Most Classics teachers reading this manual will already be confident users of email, but it may nonetheless be useful to outline some possible uses and advantages of the process and to enter a few caveats.

The world has shrunk considerably since the advent of email. It is possible and quite easy to keep in touch with relatives or friends anywhere in Europe, or indeed, in any continent. This will give you strong personal motivation for wanting to take up your own email account but there are also many professional reasons for adopting this technology.

Email is the basic transmission of messages via an Internet Service Provider (ISP), as long as it has been addressed properly to the second person's ISP, where it resides until he or she "downloads" it.

Advantages and uses of the system

Email is quick and easy to conceptualise. It is cost-effective as you can write your messages offline and then send all the messages you have written for the price of a local phone call. Communication by email has an immediacy and ease of replying so people tend to respond quickly. You can send documents and photographs as attachments to your emails, though if you send graphics as attachments, it is a good idea first to compress the images as JPEG files, reducing the time needed for the transfer (refer to the section above, on producing paper based documents). It is possible to do multiple emailings quite easily, so it is also easy to set up email discussion lists, where messages to individuals can be copied or forwarded to others. Consider doing this with colleagues or students, to share opinions or even work together on collaborative projects. Email may also be used for assessment of pupils' work: pupils can email their work as an attachment, so the teacher can correct, add comments and return.

Caveats

The tone of an email can quickly cause an unexpected reaction on the part of the reader, given that many of us write and send these messages so quickly. A message sent in haste or an injudicious reply can cause offence with just the same speed. Often, people will embark on an exchange email correspondence in which they have a disagreement and this may often reach a point of escalation more quickly than another form of interaction may do.

Email can be time-consuming: a face to face chat with colleagues in the same building may be much more productive than an email exchange.

Under the Data Protection Act, people are entitled to see emails written about them by a third party, so we should all be extremely careful what we say.

Never open emails without a recognisable name or subject. They are likely to be carrying viruses. One way that the spammers, or virus-spreaders, try to disguise this is by sending a message with the title 'mail delivery failed.' Other typical subjects used may include reference to meetings, cancelled or otherwise. Such messages may have attachments which may be extremely dangerous to open.

Email systems

First, you can use settings on your own computer and an email program, such as Mozilla or Netscape Messenger, Microsoft Outlook Express, Qualcomm's Eudora, or Apple's Mail. This can be installed on your hard drive and then used to create messages, read them and store them for future reference. Remember that the majority of computer viruses are transmitted to and from Windows PCs, and are designed to attack your system though Outlook Express, so you may have cause to proceed carefully if you use this program: an up to date virus checker is essential if you face attack. All you then need is an Internet account and you're off. 

One other kind of email system is used from within an Internet browser, such as Mozilla or Netscape, which are free and offer a messenger service to you. This means that when you go to any computer at all - in the world - you can use it to access your email. However, you don't get to keep all messages in the same way and restrictions may apply to what you can send. The main disadvantage of this, however, is that you have to be on-line while doing your email, unlike when you have your own account and use an email program, as above. For those who are not particularly interested in technology, however, such an account is a huge bonus.

These two methods are combined by some websites, where users can check their email, if they can log onto their ISP directly. One such site is http://www.mail2web.com, which offers the chance for anyone to check any email, in any account, anywhere. Using such a system allows you to keep a check on your email even if you are on the road, though at the same time, you retain the advantage of having your own account on your computer at home. Undoubtedly we shall see such systems developing further, as further integration comes into being between handheld devices, mobile phones and computers of varying shapes and sizes.

Finding email addresses

Email addresses in institutions are usually created logically, so if you send something to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , it will be a fair assumption that this email address exists (it does).

It is easy to find email addresses and easy to approach others with short or simple queries. So, for example, if you have a query regarding someone's book, you can find his or her email address and fire off the question in a matter of minutes.

Some systems actually allow proper spoken conversations to take place, which can be much cheaper than speaking on the telephone or even free in some cases, as your connection by email will probably use a local telephone number or an ADSL line, regardless of the distance involved separating Person A from Person B. One such system is Skype, http://www.skype.com.  

First Steps: Set up an email account for yourself. This won't need to cost much at all, as many shops selling computers offer services for free. If you find it hard to work out how to select a provider, ask friends, who may have useful advice for you. A personal recommendation may be better for you than anything else. If you don't like one provider, you can always change later, though bear in mind that this may well change your email address too.

More Ideas: It is possible to do multiple emailings quite easily, so it is also easy to set up email discussion lists, where messages to individuals can be copied or forwarded to others. Consider doing this with colleagues or students, to share opinions or even work together on collaborative projects. There are various email groups you can join, where people with like-minded interests can exchange views. For example, in the UK you can join an email group of Latin teachers, at http://www.arlt.co.uk.