E-mail

In the fast-paced digital age, electronic mail, commonly known as email, has become an indispensable part of our daily communication. This article delves into the fascinating journey of email, exploring its origins, terminology, historical development, operation, and the intricate details of its message format. By the end of this comprehensive exploration, you’ll have a thorough understanding of how email works and its significant impact on various aspects of our lives.

The Genesis of Email

The term “electronic mail” has been in use since 1975, marking the inception of this revolutionary communication method. Variations like “e-mail” and “E-mail” have also been prevalent, with “email” emerging as the common and recommended form. The evolution of these terms reflects the dynamic nature of language usage, influenced by technological advancements and changing preferences.

Terminology and Usage

Diving into the world of email terminology, we explore the preferences in spelling adopted by different style guides and linguistic traditions. While “email” is the standard in many contexts, “e-mail” still holds its ground in edited published American and British English. The article sheds light on the historical usage of “EMAIL” by CompuServe and “EMail” as a traditional form in RFCs.

Historical Development

Tracing the historical development of email, we journey back to the early 1960s when computer-based messaging became possible with the advent of time-sharing. The first ARPANET network mail in 1971 introduced the familiar ‘@’ symbol in email addresses. Proprietary email systems from IBM, CompuServe, and Xerox paved the way for the emergence of Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) in 1983.

Operation of Email

A detailed sequence of events is presented to illustrate how an email is transmitted from the sender to the recipient. The role of mail user agents (MUA), mail submission agents (MSA), message transfer agents (MTA), and message delivery agents (MDA) is explained. The article discusses various scenarios, such as corporate email systems, webmail services, and different methods of email retrieval.

Message Format

Delving into the technical aspects, the article explains the structure of an Internet email, consisting of an envelope and content. The content comprises a header and a body, with Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) extending email capabilities to handle text in various character sets and multimedia content attachments. The historical evolution from RFC 822 to RFC 5322 is explored, shedding light on the standardisation of email formats.

List of Technology

Email Header and Fields

A thorough examination of email headers and fields is provided, outlining the essential components like “From,” “To,” “Subject,” and more. The article explains the significance of each field, including advanced features like internationalised email addresses using UTF-8. The role of header fields like “Received,” “Return-Path,” and “Authentication-Results” is detailed, offering a comprehensive understanding of email structure.

Message Body and Content Encoding

The article explores the intricacies of content encoding, emphasising the 7-bit ASCII design of Internet email. It delves into MIME standards, character set specifiers, and content transfer encodings like quoted printable and base64. The challenges posed by non-Latin alphabet languages are addressed, with a focus on the growing popularity of Unicode for international character sets.

Plain Text vs. HTML

A discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of using plain text and HTML in email messages is presented. The article explores the impact of HTML, allowing in-line links and images, but also raising concerns about privacy, phishing attacks, and malicious software. Recommendations for plain text usage in web-based mailing lists are discussed, along with insights into Microsoft’s Rich Text Format (RTF).

Understanding Email Protocols

Email communication relies on protocols that facilitate the exchange of messages between hosts. The Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) is at the core of sending emails, managed by Mail Transfer Agents (MTAs). Messages are then delivered to mail stores by Mail Delivery Agents (MDAs). If a message cannot be delivered, an MTA sends a bounce message back to the sender.

Users access their messages through Mail User Agents (MUAs) using protocols like POP or IMAP. In corporate environments, proprietary protocols specific to platforms like Microsoft Exchange or Lotus Notes are common. The choice of where to store emails, either on the client or server side, depends on user preferences and specific requirements.

File Formats and Extensions

Email client applications save messages in various file formats, each with its own set of advantages. Common formats include:

• eml: Used by clients like Thunderbird, Outlook Express, and Windows Mail, storing emails in plain text in MIME format.
• emlx: Specifically used by Apple Mail.
• msg: Utilised by Microsoft Outlook and OfficeLogic Groupware.
• mbx: Found in Opera Mail, KMail, and Apple Mail using the mbox format.

Attachment handling varies among applications, with some encoding attachments within messages for searching and others saving them in separate directories.

URI Scheme: mailto

The mailto URI scheme, registered with IANA, defines the mailto: scheme for SMTP email addresses. This scheme is designed to open the user’s mail client with the specified address in the To: field. Additionally, query string parameters can be used to include subject lines or carbon copy recipients.

Types of Email Services

Web-based Email:

• Many providers offer web-based email clients, allowing users to access their accounts from any compatible browser.
• Mail is typically not downloaded to the client, requiring an active internet connection.

POP3 Email Servers:

• Post Office Protocol 3 (POP3) facilitates mail access, often deleting received messages from the server.
• Allows downloading messages for offline access.

IMAP Email Servers:

• Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) manages mailboxes across multiple devices.
• Enables synchronisation and access to message headers without downloading the entire content.

MAPI Email Servers:

Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI) is used by Microsoft Outlook to communicate with servers like Exchange.

Uses of Email

Business and Organisational Use:

• Facilitating logistics by providing cost-effective and convenient communication.
• Helping with synchronisation by allowing asynchrony in communication.
• Reducing costs compared to physical meetings, postal mail, or long-distance calls.
• Increasing speed of communication.
• Creating a written record for legal and contractual purposes.
• Enabling auto-processing and improved distribution.

Email Marketing:

• Opt-in email marketing is a successful method for sending special sales offerings and product information.
• Unwanted email, or spam, is viewed negatively and regulated by laws like the CAN-SPAM Act.

Personal Use:

• Accessing personal emails on desktop computers or mobile devices.
• The prevalence of mobile apps allows users to check and send emails anytime, anywhere.
• Declining Use Among Young People:
• Younger generations prefer instant messaging, texting, and social media over traditional email.
• Email’s perceived decline in popularity among younger users.

Email Issues:

• Attachment Size Limitation:
• Email messages may have attachments, with varying size limitations set by clients, servers, and ISPs.
• Larger files are often shared using file hosting services.

Information Overload:

• The ubiquity of email has led to concerns about information overload for knowledge workers.
• Increased stress and decreased satisfaction with work due to constant connectivity.

Spam:

• Unsolicited bulk email, or spam, became a significant issue, comprising a large portion of email traffic.
• Anti-spam techniques mitigate spam impact, but the volume remains high.

Malware:

Malicious email types, including scams, phishing, and email worms, pose security threats.

Email Spoofing:

• Spoofing occurs when the email header deceives the recipient about the true message origin.
• Used in scams and phishing attempts to mislead recipients.

Email Bombing:

• Intentional sending of large volumes of messages to overload a target email address.
• Can render the target address unusable and crash mail servers.

Privacy Concerns:

• Distinguishing between internet and internal email systems in terms of privacy.
• Lack of encryption, intermediate servers, and ISP storage can compromise email privacy.
• Cryptography applications, VPNs, and encryption protocols offer remedies.

Email and Legal Considerations

In the digital age, it’s crucial to understand the legal implications of email communication. Contrary to common belief, an exchange of emails can indeed form a binding contract. Users should exercise caution in their email correspondence as a signature block in an email may be deemed sufficient to meet the signature requirement for a contract.

Flaming in Email Communication

Emails can sometimes become a breeding ground for heated arguments known as “flaming.” This occurs when messages carry angry or antagonistic content. Unlike in-person or telephone conversations, the impersonal nature of emails can lead to a lack of civility. The absence of social norms in email exchanges may result in forgotten etiquette and potentially damaging communication.

Dealing with Email Overload

Ever felt overwhelmed by the sheer volume of emails flooding your inbox? This phenomenon, known as “email bankruptcy” or “email fatigue,” happens when users ignore numerous messages due to information overload. To address this, individuals might send a standard message explaining their inbox situation. Harvard University law professor Lawrence Lessig is often credited with popularising the term.

Internationalisation of Email

In the early days, internet emails were limited to ASCII text. Although MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) now allows international character sets, widespread adoption is still pending. Email addresses in UTF-8, a character encoding standard, are not yet widely embraced.

Challenges in Tracking Sent Mail

The original SMTP mail service has limited mechanisms for tracking sent messages and verifying delivery. Issues like software bugs and system failures can lead to message loss. The IETF introduced Delivery Status Notifications and Message Disposition Notifications to address these concerns, but they are not universally implemented.

Email Tracking and Anti-Spam Measures

Many Internet Service Providers (ISPs) disable non-delivery reports (NDRs) and delivery receipts due to spammers’ activities. Spammers often misuse these reports to verify active email addresses or flood innocent users with spam. In response, various systems, including web bugs, have been developed for tracking emails. However, these methods are often seen as invasive and may raise privacy concerns.

FAQs on Email

What is the history of email?

Email, short for electronic mail, began in 1975, evolving from early computer-based messaging. The first network mail on ARPANET in 1971 introduced the '@' symbol in email addresses.

How does email work?

Email operates through a series of agents—MUA, MSA, MTA, and MDA. Senders compose messages, and these agents collaborate to transmit emails to recipients through various scenarios, like corporate systems and webmail.

What's the structure of an email?

An email has an envelope and content. The content includes a header and body, with MIME expanding capabilities for handling text and multimedia. The historical evolution from RFC 822 to RFC 5322 standardised email formats.

What are email headers and fields?

Email headers include fields like 'From,' 'To,' and 'Subject.' Each field serves a specific purpose. Advanced features like internationalised email addresses and essential fields like 'Received' are explained.

How is email content encoded?

Content encoding in email involves MIME standards, character sets, and transfer encodings like quoted printable and base64. The article discusses challenges posed by non-Latin languages and the growing use of Unicode.