You can read through from the beginning or jump directly to the section of interest by clicking on the title of your choice below. Back to top Overview E-mail is somewhat like a cross between having a conversation and writing a letter. It is quick and informal like a conversation but, like a letter, doesn't offer the non-verbal cues that are so important in communication. In some ways, e-mail is different from either a letter or a conversation. For example, with e-mail you often don't know the person to whom you are writing or anything about them.
Many people add emoticons or smileys to their e-mail to clarify their meaning.
An e-mail message is made up of the header, the body, and the signature. The header tells you to whom the message was written, who received copies, the date and the subject. It also tells you the author's name and return address. For convenience, many mail readers let you process your mail by looking only at the header. So, when you write a message, make sure the subject allows your recipient to identify the topic at a glance.