CHAPTER 1: SOFTWARE FOR
COMMUNICATION
Syllabus Content
Software for Communication
Groupware
Electronic Mail Software
Web Browsers
Browsing the WWW
Groupware
A class of software that helps groups of colleagues (workgroups)
attached to a local-area network organize their activities.
Typically, groupware supports the following operations:
• Groupware is sometimes called workgroup productivity software.
1. Scheduling meetings and allocating resources
2. E-mail
3. Password protection for documents
4. Telephone utilities
5. Electronic newsletters
6. File distribution
• Groupware is sometimes called workgroup productivity software.
Example of Groupware Software
Types of Groupware
Google Drive
Microsoft Lync
Microsoft Project Server
Electronic Mail Software
E-mail is one of the most popular forms of
business communications, and for many people it
is their primary use of the Internet.
Electronic mail (also known as email or e-mail)
is one of the most commonly used services on the
Internet, allowing people to send messages to one
or more recipients.
Terminology and Definitions
SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) decides which paths
your e-mail message takes on the Internet.
SMTP handles outgoing messages another protocol called
POP (Post Office Protocol) handles incoming messages.
IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) is a protocol for
retrieving mail messages from a server.
MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) specifies
how to encode non-text data, such as graphic and sound,
so that it can travel over the Internet.
Types of Email Provider
AOL Mail, Hotmail, Lycos, Mail.com, Yahoo! Mail,
launched in the 90’s, are among the early
providers of free email accounts, joined by Gmail
in 2004.
The attract users because they are free and can
advertise their service on every message.
Common Features of an E-mail Message
An e-mail message consists of two major parts:
Message header: contains all the information
about the message.
(To) Recipient’s e-mail address
(From) Sender’s e-mail address
(Subject) A subject line indicating the message’s
topic
(Cc) Carbon Copy
(Bcc) Blind Carbon Copy
Message body: contains the actual message.
Common Features of an Email Message
Common Features of an E-mail Message
Subject
The content of the subject line is very important. If the
subject line is blank, then the recipient might not read
the associated message immediately.
Cc and Bcc
When an e-mail message is delivered, every recipient
can see the addresses of other recipient, except for
those recipients who receive a blind carbon copy.
Attachments
An attachment is encoded so that it can be carried safely
over the Internet, to “tag along” with the message.
Common Features of an E-mail Message
To
Make sure that you type the e-mail addresses
correctly because mistakes can lead to
undeliverable messages or messages sent to the
wrong recipients.
From
The From Line of an e-mail message includes the
sender’s name, the sender’s email address, or both.
Most e-mail programs automatically insert the
sender’s e-mail address into all messages.
Common Features of an E-mail Message
Message Body and Signature Files
A signature, or signature file, contains the standard
information you routinely type at the end of your e-mail
messages. You can set your e-mail program to insert a
signature file into every message automatically so you
don’t have to type it.
Signature can be formal, informal or a combination of
both. Formal signature usually includes the sender’s
name, title, company name, company address,
telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail address.
Informal signatures can include nick names and
graphics or quotations that express a more casual style
found in correspondence between friends and signature.
Common Features of an Email Message
Common Features of an E-mail Message
E-mail Addresses
E-mail addresses also called Internet address, uniquely
identify an individual or organization that is connected to
the Internet.
Two parts of e-mail address:
Username – identifies person within an organization
Hostname – specifies the computer to which the e-mail is to be
delivered and separated by an “at” sign (@)
E.g.
[email protected] or
[email protected] Internet protocol address or more commonly an IP
address which correspond to a single computer
connected to the Internet.
Primary recipient
Carbon copy to secondary recipients—other interested parties
Blind carbon copy to recipients who receive the message without others
Assignment 1
Create your new email and send to me ASAP
Regards,
Harziazidatul Erma Bohari
Lecturer
Faculty of Office Management and Technology
UiTM Seri Iskandar
Common Features of an E-mail Message
Filing a Message
You can create separate mailboxes or folders in which to store related
messages, rename existing mailboxes and folders or delete mailboxes.
You can delete mailboxes and folders and their contents when no longer you
need them.
Forwarding a Message
You can forward any message, that you receive to one or more recipients.
When you forward a message to another recipient, a copy of original message is
sent to the new recipient you specify, without the original sender’s knowledge.
Replying to a Message
When you reply to a message, the e-mail program creates a new message and
automatically addresses to the sender.
Replying to a message is a quick way of sending a response to someone who
send a message to you.
Most of e-mail programs will copy the content of original message and place it in
the message body.
Common Features of an E-mail Message
Deleting a Message
In most e-mail programs, deleting a message is a two-step process to
prevent accidentally deleting important messages.
i.You temporarily delete a message by placing it in a “trash” folder or by
marking or for deletion.
ii.You permanently delete the trash or marked messages by emptying
the trash or by indicating to the client to delete the messages.
Creating a Group Mailing List
You use an address book to save e-mail addresses to associate those
addresses with nicknames that easy to remember.
A distribution list, or a group mailing list, is a single nickname that
represents two or more e- mail address.
Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft Outlook 2003 is an e-mail programs
that you use to send and receive e-mail.
Email Etiquettes
1. Be concise and to the point
2. Answer all questions, and pre-empt further
questions
3. Use proper spelling, grammar and punctuation
4. Make it personal
5. Use templates for frequently used responses
6. Answer swiftly
7. Do not attach unnecessary files
Email Etiquettes
8. Use proper structure and layout
9. Do not overuse the high priority option
10. Do not write in CAPITALS
11. Don’t leave out the message thread
12. Add disclaimers to your email
13. Read the email before you send it
14. Do not overuse Reply to All
Email Etiquettes
15. Mailings > use the bcc: field or do a mail merge
16. Take care with abbreviations and emoticons
17. Be careful with formatting
18. Take care with rich text and HTML messages
19. Do not forward chain letters
20. Do not request delivery and read receipts
21. Do not ask to recall a message
Email Etiquettes
22. Do not copy a message or attachment without
permission
23. Do not use email to discuss confidential
information
24. Use a meaningful subject
25. Use active instead of passive
26. Avoid using URGENT and IMPORTANT
27. Avoid long sentences
28. Don’t send or forward emails containing
libelous, defamatory, offensive, racists or
obscene remarks
Email Etiquettes
29. Don’t forward virus hoaxes and chain letters
30. Keep your language gender neutral
31. Don’t reply to spam
32. Use cc: field sparingly
Web Browser
A web browser (commonly referred to as a browser) is a
software application for retrieving, presenting and traversing
information resources on the World Wide Web.
Most major web browsers have these user interface elements in
common:
Back and forward button to go back to the previous resource and
forward respectively
A refresh or reload button to reload the current resource
A stop button to cancel loading the resource. In some browsers,
the stop button is merged with the reload button
A home button to return to user’s homepage
An address bar to input the Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) of
the desired resource and display it
A search bar to input terms into a search engine. In some
browsers, the search bar is merged with the address bar
A status bar to display progress in loading the resource and also
the URI of links when the cursor hovers over them, and page
zooming capability
The viewport, the visible area of the webpage within the browser
window
The ability to view the HTML source for a page
Main Elements of Web Browsers
Internet Explorer program window
Main Elements of Web Browsers
Firefox program window
Firefox Toolbars
The Navigation toolbar includes the Location
bar and a Search bar
Browsing the WWW
Some international systems based on the WWW allow you
to send and read/receive e-mail messages. Examples:
Hotmail of Microsoft, Yahoo! Mail, Gmail of Google.
Some of these systems allow you to receive/read the
messages from the POP mail account provided by your
ISP. Example: Yahoo! Mail.
E-mail through the WWW: Local systems
In many institutes, local systems restricted to users of the
institute, offer services related to the e-mail based on the
WWW.
Example: at the universities in Brussels:
http://www.ulb.ac.be/tools/webmail.html
Universiti Teknologi MARA
http://email.kedah.uitm.edu.my/intranet.nsf
