------------------------------------------------------------------------ Computer-Mediated Communication Practicum John December Lesson 1: Electronic Mail (email) 24 Jan 94 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Introduction The purpose of this lesson is to familiarize you with electronic mail and how you can use it for 1:1 or 1:many communication. For this lesson, you will need to know how to operate the X Window Manager (the graphical system of windows on the workstation). Optionally, you might want to learn a bit of Unix for the "Extras." Core Skills: you will learn how to o Send and receive email o Save an email note in your home directory o Subscribe to a discussion list o Post email to a discussion list Key concepts to understand o Email transmission involves a sender using a mail program to compose and send a message to one or more receivers. o A LISTSERV (or Comserve) discussion list is a way to take part in a discussion. By sending email to the discussion list itself, you can send your message to all subscribers of the discussion list. o The z-mail graphical user interface works only on X workstations (you cannot use it from home dialup--you will have to use the "mail" program via modem--see the "Extras" section). Setup for lesson: 1. Login to a Unix workstation using your userid and password. 2. Bring up a Unix window by placing the cursor in the screen background, pressing and holding down the rightmouse key, sliding the cursor down to "Unix Window," and releasing the mouse button. 3. At the Unix prompt, enter setup zmail then zmail & Lesson: 1. Explore the z-mail graphical interface by using the left mouse button. 2. Send an email message to yourself. a. Use the "Compose" button. b. In the "To:" box, fill in your user id. c. Compose the message. d. Click on the "Send" button. e. After a while, click on the "Get New Mail" button. 2. Send email to one, two, and three people in the class. o In the "To:" box, fill in multiple user ids; try some ids off-campus, too (you can send email to me at jad@miller.cs.uwm.edu if you don't know of another off-campus address). 3. Practice saving, deleting, and responding to email. 4. Subscribe to the course discussion list. 5. Post some introductory remarks about yourself to the course discussion list. Describe your current level of computer understanding and anything else about yourself that you would like. 6. Send any questions you might have over the semester to the course discussion list. Also watch it for announcements. 7. Subscribe and read 2 or 3 discussion lists. Here are some related to CMC/communication/cyberspace. (You might want to subscribe to HELP-NET.) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ LISTNAME description mail ADDRESS "BODY OF LETTER" (don't include "s). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CBNVEE educational environments using networked virtual reality software mail listserv@mcmuse.mc.maricopa.edu "sub CBNVEE YOUR NAME" CMC Computer-Mediated Communication Comserve Hotline mail comserve@vm.its.rpi.edu "join CMC YOUR NAME" Cypherwonks general cutting-edge `cyberspatial development' projects such as in cryptography, digital cash, and `electronic democracy' mail Majordomo@Lists.EUnet.fi "sub cypherwonks YOUR NAME" EduTel Comserve Hotline use of computers in education mail comserve@vm.its.rpi.edu "join edutel YOUR NAME" HELP-NET For people new to the Internet mail listserv@templevm.bitnet "sub HELP-NET YOUR NAME" IAMCRNet Comserve Hotline International Association for Mass Communication Research Network mail comserve@vm.its.rpi.edu "join IAMCRNet YOUR NAME" IPCT-L The Interpersonal Computing and Technology List, issues in education, especially networking and computing. mail listserv@guvm.georgetown.edu "sub IPCT-L YOUR NAME" IRVC-L foster, ecourage, advance, and communicate research on virtual culture mail listserv@byrd.mu.wvnet.edu "sub IRVC-L YOUR NAME" Interpedia a public-domain Internet encylopedia mail interpedia-request@telerama.lm.com "subscribe YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS" NETTRAIN a discussion list about training/support of others in using the resources available on Bitnet and Internet. mail listserv@ubvm.cc.buffalo.edu "sub NETTRAIN YOUR NAME" NEW-LIST discusses new LISTSERV mailing lists. mail listserv@ndsuvm1.bitnet "sub NEW-LIST YOUR NAME" NIR Network Information Retrieval. List dedicated to studying networked information retrieval tools and processes. mail mailbase@mailbase.ac.uk "sub NIR YOUR NAME" NewJour-L new electronic journals/newsletters mail LISTSERV@e-math.ams.org "sub NewJour-L YOUR NAME" RESODLAA distance education and open learning research mail Listserver@usq.edu.au "sub RESODLAA YOUR NAME" RITIM-L Research Institute for Telecommunications and Information Marketing discussion list mail listserv@uriacc.uri.edu "sub RITIM-L YOUR NAME" Technomads wireless, mobile data comm networks mail technomads-request@ucsd.edu "sub technomads YOUR NAME" UNITE interface to all network services.ng. theme mail mailbase@mailbase.ac.uk "join UNITE YOUR NAME" VPIEJ-L Electronic publishing issues, especially Scholarly Electronic Journals mail listserv@vtvm1.cc.vt.edu "sub VPIEJ-L YOUR NAME" ------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Extras" (Optional): o Create an alias use it to create your own discussion list. o Explore Comserve's systems of hotlines and databases. o Use commands to retrieve past archives of discussion lists. o Use commands to search past transcripts of discussion lists. o Use an editor such as (vi) to compose a message, use "spell" to check your spelling, use "fmt" to format your text. o Create a system of Unix directories to organize information in your home directory. o Find out about some more email discussion lists and subscribe to them o Use a command-line mailer (UCB mail), example: SENDING: ~ (163) mail decemj Subject: Hi This is a test. . Cc: RECEIVING ~ (164) mail Retrieving mail from POP server. Please wait... Mail version UCB 5.5.1 Fri May 7 16:16:55 EDT 1993. Type ? for help. "/home/54/decemj/.newmail": 1 messages 1 new N 1 decemj@rpi.edu Fri Jan 21 21:56 12/494 "Hi" & 1 Message 1: From decemj@rpi.edu Fri Jan 21 21:56:02 1994 From: John Arthur December Date: Fri, 21 Jan 94 21:55:09 EST Message-Id: <9401220255.AA08007@client.its.rpi.edu> To: decemj Subject: Hi This is a test. & q ~ (165) Logging out: o Logoff workstation by placing the cursor in the screen background, pressing and holding down the rightmouse key, sliding the cursor down to "Logout," and releasing the mouse button. ************************************************************************ HOMEWORK 1: ======================================================================== After Friday of this week, write a summary of what you experienced. Describe your experiences and discuss them critically---including (possibly) technical, social, cultural, linguistic, or other aspects. (50 lines or so.) Turn in this homework by posting it to the course discussion list no later than class time next week. ************************************************************************ Followup: Be sure to unsubscribe to the discussion lists you joined if you no longer wish to follow them. Comments: There are thousands of discussion lists---later on, you can find out how to obtain directories of them. Electronic mail has been around a long time. As you read articles for this course, you will find that email and text conferencing are the domain for much existing CMC research. In the next lesson, we'll jump ahead a couple of decades beyond email technology---to the year 1994! ........................................................................ Copyright (c) 1994 John December