• E-mail is the transmission of messages over communication networks.
• To use e-mail, you must have access to a computer that is linked to the outside world via a modem, phone line, or fiber optic cable.
• E-mail messages are sent over the Internet and are stored in electronic mailbox servers for the recipient to retrieve them.

What is Hotmail?

• Hotmail is a web-based e-mail provider.
• With Hotmail, you can send and receive messages from any computer connected to the Internet including workstations at the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library.

How to Sign Up

• From the B&ECPL web page, type http://www.hotmail.com/ in the address box.

• Read the Frequently Asked Questions.
• Click the "Sign up" hyperlink.

 
Note:  Click the Public/shared computer option if you are signing in from a library, school
or Internet cafe.  This provides more security for shared computers because other people
will not be able to view the pages you visited.  However, you must remember to sign out
of your account.

• Fill out the Profile Information form.

• Click into each box to enter the information or use the TAB key to move to
  the next box.
• Hold down the Shift key and press TAB to move to the previous box.

• Enter your selected Sign-In Name.
• Enter your password.
• Re-enter the password to be sure you haven't mistyped it.
• Create a secret question and answer so you can retrieve your password in
  case you forget it.
• Click the "Sign Up" button.

• When the form is correctly filled out, you will see "Sign Up Successful"
  and your new Sign-In Name.
• Write down your Sign-In Name and Password and put it in a secret place.

Note:  You must sign-in within 10 days of signing up for an Hotmail account or your account will become inactive.  You must also sign-in at least every 30 days or your account will become inactive.

How to Use Hotmail

• Type www.hotmail.com in the browser's address box.
• Enter your Sign-In Name.
• Enter your Password.
• Click the "Sign In" button.

To Read Messages

• Click the "Inbox" tab or the "Inbox" hyperlink to see the messages you have received.
• Click on a message to open and read it.

To Compose/Send a Message

• Click the "Compose" tab.
• Move from box to box with a mouse click or the TAB key.
• Enter the e-mail address of the recipient in the TO: box.
• Cc: Allows you to enter e-mail addresses of people you want to read the message, even though it is not specifically addressed to them.   This feature is optional.
• Bcc: Allows you to enter e-mail addresses of people you want to get a copy of the message without the other recipients knowing.  This feature is optional.
• Enter a line that tells the subject of the message in the SUBJECT: box.
• Enter the message in the text box.
• Click on ATTACHMENTS: button to send a file.
• Click the SEND button to send the message.

To keep a record of messages you send

You can keep a message in your Sent Messages folder for up to 30 days.

• On the Compose page, select the Copy Message to Sent Folder check box above the message area.

Note:  To view saved messages, click the Sent Messages folder in your Inbox.  If you cannot see the folder, click Show Folders.

To Attach Files

You can attach files (such as photos or documents) to your e-mail.

• On the Compose page, click the Add/Edit Attachments button
• Follow the directions on the Attachments page.
• Click OK.

Tools

If your web browser is Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or later, you can format your message by changing the text style, color, size, and much more.

• On the Compose page, click the Tools menu.   This menu appears directly below the Attachments option.
• Click    Rich-Text Editor ON.   If this feature states Rich-Text Editor Off, then the Editor is already on.
• Select the text you want to change by holding down the left mouse button, dragging the pointer to the end of the text you want to format, and then releasing the mouse button.  You can also hold the Shift key on the keyboard while using the arrow keys on the keyboard to select text.

• Click the options you want on the rich-text toolbar, using the following table as a guide.

Select:	To:
	Remove the selected text.  Use the Paste command to insert the text in a different place.
	Copy the selected text.  Use the Paste command to add the text in a different place.
	Paste the cut or copied text where you place the cursor.
	Add preset formatting to your text.
	Change the font of your text.
	Change the size of your text.
	Make your text bold.
	Italicize your text.
	Underline your text.
	Align text on your left.
	Center your text.
	Align text on the right.
	Add a background color to your text.
	Change the color to your text.
	Add the selected symbol or emoticon to convey emotion or add flair within a message.

Spell Check

• On the Compose page, click the Tools menu.
• Click Spell Check.    
• If no errors are found, a message will be displayed on the Compose page.
• If errors are found, this screen will appear.

• Look at the Suggestions box.
• If you agree with the suggestion, select correct spelling.
• Click Change.
• If you disagree with the suggestion, click Ignore.
• When the Spell Check is finished looking at the last misspelled word, your message will be displayed.

Dictionary

• On the Compose page, click the Tools menu.
• Click Dictionary.    
• This screen will appear.

• Type the word you want to look up.
• Click Search.
• If available, words with a similar meaning will appear.
• Click Done to return to your message.

Thesaurus

• On the Compose page, click the Tools menu.
• Click Thesaurus.    
• This screen will appear.

• Type the word you want to look up.
• Click Search.
• Click Done to return to your message.

To Read and Respond to E-mail

• In your Inbox or other folder, click the underlined text in the From column of a message to open it.

Note:   If the message contains a file, click the underlined text next to Attachment in the header to open it.

• Select one of the following to respond to the message.

Folders

To Create a Folder

• Click the Create Folder button.
• The Create New Folder window appears.

• In the New Folder Name: box, type a name for your folder.
• Click OK.

To Move a Message to a Folder:

• Select the check box next to the message.
• Click Put in Folder.
• Click a Folder.

To move a message that is currently open:

• Click Put in Folder.
• Click a Folder.

To Manage Folders:

• Click the Manage Folders button.

• The Folders screen appears.

• This window allows you to rename folders, create new folders, and delete folders.

Address Book

Click the "Contacts" tab to record your friends' and family's e-mail addresses.

• Click the New Contact  button.

• You will need to fill out a form.  The top section is required information, the rest of the form is optional.  You  will want to type in the person's email address so that it will automatically be entered in the To: field when you compose a message.
• After you finish filling out the form, click OK at the bottom of the screen.
• You are back at the Address Book screen.  The new addresses will appear.
• When you are ready to send an email to a person in the address book, click the box next to their name, and click the Send Mail    button.
• The Compose screen will appear with the email address already in the To: field.

Other Features

• Click the "Options" hyperlink to customize your account, add a signature file,
  and change your password.

Signature

It is common to include a signature at the bottom of email messages.   The signature contains bits of personal information that you wish to include with each message.  After you create a signature, it is automatically added to all outgoing messages.

• Click the Options hyperlink.
• The Options screen appears.

• Click Signature.

The Signature page appears.

• Click the box next to Show the rich-text toolbar to personalize your signature by choosing different colors, fonts, symbols, and more.
• Type the information you want in your signature.   Possible Signature Items.
  - Your full name.
  - Your email address.
  - Your title or description of your job.
  - Your phone number.

• Click OK.

To Filter Mail

Before you set up a filter by using the following steps, you need to create a folder to put your filtered messages in.

• On the Options page, click Custom Filters under Mail Handling.

• The Filters window appears.

• Select the Create New box for each filter you want to use.

• Fill in the subject or email address.
• Fill in which folder to send message.
• Click OK to save your filter for the next time you sign in.

Junk Mail Filter

The Junk Mail Filter keeps unsolicited e-mail out of your Inbox and delivers it to your Junk Mail folder. You can specify which types of mail should be sent to the Junk Mail folder

• Click the Options hyperlink.
• The Options screen appears.
• Click the Junk Mail Filter hyperlink.
  
• The Junk Mail Filter screen appears.

• Click a Junk Mail Filter level (Default, Enhanced, Exclusive).
• Select what to do with your junk mail
  - Delete junk mail immediately
  - Deliver to Junk Mail folder and delete later.

• Click Save Changes.

Sign Out!

• Click the "Sign Out" hyperlink to protect the privacy of your
  messages. Always be sure to sign out!

More Information

• Check out the Pros and Cons of using Email.
• Click here for information on Hotmail's Terms of Use, security and privacy.
• Many other services provide free e-mail such as Yahoo and Buffalo.com
• Another good place for more information is the CNET Topic Center for E-mail.
• There are lots of hoaxes and misinformation out there. Check out the Hoax Catalog.
• There are real viruses and the AntiVirus Research Center from Symantec is one of the many organizations tracking viruses.
• Switchboard.com is one of the many directories for finding people's e-mail addresses on the web.
• Yahoo and the many Web portals all contain directories for finding people.
• Try Everything E-Mail for more info on e-mail.
• Topica is an mailing list directory by subject.
• To understand  email etiquette, click here.
• Want to know more about e-mail? Check out the E-Mail Home Page at About.com.