[ Home | Contents | Search | Post | Reply | Next | Previous | Up ]
From: John Walters
Date: 27 Jul 2000
Time: 07:02:52
Remote Name: 63.66.69.131
Kaaren, unfortunately there isn't any easy method to explaining how email functions, consequently your answer may be somewhat longer than you anticipated. Let's start with the reason you should have a secondary or junk mail address.
We've all had our mailbox filled from time to time with junk mail. However it's rather expensive relying on Uncle Sam to deliver your message in quantity. Imagine how much cheaper it's become to fill email boxes with just one click of a button. Selling email addresses is a very lucrative business... so much so, there are programs that scan the Web just looking for email addresses to stick in their database. In order to thwart these slime balls of the web you need to be equally deceptive. You do that by guarding your email address whenever possible. If you come to a Web site that requires you to join, or if you buy something over the net giving them your junk mail address may prevent lots of unwanted future mailings.
In setting up a junk email address you are going to switch from a POP based system to that of a browser based system, that is going to require some explanation. Understand that AOL is a proprietary system similar to but somewhat different than most of us use connecting to the Internet. When logging on to the net you must use a browser to read a Web Page. Web pages are written in a code referred to as HTML or hypertext markup language. Your browser recognizes that code telling your computer where to place pictures and text on the page.
Email is a totally different animal. To read email requires launching a separate program other than your browser, most people today use a Microsoft program called Outlook Express. When email is sent to a particular address it sits on a mail server at your ISP (Internet Service Provider) waiting to be downloaded. In sending email to an individual you really aren't sending it to them but rather their post office address or ISP, they in turn must come to the post office and pick it up using their mail program. There is a disadvantage to this system, that is you must be connected to that particular server to be able to download your messages. That becomes rather inconvenient if you travel and need to connect to your email server. National companies such as AOL are particularly advantageous to people that travel since they have an abundance of local numbers you can use to dial in.
But there is a way around this issue, and that is to set up a browser based email address. That can serve two functions, your junk mail and also provide a method for you to receive mail anywhere in the world since all you need is a connection to the Web, no email program is required.
Presently the most popular place to establish a browser based email address would be at the Yahoo Web site. Their address is www.yahoo.com when you go to that page sign up with them with a user name and password and you'll be eligible to use their email system. Once you sign up with them every time you go to that page it will alert you if there is mail waiting for you. A secondary benefit to the Yahoo program is you can also read POP based email as it will allow you to pull email files from your server. This will not work for AOL as I doubt you could get past their firewall/protection system.
I'm not going into a lot of detail here because you can find more of an explanation on the Yahoo! Web site itself. You should also be aware that AOL provides email blocking services in their email program. The only problem is it may prevent you from receiving email you wanted. I'm not that familiar with their system perhaps others that are more familiar may be able to provide additional help.