Most mail packages allow users to create lists of e-mail address and to specify a unique name or alias for each list. Multiple User Lists Mailing lists can be created on servers that can be used either by everyone having access to Internet mail or by a select group of people. Individuals can add or remove their own e-mail addresses to modify these lists, or the lists can be maintained by one or more individuals who must add and delete names as required. This could be two to hundreds of people. If, for example, everybody in the Health Science Center were on a single list, and, everyone on the planet with Internet access could mail to that list, the amount of JUNK mail would be enormous.
Mailing lists are extremely useful when used appropriately.
Most mail packages permit users to activate an editor or some other composition tool that enables a message to be typed directly into the mail application. Some, for example, do not permit word-wrapping while others may be capable of spell checking and other sophisticated word processing functions. Once a message has been typed into a mail program, the user instructs the system to send the message. This can be accomplished by retrieving text from an existing file, by pasting text from another window, by typing in the information, or a combination of these. Text inserted into a message appears within the message body exactly as though it were typed in.