Organising email messages Your archive of old email messages will quickly become an important part of your knowledge base. Most software allows the sorting of messages into folders, sometimes nested folders, which can be kept indefinitely on your hard disk providing you have sufficient space. Many email systems also support filters, which sort incoming and outgoing messages automatically into folders. Filters can be configured to classify messages according to the subject heading or thread , sender, recipient, or date. Netiquette Communicating by email is different from communicating by snailmail, telephone or face to face but still requires sensitivity to other people.
Many academics spend a majority of their email time reading and writing group messages.
Email discussion groups are hosted by a single server which contains the mailing list software and a list of subscribers' addresses. By subscribing to the discussion group you are able to receive a copy of every message sent to the list, and also send messages to the list yourself. In the UK most academic discussion groups are hosted by mailbase at the University of Newcastle. This centrally funded service allows list administrators to set up open, closed or moderated lists. Mailbase Web pages carry information about each list and a browseable archive of past messages.