Email

Electronic mail (email) is one of the oldest and most widely used Internet services. It involves the exchange of digital messages among two or more Internet users. Every day, billions of email messages are exchanged between Internet users, and this service is supported by special servers that are called mail servers. These servers accept, deliver, and store email messages in a store-and-forward operation. In order to operate email, a user writes an email message, enters a recipient’s address, and relays it to the delivery service, which sends the message to the recipient. The sender can also attach files (of a certain size, depending on the email service utilized) and send them to another user or users. This entry discusses the origins, development, and use of ...