E-mail

1. E-mail Jong Hun Kim Knowledge Management Systems October 6, 2005

2. Objective • What is E-mail? • History of E-mail • How E-mail Works • Key E-mail Features • E-mail Overload • E-mail and KMS • Discussion

3. What is E-mail? • “E-mail is text-based mail sent via the computer from one person to another.” • “E-mail is an ideal method for sending documents already on your computer using attachments.” • “E-mail is a way to communicate with people as close as your office or as far away as the other side of the world.”

4. History of E-mail • “E-mail is a natural use of networked communication technology that developed right along with the evolution of the Internet” • Timesharing computers-1960’s • SNDMSG & READMAIL-Early 1970’s • MAIL & MLFL- 1972 • MS/ MH- 1975 • Sendmail- Early 1980’s • Online Services- 1993

5. How E-mail Works • E-mail serves exchange messages using the SMTP protocol. • E-mail Addresses • E-mail Servers • E-mail Client Protocols

6. How E-mail Works

7. Key E-mail Features • “We have come to realize that we have in our hands something very big, and possibly very important. It is now plain to all of us that message service over computer networks has enormous potential for changing the way communication is done in all sectors of our society.” • E-mail is A Push Technology • E-mail Waits for You • E-mail is One-to-Many • Email is almost Free

8. E-mail Overload • “E-mail overload is a problem that affects nearly everyone with an e-mail account.” • “Business Week recently estimated that corporate e-mail users receive an average of 20 to 30 incoming e-mails a day, and that e-mail volume may grow by as much as 80% in the next year.”

9. E-mail Overload • Main reasons of E-mail overload • Automated filters will never catch all of the spam • Apart from spam, legitimate e-mails will continue to increase in volume.

10. E-mail Overload • Problems from E-mail Overload • Easy to forget critical action items • Takes longer to reply • Takes longer to find a specific message • Stressful to look at • Crash, losing all contents

11. E-mail Overload • Ways to manage E-mail Overload • Choose your service provider wisely • Do the Inbox on a regular basis • Let people know upfront that you do not want to receive certain types of messages • Ask people you know to stop • Use a junk e-mail filter • Don’t respond to spammers • Set up a separate e-mail address

12. E-mail and KMS • “Email is the simplest and one of the most effective technologies for sharing knowledge at a distance. Threaded discussions on in-house email systems or on the Internet are a great way for a community of practice to raise questions and exchange solutions.” • “About 35 percent of the business information used in day-to-day business is stored in e-mail messaging systems.”

13. E-mail and KMS • The knowledge value of E-mail • Hidden Knowledge Assets • Access to E-mail Archives is Problematic

14. How to Make an Effective E-mail • Selecting Your Audience Correctly • Who should be the main addressee • If you are replying to a message does reply go the to right address • Should my reply go just to the sender, or all or just some of the original recipients?

15. How to Make an Effective E-mail (Cont’d) • Using Distribution Lists • Composing Your Messages • Make the heading meaningful • Keep each message short and clear. • Start each message by stating its purpose/context

16. How to Make an Effective E-mail (Cont’d) • Handling Incoming Messages • Don't publicize your email on web pages, newsgroups, or register with web sites • Having a Well Organized Information Base • Clarify your information priorities • Making Full Use of Your Email Software • More sophisticated search options

17. The Future of E-mail • Spam, business e-mail, and personal e-mails all increase. • Spam-require the right mixture of legislation and spam-fighting technology. • The state of e-mail clients-all of clients could stand improvement.

18. Summary • Email is the most effective and powerful technology for knowledge management. • Until better tools appear, we have to learn how to use today’s tools.

19. References • Email. Wikipedia. Retrieved Sep 11, 2005, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Email • Get Started with Email. Retrieved Sep 11, 2005, from http://email.about.com/od/getstartedwithemail/ • Handling Email Overload. Retrieved Sep 11, 2005, from http://www.stretcher.com/stories/01/011008j.cfm • The history of email. Retrieved Sep 11, 2005, from http://www.nethistory.info/History%20of%20the%20Internet/email.html • Tips for Mastering E-mail Overload. Retrieved Sep 11, 2005, from http://hbswk.hbs.edu/tools/print_item.jhtml?id=4438&t=globalizatio • How Your Email Program Gets the Mail. Retrieved Sep 11, 2005, from http://email.about.com/cs/standards/a/pop_basics.htm • Reducing E-mail Overload and the Stress That Comes With It. Retrieved Sep 11, 2005, from http://stress.about.com/od/timemanagement/a/emailstress.htm • E-mail. Retrieved Sep 11, 2005, from http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/e/e_mail.html • What is Email?. Retrieved Sep 11, 2005, from http://www.psmail.net/moreonemail.htm • Email training significantly reduces email defects. Retrieved Sep 11, 2005, from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6VB4-4F0GR6R-1/2/6e8130c8b281029598bc40fe5934fdaf