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Essential Concepts
Email Etiquette and Security
Good email etiquette includes:
- A meaningful subject line
- The correct email recipients
- Clear and concise message
- Proper grammar and spelling
Security threats come in a variety of forms and are constantly evolving. Malware is software intended to damage a computer system and can include viruses, trojan horses, worms, and spyware.
While spam can be harmless, phishing is a targeted email designed to trick people into providing sensitive information like usernames, passwords, and credit card information.
Email Tools
Free web-based email is available to anyone with an internet connection. There is no software needed to access email. Popular email services include Microsoft (outlook.com), Google (gmail.com), and Yahoo (mail.yahoo.com).
You can send and receive emails from your Inbox. When sending an email, be sure to include a recipient, a subject line, and something in the body of the email. You may also attach or embed files and media. Emails can be sent to multiple recipients in the To: line, but can also be CC’d (carbon copied) or BCC’d (blind carbon copied) to additional recipients. People in the BCC line will not be visible to others who receive the email.
Forwarding an email allows you to send the message, in full, to a new recipient and reply or reply all allows you to respond to the person or people who sent you the email.
Just like the files on your desktop, emails can be organized into folders and searched based on key terms.
Automate Email
If you are in a role that deals with a large volume of email, automation tools can be especially helpful. Inbox rules will allow you to filter, sort, and categorize emails based on key words or sender while automatic replies are useful if you are out of office or are experiencing delays in response times.
Calendar Tools
Appointments are a great way to put an event or reminder in your calendar that’s just for you, but Meetings will allow you to invite others, specify a location, or add video conferencing tools. Meetings and appointments can be recurring on a daily, weekly, monthly, or custom basis.
Outlook provides two helpful tools for managing your calendar: Scheduling Assistant and Room Finder. With Scheduling Assistant you can view the availability of multiple attendees (who share their calendar) and see who is available to pick the best time for the meeting. Room Finder will only work if it is set up by your organization, but will allow you to reserve a space to hold your meeting that will then show the room as unavailable for others who want to meet at that time. Similar tools are available with other web mail providers.
Instant Messaging and Video Conferencing
Instant, or direct, messaging is considered a more informal and more synchronous form of communication. Instant messaging applications, like Slack, Google Chat, and Microsoft Teams, allow organizations to create channels for group communication and save files for members of the organization to view.
Video conferencing is a way to communicate live in a virtual setting where participants in a meeting can all communicate via audio, video, and shared screens. Zoom is a widely used video conference tool that received a lot of traction when businesses were forced to work remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cloud Storage Tools
Microsoft provides two primary cloud storage tools:
- OneNote allows students and business to create personal or shared notebooks
- OneDrive creates a digital space to store and organize files and media
Glossary
appointment
a scheduled event in a calendar, typically involving one person and not requiring a meeting invitation.
attachment
a file sent along with an email message.
audio
the sound component of a communication, often used in video conferencing and instant messaging.
automatic reply
a pre-set email response that is automatically sent when the user is unavailable.
BCC (blind carbon copy)
a way to send an email to multiple recipients without them knowing who else received the email.
calendar
a tool used to schedule and manage time, appointments, meetings, and events.
CC (carbon copy)
a way to send an email to additional recipients besides the primary recipient.
cloud
a network of remote servers hosted on the internet to store, manage, and process data.
compress (zip)
the process of reducing the size of files or folders for easier storage or transfer.
digital notebook
an application that allows users to create, organize, and store notes electronically.
direct message
a private message sent between individuals in an instant messaging application.
a method of exchanging digital messages over the internet.
email etiquette
the customary code of polite behavior when composing and sending email messages.
email rules
automated actions applied to incoming email messages based on predefined criteria.
forward
the action of sending an email you received to another recipient.
inbox
the folder where incoming email messages are received and stored.
instant messaging
real-time text communication between users through a messaging application.
malware
malicious software designed to harm, exploit, or otherwise compromise a computer system.
meeting
a scheduled event involving multiple participants, often arranged through a calendar tool.
phishing
a fraudulent attempt to obtain sensitive information by disguising as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication.
recurring event
an event that occurs at regular intervals, scheduled in a calendar.
reply
the action of responding to an email message.
reply all
the action of responding to all recipients of an email message, including those in the cc field.
room finder
a tool used to find and book available meeting rooms.
scheduling assistant
a feature that helps find suitable times for meetings based on participants’ availability.
screen share
the feature that allows users to share their computer screen with others during a video conference or meeting.
signature
a personalized block of text automatically added at the end of an email message.
spam
unsolicited and often irrelevant or inappropriate email messages sent to a large number of recipients.
spyware
software that secretly monitors and collects information about a user’s activities.
sync
the process of ensuring that data is consistent across multiple devices or platforms.
trojan horse
a type of malware disguised as legitimate software that, when executed, enables unauthorized access to the user’s system.
video
the visual component of communication, often used in video conferencing.
video conferencing
a technology that allows users to hold face-to-face meetings in different locations via video and audio transmissions.
virus
malicious software designed to replicate itself and spread to other devices, often causing damage to systems and data.
webmail interface
a web-based interface for accessing and managing email accounts.
worm
a type of malware that replicates itself to spread to other computers, often exploiting security vulnerabilities.