A

ActiveX Controls

A set of technologies that enables interactive content for the World Wide Web. With ActiveX, Web sites can be enhanced with multimedia effects, interactive objects, and sophisticated applications. Microsoft Outlook Express Macintosh Edition uses ActiveX technology to display Web pages and HTML documents sent via e-mail.

AppleDouble

An encoding method intended for cross-platform sending of Macintosh files.

attachment

A file that you attach to an outgoing message or that you receive in an incoming message.

authentication

The way a computer on the Internet verifies your identity. For example, the mail server that stores your mail must verify your identity by using your name and password before it downloads your mail to you.

Bulletin Board System (BBS)

An electronic bullet board where users can leave messages. Many BBBs are on a membership basis.

Base64

A standard for encoding and sending files over the Internet. It is a MIME type that uses a 6-bit format.

binaries

Files that contain data other than text, such as pictures. The attachments contained in news messages are usually binary files.

BinHex

The method for sending a Macintosh file. This ensures that the two parts of the file, the resource fork and the data fork, do not get separated when the file is sent.

blind carbon copy (BCC)

A way to send a copy of a message to a person without their name or address appearing in the recipient list.

character set

The sets of characters needed to display text in various languages. For example, in order to view Japanese characters, you need to have the Japanese character set.

Contacts

An electronic address book for storing e-mail addresses and mailing lists (groups of e-mail addresses).

D

Deleted Messages folder

The folder where messages are stored after they have been deleted. By default, this folder is emptied when you quit Microsoft Outlook Express, but you can change this setting in Preferences. This folder is used by POP server accounts only.

download

The process of receiving information from the Internet. In Microsoft Outlook Express, you can download mail and news messages to your computer.

e-mail address

Your electronic "address" on the Internet or an Intranet. An e-mail address is commonly formed by joining your user name and the mail server name, separating the two with an @ symbol.

electronic mail (e-mail)

A way to send messages and files over the Internet or an Internet. E-mail is also used to send message to Bulletin Board Systems (BBSs).

encryption

A method used to secure data that is transferred over the Internet by scrambling it in such a way that only the intended recipient of the message can read its contents.

file helpers

A utility or program that processes files that Microsoft Outlook Express can't process. For example, you could set up a relationship between the file type .xls and Microsoft Excel so that when you receive a message attachment with the .xls suffix, Microsoft Excel will automatically start and display the file.

folder list

The left pane of the Microsoft Outlook Express window in which you can view available folders and servers.

forward

To send a copy to a message to another address. Forwarding is usually done when you want to share a message you have received with someone else.

header

The part of mail and news messages that includes instructions on how to handle the message. This is similar to the information that you find on the envelope of a letter you send through the mail. A header includes information such as the subject, date, priority, sender, recipient, and the series of computers the message went through until it was received by you.

Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP)

IMAP server accounts are designed to store messages on the mail server so that you can access them from any computer at anytime. With an IMAP server account you can gain access to public folders.

Inbox folder

The folder where new messages are filed. If you have a POP server account, your mail is automatically received to the Inbox created by Microsoft Outlook Express. If you have an IMAP server account, your messages are stored in the Inbox located on the IMAP server until you choose to move or delete them.

Internet service provider (ISP)

An Internet service provider maintains a server that is directly connected to the Internet. You must connect through a service provider unless you are directly connected to the Internet. Connecting to a service provider entails calling the provider and setting up a PPP account.

Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP)

LDAP is a protocol for accessing online directory services. These directory services let you search their databases to find the names and e-mail addresses of people or businesses. Use the Preferences dialog box to set up a connection to an LDAP server. When you do so, the LDAP server appears in the folder list.

local folder

Folders that are stored on your computer. If you have a POP server account any folders you create are local folders.

MIME

Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions. An Internet standard for transferring various file formats.

mail message

A message you receive via electronic mail.

mailing list

A list of contacts grouped together so that you can easily send a message to any number of recipients by typing just one address.

news message

A message that is posted on a newsgroup.

newsgroup

A collection of messages, pertaining to a particular subject, that is stored on various computers on the Internet. You can access these newsgroups using Microsoft Outlook Express to read the messages they contain. Also called USENET.

newsgroup list

The list of newsgroups that are currently available to you.

NNTP

Network News Transfer Protocol. The protocol used to send and receive news messages over the Internet.

online folders

Folders that are stored on a server, not your computer. Also called server folders.

Outbox folder

The folder where outgoing messages are stored until Microsoft Outlook Express connects to the Internet.

POP

Post Office Protocol. A way mail is transferred over the Internet. Microsoft Outlook Express can use POP to receive your incoming e-mail.

POP password

The password you need to access your e-mail and download it from your mail server.

PPP

Point to Point Protocol. One of the protocols that allows computers to connect to the Internet using a telephone line and a modem.

private folder

Folders on an IMAP server whose contents can only be read by its creator or a selected group.

protocol

The rules for information transferred over the Internet so that your computer will know what to do when it receives the information. For example, all Web pages use the HTTP protocol. When your computer downloads a file from a server that uses the HTTP protocol, it knows to use a Web browser to display the file. Other protocols include SMTP, FTP, and NNTP.

protocol helper

A utility or program that handles Internet protocols the current application isn't designed to use. For example, Outlook Express is designed to handle mail and news protocols such as POP, SMTP, or NNTP; Microsoft Internet Explorer is designed to handle Web protocols (e.g. HTTP, HTTPS). You can use the protocol helpers in Outlook Express to set up Internet Explorer as the helper for the http protocol. When you do so, Outlook Express will launch Internet Explorer when you click a link to a Web page.

public folder

A folder on an IMAP server that is created by another user but whose contents everyone can read. Because there can be hundreds of public folders on an IMAP server, you wouldn't want to display them all. Instead, you can subscribe to folders that interest you. Each folder has a subscription status: subscribed or unsubscribed.

quote character

The character appended to the beginning of every line of original text in a message you are replying to or forwarding.

redirect

A way to send a message that you have received to someone else. When you redirect a message the From line retains the original sender's name. For example, if you receive a message from Bob, you can use redirect to send it to Don, retaining Bob's name on the From line.

ROT13

Rotate 13. A method of scrambling the contents of a message that is most often used in news messages to hide the ending of a movie or book. Each letter in a word is rotated alphabetically thirteen letters to the right. For example, the word "mail" would appear as "znvy." ROT13 is not considered to be a secure form of encryption because it can be easily deciphered.

Rule

A way to have Microsoft Outlook Express perform tasks automatically, such as replying, filing, and alerting, on incoming mail and news messages based on the criteria you set.

Sent Mail folder

The folder where copies of the mail messages that you send are stored.

signature

Information about you, such as your company name, department, title, phone or fax number, and favorite quotation, that you can automatically add to all the messages that you send.

SMTP host

Simple Mail Transport Protocol. A way mail is transferred over the Internet. Microsoft Outlook Express uses SMTP to send your outgoing mail.

subscribe

A way to mark a newsgroup or a folder on an IMAP account that you visit often so that it is easy to find.

toolbar

The row of buttons on the top of each window that you can click to perform common tasks.

UUEncode

A common method for sending files over the Internet for DOS, Windows, and UNIX platforms. For sending a Macintosh file to a Macintosh user, BinHex encoding is recommended over UUEncode as it will preserve the resource fork of the file.