Mail Terms
address book
Just like an offline address book, this e-mail feature lets you store names and e-mail addresses in a readily-accessible format.
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attachment
A separate file that you include in e-mail (a Microsoft® Word document, spreadsheet, graphic, etc.).
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"at" sign (@)
The "at" sign (@) is the separator for most e-mail addresses; it separates the user ID from the domain name of the mail computer.
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authorization
The granting of privilege based on identity. Authorization is concerned with authentication in computer networking, where your access to services is based on your identity, and an authentication procedure guarantees that you are who you say you are.
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auto-responder
A program that generates an automated response to an e-mail message.
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blacklist
An automatically processed database of names, user IDs, topics, and so on, from whom or about which you do not wish to see e-mail or news postings.
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bounce
The return of a piece of mail because of an error in its delivery.
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bounce-o-gram
A message from an automated mailer telling you that mail has bounced.
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client, mailer
A program for viewing mail. Mail clients usually also retrieve mail from message stores using either the POP or IMAP protocols, although some mail clients read mail directly from disk. Mail clients are usually controlled by people, but some mail client programs are automated processes.
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cryptography
The study and practice of keeping data secure. Two common applications of cryptography are privacy (preventing unauthorized viewing of data) and authentication (proving one's identity to access data or as the source of a message).
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digital signature
A method for proving that the holder of a private key is the originator of a message.
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e-mail (electronic mail)
A system whereby a computer user can exchange messages with other computer users (or groups of users) via a communications network. Electronic mail is one of the most popular uses of the Internet.
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emoticon
A symbol used to communicate information online that, in real life, would be communicated non-verbally -- through your tone of voice, or facial expression. For instance, the symbol ":-)" (tilt your head to the left if you don't get it) is an emoticon known as a "smiley."
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encryption
The manipulation of a packet's data in order to prevent any but the intended recipient from reading that data. There are many types of data encryption, which make up the basis of network security.
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Eudora
A Windows-based e-mail utility often provided by ISP's. It can be used to send and receive mail across the Internet via a SLIP or PPP account.
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flame
A strong opinion and/or criticism of something, usually in a deliberately insulting tone, in an electronic mail message or news posting. Flames usually come in the form of grumpy, irritated, sometimes downright angry responses to questions or to inflammatory statements you make. Flaming is frowned upon in polite Internet society. It is common to precede a flame with an indication of pending fire (such as "FLAME ON!"). "Flame wars" occur when people start flaming other people for flaming when they shouldn't have. They can also start when a new reader in a newsgroup asks a question that older readers have answered many times, and which has been incorporated into a FAQ. A warning to new users: some folks enjoy flame wars and deliberately try to provoke one. Sometimes, you'll be gang-flamed, in which case many (sometimes many, many, many) users will seek revenge on you (for whatever reason) by dumping your E-mail address with thousands upon thousands of worthless messages.
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forwarding
Passing mail from one mailbox to another, particularly when the user is not reading mail regularly on the first system. Some users with accounts on many computers prefer to read mail on one of them (for convenience, better user interface, cost, or other reasons), and so have all their mail forwarded to one account. Forwarding is also used to have mail come to a well-known public name (such as info@host, postmaster@host, or help@host without the need for a specific separate mailbox for that name.
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header
An e-mail header shows the route that a particular piece of e-mail took to get from its sender to the recipient. When you report spam, it's important to include the full header — without it, it's impossible to tell where it came from.
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IMAP, IMAP4
Internet Message Access Protocol. A method for mail clients to retrieve mail from a message store. IMAP is newer and has more features than the more popular POP protocol.
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mail address
An address to where electronic mail is routed. The address is usually made up of the person's userid and FQDN (Fully Qualified Domain Name) of the machine where their account resides.
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mail folder
A file organized in a standard format where one or more e-mail messages are stored.
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mail gateway
A computer that connects two or more (possibly dissimilar) electronic mail systems and transfers messages between them. Sometimes the mapping and translation can be quite complex, and it generally requires a store-and-forward scheme whereby the message is received completely from one system before it is transmitted to the next system, after suitable translations. Some mail gateways also have the capability of selecting which messages will be allowed through, either on political or technical grounds.
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mailing list
A system for distributing messages to many people at once. A simple mailing list is a set of names that a single message is distributed to. A typical mailing list processor is a program that allows people to subscribe and unsubscribe from a list as well as managing the sending of messages to the lists' subscribers.
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OpenPGP
A newer version of PGP that was created in the IETF.
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PGP
Pretty Good Privacy. A protocol for exchanging digitally signed and/or encrypted mail.
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POP, POP3
Post Office Protocol. A method for mail clients to retrieve mail from a message store. POP is more widely used than the IMAP protocol, which has more features.
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public key cryptography
A method for creating two keys (also called a key pair) that can be used to encrypt and decrypt messages. One of the two keys, the public key, is widely published, while the other key, the private key is kept secret. When you want to encrypt a message for a recipient, you use that recipient's public key; only someone with the private key can decrypt the message. When you want to digitally sign a message, you use your private key; anyone with your public key can then check the signature and verify that only you could have signed the message.
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protocol
A computer protocol is a formal description of how computers talk to each other.
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server, mail server
There are many definitions for a "mail server". It can be a host computer that uses the SMTP protocol, or simply a software that uses the SMTP protocol. In some cases, it refers to a host system that holds a message store.
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SMTP
Simple Mail Transport Protocol. The standard for servers that move mail over the Internet.
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spam
Slang for unsolicited bulk email (UBE).
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SSL
Secure Sockets Layer. A protocol for encryption and authentication of Internet connections.
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signature
The three- or four-line message at the bottom of an e-mail message or a Usenet article that identifies the sender. Large signatures (over five lines) are generally frowned upon. These files usually have the filename sig or signature. With many news readers and some e-mail clients this file is automatically appended to the sender's messages or postings.
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