E-Mail Basics > 1: Addresses

More than 150 billion electronic mail (e-mail) messages travel through cyberspace every day. E-mail is a basic communication tool on college campuses. It's also a quick and inexpensive way to stay in touch with friends and relatives almost anywhere.

This lesson covers the essential elements of using e-mail effectively. We will use examples from some popular e-mail programs (Microsoft Outlook Express, Mozilla Thunderbird, and Gmail) but the basic concepts apply to virtually all e-mail programs.

1A: How Are E-Mail Addresses Constructed?

Parts of an E-mail Address

Mail of any kind requires an address to reach its intended destination. E-mail addresses identify: an e-mail account (also called a username) at (@) a particular set of computers connected to the Internet (also called a domain). At Ohio State, e-mail addresses consist of: username: your last name, a period, and a number assigned by the University @ domain: osu.edu (staff/faculty) OR buckeyemail.osu.edu (students)

1B: Finding E-Mail Addresses

Directories:

• Ohio State's Faculty, Staff and Student Directory is available when you select "Find People" on OSU's home page. To search, type a name and retrieve all possible matches. Be sure to use the "published address" to send e-mail.
  

  All OSU faculty, staff and students have a published e-mail address, but not everyone actually uses e-mail. Don't rely on e-mail for urgent messages unless you are sure that the recipient reads e-mail frequently.

• Schools, businesses and government agencies: If you know where someone works or attends school, check that Web site first for an online directory like Ohio State's.

• Others:
  • Lycos People Search
  • Yahoo People Search

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