Email is important, because it creates a fast, reliable form of communication that is free and easily accessible. They allow people to foster long-lasting, long-distance communication.
Why do I need an email address?
- Send and receive emails and notifications to stay up to date with tasks, assignments and school events.Access your email from anywhere online, on any device with a modern browser.
- Categorize and sort your emails the way you want, so you can find things quickly and easily.
- Enjoy an inbox with unlimited storage.
How email works
A typical email address consists of three components, and all three are equally important - that is, if you want your message to be received by the right person. If a component is missing, you will either receive an error message or send the email to an unintended party instead.
- Username: The first part of an email address is the username. This is the unique name that you chose. This can be your real name or a nickname.
- @ Symbol: An "at" or "@" symbol is the second part of an email address. This fits in betweeen the username and the domain of your email address.
- Domain: The last part of an email address is the domain, which can be broken down into two portions: the mail server and the top-level domain. The mail server is the server hosting the email account, for example: gmail. The top-level domain is the extension, such as .com, .net or .info.
How do I get an email address?
To sign up for Gmail, create a Google account. You can use the username and password to sign in to Gmail and other Google products, like YouTube, Google Play and Google Drive etc.
Go to the Google Account create page.
Follow the steps on the screen to set up your account.
Use the account you created to sign in to Gmail.
Here's how to set up a Microsoft Outlook email address:
Go to accounts.microsoft.com
Select Sign in
Choose Create one!
If you need to create a new email address, choose Get a new email address,and then follow the instructions.
The username I want is taken
You won't be able to get a certain Gmail address if the username you requested is:
- Already being used;
- Very similar to an existing uername (e.g. if example@gmail.com is already exists, you can't use examp1e@gmail.com);
- The same as a username that someone used in the psst and then deleted;
- Reserved by Google to prevent spam or abuse.
Email Do's and Don'ts
- Only share your address with people you know.
- Tell your friends never to share your address without your permission.
- Not every email you get is written by a person.
- Emailing is not texting.
- There’s a difference between reply and reply all.
- Understand how threaded email works.
- Never to use BCC.
- You can delete emails, you know.
- Never send any message that you wouldn’t want next to your photo on the front page of the New York Times.
- Please use punctuation. And remember the word YOU is written with three letters.
Email Safety Tips
Here are some safety tips when using email:
- Create a strong password. To protect yourself and your information, you'll want to use passwords that are long, strong and difficult for someone else to guess while still keeping them relative easy for you to remember.
- Change your password regulary and keep it in a safe place.
- Do not share your password with anyone.
- Do not open attachments from anyone you do not know.
- Log out or sign off from your account when you have finished looking at/sending your email.
- Do not reply to spam or forward chain emails.
- Keep your personal information personal - do not share bank or credit card information.
- Look out for malicious emails (they may look like they have come from a financial institution, an eCommerce site, a government agency or any other service or business).
- Enable filters on your email programs and report spam.
