14 - Electronic mail and online presence

Summary

The availability of electronic mail (email) goes beyond the introduction of postal systems, the telephone, telexes and facsimile. In the near future verbal communication will take place with greater ease and clarity than the telephone. Additionally, users will have the advantage of digitally saving conversations in a similar way to the way in which they can already save email messages. The tools to access and navigate between systems are steadily becoming cheaper, more powerful and easier to use. The internet provides tools to maximise the use of time to engage in discourse, study and recreation in a manner previously unimaginable. Email adds a further dimension to communication. Email will be required by many government departments and courts for the lodging of materials and to facilitate correspondence. Email is a fast and efficient worldwide communication portal. This chapter deals with legal and practical issues relating to the use of electronic mail and maintaining an online presence.

Email

Email is one of the most popular applications of the internet. It allows users to send messages created on the computer to any other internet computer in a matter of seconds. Data files such as photographs, sound clips and, more usually, word-processed document files, can be attached to an email message. In fact any file which may be stored digitally may be transferred by email. It is usually cheaper and quicker than a telex or facsimile and more reliable than the ordinary post.