A Short Guide for E-mail Newbies
Rules to Keep You Safe and Happy on the World Wide Web
Are you an Internet newbie? Do you know someone who needs a few tips on how to navigate the Internet?
Is your Grandma forwarding you twenty spam chain letters a day? DOES YOUR FATHER SHOUT AT YOU IN HIS EMAIL? Then this article is for you!
We all have experienced a family member or friend that finally transitions into the twenty first century and gets a computer. Here are some tips to send your newbie to make their email breaking in period more bearable. Here are some common issues that a newbie faces in their email box.
- Emails about missing children, strange diseases caused by deodorant, or warning you that spiders live under your toilet seat are all hoaxes. Delete these. Do not forward them. Most of them have been around since the dawn of the Internet and most of people have received them all at least once.
- Emails from banks, foreign diplomats or lawyers that say they are looking for someone to help them get millions of dollars out an account of some dead person that you do not know is always a scam. Never send money to anyone you do not know.
- Do not forward jokes, cutesy stories, and chain letters that have obviously been forwarded many times. Look for the “Fw:” in the subject line. Everyone just about have seen them before. Also, if it has a message that makes you feel guilty if you do not send it, or tells you will have good luck if you do send it, delete it. It will not bring you luck, and the universe will still love you anyway, promise.
- If you receive an email from someone you do not trust do not open it. Also be wary of opening attachments. Often these are viruses.
- If you are in doubt about an email you have received it is a good idea to cut and paste the subject line into Google or Snopes. Snopes is a great site that researches all types of chain letter emails, scams and hoaxes.
- DO NOT TYPE IN ALL CAPS. This either means you are shouting or you are a newbie. It is better to type in all lowercase instead.
- When emailing photos or other files make sure the photos are not too big. If you need help with this ask. Do not attach more than three pictures to anyone email. Most people have a limited sizes mail box, and emails that are too big take a long time to download.
- Be careful when short sending emails. Learn about emoticons and Internet lingo to help get your point across. Often short concise emails can come across as curt and unfriendly. A little smiley face at the end can do a lot to break the tension.:)
- Most every legitimate websites are not numbers usually. If you get an email with an address in the subject or body that looks anything like this, “http://127.000.001/xxx”, delete it.
- Watch out for any email than asks for personal information or even an *update* on personal information. Even if it is a company you have done business with in the past. Large banks, charitable organization, and large retail companies all have been targeted. So it is always a good idea to do a little checking before responding to an email like this.
There is really so much to know when you first start using the Internet. Take is slow, be careful and ask a lot of questions. Welcome to the World Wide Web!
The copyright of the article A Short Guide for E-mail Newbies in E-Mail is owned by Samantha Rufle. Permission to republish A Short Guide for E-mail Newbies must be granted by the author in writing.
