si:විද්‍යුත් තැපෑල]] [[simple:E-mail]] [[sk:E-mail]] [[sl:Elektronska pošta]] [[sr:Електронска пошта]] [[sh:E-mail]] [[su:Surélék]] [[fi:Sähköposti]] [[sv:E-post]] [[tl:Elektronikong liham]] [[ta:மின்னஞ்சல்]] [[th:อีเมล]] [[vi:Thư điện tử]] [[tpi:Imel]] [[tr:Elektronik posta]] [[uk:Електронна пошта]] [[vec:Posta ełetrònega]] [[wa:Emile]] [[yi:בליצפאסט]] [[zh-yue:電郵]] [[diq:E-mail]] [[zh:电子邮件]]