Email 101 for Beginners... Understanding the "System"

This is the basics of how emails work. This is important for all beginner users to read. Say I wanted to set up a public email server with my friends: Jim and Steve. It's important I pick guys who can handle stuff when I am sick or on vacation. Otherwise I have to hire people to do it (which is what google, yahoo, and all the other mail providers do, but I've got confidence in these two guys).

I buy my equipment: a big computer called a server that has lots connections to the internet. I register my domain: janetopoly.com. I connect my computer to the internet. Install software to handle the email load (many of you have heard of Microsoft Exchange, but that is just one of many programs that will do that and if I am smart I won't be using that program or even a Windows-based system.)

Next I advertise Janetopopoly email accounts. I've decided to make them free accounts. You sign up for one and you get a welcome email from webmaster@janetopoly.com telling you to invite your friends to janetopoly email. They sign up and then everyone knows about this free email service.

One day you have a problem with janetopoly email. You call your friend, Maxine, and tell her you are having a problem with janetopoly email. She asks what you want her to do about it and tells you I didn't invite her to be an admin to that system so she can't log into that computer and check on her problem. She tells you to call myself, Steve or Jim. She calls Jim and he logs into the system and finds out she is using a port that her internet provider blocked and tells her what port to use and she is able to send mail again.  Then she thanks Jim and says great, now can you help me with my Quintenium email. Does Jim help her? Can Jim help her? Probably not. Unless Quintenium ALSO asked Jim to be an admin with their system and gave him an access account and password to log into their system. (Just like you can't use your Macy's card at Nordstrom, one username and password doesn't work at all sites.)

Each email server computer has users and admins. Usually the computers are located in different states and the admins of one computer are not the admins of another email server. The Comcast guy can't help you with Verizon email (and vice versa) any more thatn the Comcast guy can help you with plumbing issues. Each email server has different systems on them.

With email issues, always:

• check to see there is a working internet connection.
• check to see that other people are able to use the same email system
• check the web interface to make sure the system is working.

Never:

• send personal information through unencrypted email systems (such as yahoo or hotmail).
• archive  old emails in an email system that can be easily hacked.
• leave your email logged in on a public computer.