› Here's an interesting and informative› article  on  e-mail  by TOM ANDREWS. › I've asked Tom if I could put my  own› bits  of experience into this article› where they have  differed  from  his,› and he has graciously agreed.››› *************************************››           The Joy of Email››                  by›           Thomas J. Andrews›› Email is one of the foremost  reasons› people  cite   for   going   on   the› Internet, and why not?  While I don't› think it'll ever  completely  replace› "snail  mail,"  email  certainly  has› advantages  in the areas of speed and› convenience.    Usually,   an   email› message   is   in   the   addressee's› electronic mailbox within minutes  of› being  sent,  whether  it  was   from› across  town  or  across the country,› and   it's  nearly  as  fast  between› countries.    Replies   can  be  even› faster,  as  all  addressing  can  be› handled with a single command.›› There are  things  you  can  do  with› email  that  would  be  difficult  or› nearly impossible with snail mail.  I› belong to a group  of  "keyboardpals"› who  keep   in  touch  using   email.› Calling  ourselves  "The  Coffeehouse› Annex,"  we  take  our  name from our› original   online  meetingplace,  the› Coffeehouse   Category   of   GEnie's› Writer's  Ink Roundtable.  Most of us› are no longer with Genie,  so  we  no› longer    have    access    to    the› Coffeehouse.   But, we keep the Annex› together   by  sending  mutual  email› letters.  All letters  are  addressed› to  all   members   of   the   group,› regardless of the specific person the› message is meant for. (Sending  email› to  multiple  addresses  is almost as› easy as with single  ones,  sometimes› even  easier.   More on that  later.)› Because   email   is   delivered   so› quickly, we can all keep current with› the "conversation," even though there› are  14  of us and most live hundreds› of   miles  from  each  other.  We've› celebrated   engagements,  marriages,› births,   and  success;  commiserated› over  divorce,  illness,  death,  and› failure; and discussed  most  of  the› problems  plaguing  Mankind.  Imagine› doing that with snail mail!›› What Do You Need To Get Email?›› The  same  hardware  and  software  I› discussed  in  my  previous  article,› "Usenet and the Atari8," is more than› adequate  for  email service.  As for› service providers, all  the  Internet› Service  Providers  (ISP's)  I  wrote› about   in   that   article   provide› Internet Email service, including  an› address and mailbox.›› Email  procedures   vary   with   the› provider,  but  basic  operations are› quite  similar  for  all.   I'll  use› those of my own ISP, Delphi Internet,› as  an  example.   Delphi  is usually› case-insensitive  when  it  comes  to› commands,   so   you  can  use  small› letters and capitals  interchangably.› I'll    use    capitals    here   for› convenience in  identifying  commands› and such.›› Reading Incoming Mail›› If  you  have any unread mail waiting› in your mailbox  when  you  log  onto› Delphi, you'll receive a message with› the general announcements.  To access› the mailbox you use the MAIL command,› which can be  used  from  almost  any› area  of Delphi.  When you get there,› if all you want to  do  is  read  the› first  letter  of  your  unread mail,› just press RETURN.  The  letter  will› be  displayed, one  "page" at a time.› Press RETURN to move on to  the  next› page,  and  on through all the unread› letters.›› If you have a long list  of  incoming› mail, you might want to screen it for› letters you want to read first or for› "spam"--junk   mail   you   want   to› ignore.›› (Delphi filters out most of the spam,› but  some does get through.)  You use› the DIR command  to  do  this.   Each› letter  will  be  given a number, and› you can read individual letters using› READ  n, where n is the number of the› letter you want to read.›› To  get  rid  of  a  letter,  whether› you've read it or not, use the DELETE› n  command.  This will put the letter› into a temporary "wastebasket"  where› the letter can be retrieved until you› leave the MAIL area.  Once you leave,› deleted mail is gone forever.›› (NOTE:   What  Tom  has  said   about› retrieving  and  storing  messages is› generally   true   for    information› services  like  Delphi   and   "free"› services    like    NassauNet,    but› commercial  ISPs   generally   delete› messages  from their system after you› receive them.   You  are  responsible› for  storing the messages under these› conditions.  I doubt that many  8-bit› Atarians  use commercial ISPs because› most   commercial  ISPs  don't  offer› text-based, or "Unix Shell  Accounts"› anyway.  But  if you do, you'd better› have a hard drive in your system!  --› Ed.)›› If  you  want to reread a letter from› another session, you must change  the› active  mail  folder.   If  you  have› unread  mail  waiting  when you enter› MAIL,   the   NEWMAIL    folder    is› automatically  activated.   Once mail› is read, it is  copied  to  the  MAIL› folder.  To activate that folder, use› SELECT   MAIL.    To  reactivate  the› NEWMAIL folder, use SELECT NEWMAIL.›› Users who  want  to  conserve  online› time  will  want to capture mail to a› disk file, then read it offline.   To› do  this  with  Delphi's mail reader,› activate   your   software's  capture› buffer   (with  Bobterm,  just  press› OPTION), then issue a SELECT  command› to  activate the  appropriate folder.› To read all the mail in that  folder,› type  EXTRACT/ALL  TT,  then sit back› and watch  it  scroll  by.   (Bobterm› will  pause  when  the buffer is full› and ask for  a  filename.   I  highly› recommend using a RAMdisk for this if› you have one.)›› Is That All There Is?›› Of course, reading  email  isn't  the› only  part  of it, and maybe not even› the best part.  You're going to  want› to  send  a  few  letters,  too.   On› Delphi,  you  do  that  with the SEND› command.  To send a copy to yourself,› use  SEND/SELF,  and  to send "carbon› copies"   to  other  recipients,  use› SEND/CC.›› Once you've issued the  SEND  command› you  run  right  up  against the most› complicated     part    of    email--› addressing.  The first thing you need› to realize is that there is more than› one type of Internet address, and not› all  types can receive email.  If you› see an address that starts with a www› or  http  prefix,  or is labeled with› something like, "Join us at  our  web› site,"  that is an address for a site› on the World Wide  Web.   While  it's› possible  to  leave  messages at many› web sites and receive an email reply,› these  addresses in general cannot be› used for regular email.›› Addresses that start with the letters› ftp,  or are otherwise labeled as ftp› sites,  can't  be  used  for  regular› email,   either.    These   are  File› Transfer Protocol  sites,  places  on› the  Internet  where you can download› or upload programs  and  text  files.› There are several ftp sites dedicated› to   the   Atari   8-bit   that   are› relatively  easy  to  access with our› machines, but that's the  subject  of› another article.›› We're  talking  about   email   here.› Internet  email addresses always take› the form:››    "username@somewhere.someplace."›› Addresses   will  frequently  contain› more parts separated by periods--this› form  is  the  bare minimum--but they› always  have  the  @  symbol  in  the› middle.›› The part before  the  @  symbol,  the› user  name,  is analogous to the name› on a snail mail  address.   The  part› after  the @ symbol, the "domain," is› analogous to the street, city, state,› and/or  country  part.    The   final› suffix identifies the type of domain.› Domain types you'll commonly run into› are    .com    (commercial),     .org› (organization),  .edu  (educational),› .net      (network),     and     .gov› (government).›› Letter  addressing  conventions  vary› from provider  to  provider.   Online› services  usually use some additional› characters to  differenciate  an  in-› service  address  from  an   Internet› address.    On   Delphi,   the   word› INTERNET or the characters IN% at the› beginning, followed by the address in› full, enclosed  in  quotation  marks,› like this:››    INTERNET"username@service.com"›› or››       IN%"username@service.com"›› The  quotation  marks  tell Delphi to› suspend its normal practice, and  pay› attention  to upper and lower case of› characters within the  quotes.   When› you  type  in the address, be sure to› keep the character cases correct,  as› an    incorrect   address   will   be› rejected, or worse, misdirected.›› Most   providers    allow    multiple› addresses  on the TO: line, seperated› by  commas.   Delphi  allows  another› option that's handy if you  regularly› send  email  to a certain group, like› my Coffeehouse  Annex.   Each  Delphi› member  is alloted an amount of semi-› temporary storage  space  called  the› "Workspace,"  designed primarily as a› resting  place  for  files  that  are› uploaded,  downloaded,   or  emailed.› Files  in  this  area  are  regularly› deleted by Delphi after a  period  of› time,  with  one exception.  Lists of› email addresses, called "Distribution› Lists,"   are   left   in   permanent› storage, "as long as they're not  too› long."   I  don't  know how long "too› long"   is,  but  a  14-address  list› isn't.  These lists must be in  text,› one address to a line, just as they'd› appear on a TO: line,  and  the  list› file  must  use  the  filename   form› "filename.dis"   (no   quotes;   case› doesn't matter).  Once  such  a  file› resides  in the Workspace, when asked› for a TO: or a CC:  address,  respond› with  "@filename" (no quotes, no .dis› extender), and that distribution list› will  be  used in the address field. › It couldn't be muchsimpler.›› Once your  email  is  addressed,  you› must  fill  in  a SUBJECT: line.  The› number of characters  allowed  varies› with  the  provider,   so  be  brief.› Three  or  four  short words are more› than sufficient.   This  article  was› emailed to Alan Sharkis, for example,› with  the  subject, "Email  Article."›› (NOTE:  Some services will  allow you› to send a message  without a subject,› but  it's generally not a good  idea.› I, for one, am  instantly  suspicious› of any message  I receive that has no› subject -- Ed.)›› After that, you  type in your letter.› Delphi  is set up to use 80-character› lines in email, the  "standard"  line› length.   If  you type away, like you› would with  a  word  processor,  only› putting  RETURNs  at  the   ends   of› paragraphs, Delphi will automatically› advance you to the next screen line--› without  word  wrap,  so  your  words› could be split anywhere.  Type in too› many characters without a RETURN, and› the message gets truncated.  To avoid› this, make  sure  you  put  a  RETURN› somewhere    less   than   every   80› characters.  With  Bobterm,  this  is› easiest  to  do if yiou activate your› edit window.  Type into  the  window,› and  when  two lines are almost full,› press RETURN at an appropriate  place› and  the entire line is transmitted. › Then, do the same with the next line.› It's  a  lot  like   relearning   old› typewriter  habits you had to unlearn› when   you   started   using  a  word› processor.›› When finished, de-activate  the  edit› window if you used it, then press the› key combination CONTROL-Z,  and  your› letter will be on its way.  To exit a› letter   without  sending  it,  press› CONTROL-C.›› I type my letters online only when  I› have  a  short  message, no more than› two or three lines, mostly because  I› want  to  limit  my  online time, but› partly   because    longer    letters› frequently  need  editing,  and  I've› never  really learned to use Delphi's› online editor.  I prefer  to  prepare› longer  letters offline, using a word› processor,  then  upload  them  using› Bobterm's ASCII upload feature.›› To do this, you need a word processor› that  will  print   to   disk,   like› Atariwriter  Plus,  Paper  Clip,   or› Textpro.   (Xlent  also  does this --›  Ed.)  I use  Textpro  4.54,  because› it's  the  one  I'm most used to, and› it's   completely   compatible   with› Bobterm  and  MyDOS  4.5.   You   can› easily  switch from one to the other,› using the same  RAMdisk.   I  have  a› configuration     file,     specially› prepared     for    Delphi,    that's› automatically loaded when Textpro  is› booted. (page lenghth 255, top margin› 0, bottom margin 255, left margin  0,› right  margin 75)  I also have macros› set up to print to the  RAMdisk,  and› load  Bobterm  directly  from Textpro› without going through DOS.›› Once   you  have  your  letter  in  a› properly   formatted    disk    file,› preferably  on  a  RAMdisk,  and have› used Bobterm  to  get  to  the  point› where Delphi asks you for the text of› your  letter,  hit  START  to  go  to› Bobterm's main menu without  breaking› the  connection.   Hit  S (for SEND),› and  7  (for  ASCII  transfer),  then› enter the filename where your  letter› can  be found.  Then you must specify› the  delay  between  characters.   At› some speeds,  with  some  connections› and  hardware  setups, characters may› be lost if  transmitted too  quickly.› If  this  happens to you, you need to› increase   the   delay  value.   When› Bobterm returns you to  the  terminal› screen,  press SELECT to initiate the› transfer.    When   the  transfer  is› complete, press CONTROL-Z to send the› letter, or CONTROL-C to cancel.›› Replying to a  letter is even easier.› Just use Delphi's REPLY command  when› you have the letter you want to reply› to on the screen, and the address and› subject  lines  will be filled in for› you.  All you supply is the text.›› What About Program Files?›› Internet email is set up to use 7-bit› ASCII  data  only.   That  is,   only› characters  with  an  ASCII  value of› less than 128.  Program files are  8-› bit  data,  and  can't  be   directly› emailed  on  the  Internet.    Before› mailing, 8-bit data must encoded into› a 7-bit form.  Several  methods  have› been  developed to do this, but to my› knowledge   only   one    has    been› programmed     for     the     8-bit:› "uuencoding."  Don't  ask  where  the› name  came  from.  I don't know.  (It› has something to do with Unix, but  I› can't remember the details -- Ed.)›› Several uuencoders/decoders have been› written for the 8-bit.   On  the  few› times I've done it, I've used YAU.COM› (Yet Another  Uuencoder).  It's  fast› and easy to use.  Encoder and decoder› programs are separate,  and  you  use› similar  procedures   to  run   each.› UUencoded  files  will start with the› word "BEGIN" and a  number,  followed› by line after line of what looks like› gibberish, so they should be easy  to› recognize.   If you get one, just run› it   through   the  decoder  and  the› original   file  will   be  restored.› (There are  similar  programs  called› UUEncode and UUdecode for our 8-bits.› I've used them all, and they generaly› work -- Ed.)›› The  procedure  for  attaching  files› varies  widely  among  providers.  On› Delphi, the file is uploaded to  your› Workspace,  and  a  command  from the› MAIL area attaches  it to your email.› Encoded files should be uploaded with› an   error-checking   protocol   like› xmodem or ymodem.  Unlike text, which› is usable if  a  letter  is  lost  or› corrupted,  the  entire  encoded file› may become  useless  if  there  is  a› single  error.   (Unfortunately,  the› text-based  portion  of the NassauNet› that some of our  local  members  use› doesn't  allow  for  attachements  --› Ed.)›› That  takes  care  of  most  of   the› basics.   You  can take it from here,› if you  want.  The  Atari  8-bit  can› handle  ASCII  text  as  well  as any› Pentium-based PC--maybe not as  fast,› but  just   as   well.    Our   Atari› community  has  become  more and more› fragmented over the years, but  email› (and  Usenet)  can  keep  us   closer› together.    It's   a   worthy,   and› fascinating, use of our machines.›› ************************************›››