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WebMail Help
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Spam Filtering
FAQ - read
Managing Folders
FAQ - read
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WEBMAIL
HELP
Retrieving
Your E-mail
• Each time you log on
to WebMail, the server will automatically show you your new messages.
• To get new messages once you've logged on, just click the In
Box link in the Folder List,
which will reload the page and show you any new messages.
• If an attachment is sent with your e-mail, you will see a button at the bottom
of the message that says "Click here to download
(name of the attachment)". Clicking that button
will write the attachment to whatever directory you select on your hard drive.
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Reading
Your E-mail
• From the main WebMail screen (which is your In Box, and is accessible
form anywhere by clicking the In Box link in the Folder List), you'll
notice that the address of the person (in the From column) who sent you your
e-mail is a link. Clicking on that link will open that message.
• To get back to the main screen, click on In
Box.
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Deleting
E-mail
• To delete a specific e-mail, put a check in the box to the left of
the message then scroll to the bottom of the page click and click the
Delete button . You can also check
several e-mails at once prior to clicking Delete.
• To delete ALL of your messages, check the box at the bottom of the
page labeled (conveniently enough) Check To Select All Messages,
then click the Delete
button right next to it at the bottom of the page.
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Composing
A New E-mail
• Click the Compose button on the left of the WebMail main page, which
will bring up the Compose Mail screen.
• In the To:
box, type the e-mail address of the person to whom you are mailing. Note:
this must be a valid e-mail address in the form user@isp.com, you cannot
use nicknames (like Alice, or MadMike) or partial addresses (joanie@aol
- notice there is no .com on this address, which makes it invalid) as
the server will not know what to do with them. Or, you can click and
enter an address from your Address Book (if you've set it up) - click
here to read more.
• You should put a subject in the Subject box, but it's not necessary.
It's also not necessary to fill in the Cc:
(Carbon Copy) and Bcc: (Blind Carbon Copy)
sections. Using Cc:
allows you to send e-mail to more than one address, with everyone who
receives the e-mail seeing the addresses of everyone else. The Bcc:
area lets you send the mail to people whose addresses will not be visible
to other recipients.
• To attach a separate file to the e-mail (such as a picture or document), put the
complete path to the document's location on your hard drive in the Attach
box. Or you can use the Browse button to search your hard drive for the document. There is a 3 megabyte
limit to the size of the attachment, so please don't try to send a 15 minute home movie, as it won't work.
• Finally, if you would like to have a copy of this message saved in
your Out Box, check the box next to Save Outgoing Message.
If you need to see this e-mail later on, clicking on the Out Box button
will show you all of your saved outgoing messages. Generally, you don't
need to save outgoing messages. However you can save certain important
correspondence in this manner.
• To send your message, click (amazingly enough) the Send button. That's it, your message is on its way.
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Managing The Address Book
• Click the Address Book button at the top of the WebMail main page, which will bring up the Address Book screen.
• Here you can add, edit and delete entries in your address book.
• To add an entry:
• Click the Create A New Entry link at the top of the list.
• Enter the information that you want to store.
• Click the Add This Entry button at the bottom of the page.
• Note: You only are required to enter the first and last name and e-mail address.
• To edit an entry:
• Click the Edit image for the entry you wish to edit.
• Edit the information that you want to store.
• Click the Edit This Entry button at the bottom of the page.
• Note: You only are required to enter the first and last name and e-mail address.
• To delete an entry:
• Click the Delete image for the entry you wish to delete.
• Click the OK button to delete the entry permanently.
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Using The Address Book
• Click the Compose button at the top of the WebMail main page, which will bring up the Compose Mail screen.
• If you have any addresses in your address book, they will appear below the To: field.
• Select the address you would like to send to from the pull down menu and click the Add This Address button.
• The address you selected will be added to the To: field.
• If you add more than one address, WebMail will separate the addresses
with commas.
• Note: Names and e-mail addresses are both shown in the pull down menu for your convenience.
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When Finished
• Make sure that you log off, to avoid the possibility of someone else
having access to your e-mail.
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WebMail Errors Explained
• You will occasionally see this message in
your In Box:
Subject: DON'T DELETE THIS MESSAGE -- FOLDER INTERNAL DATA
This text is part of the internal format of your mail folder, and is not a real message. It is created automatically
by the mail system software. If deleted, important folder data will be lost, and it will be re-created with the
data reset to initial values.
You do not need to
be concerned by this. This is a standard message generated by the mail
server as part of it's internal configuration. You can delete this file
with no ill effects.
• Some web browsers do not work with WebMail
as they incorrectly form the tags that allow WebMail to work. If WebMail
detects that you are using one of these browsers, it will alert you
that you are using a non-compliant browser and direct you to download
the latest version of your browser.
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SPAM
FILTERING
What
Is Spam?
•
Spam is defined by Dictionary.com as "Unsolicited e-mail, often
of a commercial nature, sent indiscriminately to multiple mailing lists,
individuals, or newsgroups; junk e-mail." Basically, it's the online
equivalent of junk mail. It's those offers you didn't ask for that clog
your mailbox and can make checking your e-mail a pain. Spam can be merely
annoying (new diets, cheap copier supplies, free DVD copying) to insulting
(Bill Gates is giving away 500 free trips to Disneyland) to pornographic.
So we're trying to do something about it.
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How
It Works
• Our servers identify spam mail as it's processed, before it's ever
delivered to your mailbox. It's helpful to think of this in terms of
mail being delivered by the U.S. Mail. As mail comes into the virtual
"ICON Post Office", it's screened by the server for certain
content. If it meets the criteria for spam, it's handled in one of three
ways. It's kind of like having your postman flip through your mail and
take all of the obvious junk out for you.
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Three
Methods of Handling Spam
• There are three different methods by which this spam can be handled.
The first option is Do Nothing, meaning you will receive all
of your e-mail, including the spam, directly to your In Box.
We don't touch a thing. The second option is Filter And Save Spam,
where we identify the spam and filter it, routing it into a special
Spam Box for your account. The spam is saved in the Spam Box
for 14 days, after which it is deleted. You can read
through your spam, if you're so inclined, at any time during these
14 days. The third option is Filter And Delete Spam, where we
identify the spam and immediately delete it, rather than saving it for
2 weeks.
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Default
Settings
• The default option is #2, Filter And Save Spam. This would
be the preferred option for most of our customers. It filters spam out
so you're not bothered by it, but it keeps it available in case you
want to read through it. Why would you choose other options? Families
with children that are worried that the kids will find the saved spam
(especially the objectionable content contained in some spam messages)
would probably want to select Option #3, Filter And Delete Spam.
This would immediately eliminate the spam, not save it where it might
be discovered by prying eyes (and clever fingers). However, some people
just like to receive e-mail. We're not trying to make a moral judgment
by filtering spam, we're just trying to make your online experience
easier and more enjoyable. If you like reading all of your e-mail, you'll
want to choose the Do Nothing option.
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Changing
Preferences
• To change your preferences, log on to Webmail and click the Preferences
button. You'll be taken to a page that shows the three filtering options
discussed above. As we said, the default is Filter And Save Spam,
so if that's what you want us to do, you don't have to do anything.
If you prefer one of the other options, click the circle next to that
option and then click the Submit Preferences button. That's it.
Pretty simple, isn't it.
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Viewing
Filtered Spam
• If you've set your preference to Filter And Save Spam (or just
left it as the default), you can still view your spam mail for up to
14 days after it was first received. However, you can only get to the
Spam Box via Webmail. It will NOT show up in commercial e-mail
clients such as Eudora or Outlook, nor will it show up if you use the
server client Pine. You HAVE to go through Webmail to get to your saved
spam.
• When you log on to Webmail, you'll notice the new Folder List
section. In addition to the standard In and Out Boxes,
you'll also see (ta-da) the Spam Box. This is the area to which
all spam is banished. Click on Spam Box and you'll be transported
to the spam netherworld, where all of your spam messages from the last
14 days are saved.
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How Spam
Is Identified
• So how do we identify a spam message and distinguish it from an e-mail
from your Aunt Gertrude? Easy. Well, the explanation is easy, the execution
is a bit more difficult, but that's why we're here. Each message is
scored based on its content. The spam filter looks for specific characteristics
common to spam mail. It assigns a point value each time a message contains
one of those characteristics. When a message reaches a certain point
total, it's classified as spam.
• What do we look for? There are a large number of general characteristics
of spam mail, and if you think about spam you have received in the past,
you'll notice some common threads. Among the things we look for are:
lots of CAPS (spammers like to TYPE VERY LOUDLY); obscenity (especially
as related to pornographic sites); incomplete e-mail headers and either
no return address or a fake one (so you can't trace the message back);
an invalid time and date; if it's not addressed to you specifically;
if there is an offer to sell you something or an invitation for "AOL
Users, click here", to name just a few.
• Now, just containing one of these characteristics won't trigger the
filter. For example, your brother sending you an e-mail about "than
damn binLaden" won't be classified as spam. Neither will any mailing
lists you're on, or offers that you have subscribed to (i.e.: if you've
asked to be included on Eddie Bauer's mailing list to receive sale notices,
you'll still get those). It takes a combination of 'violations' to accumulate
the score high enough to classify an e-mail as spam. That being said,
the filter won't catch everything. Some spam will still come through.
In our testing though, the filter stopped well over 90% of all spam
from reaching us.
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MANAGING
FOLDERS
What
Are Folders?
Folders
are an organizational tool. They let you place messages in different
areas for future reference. Think of them as folders in a filing cabinet.
As you set up different folders to hold specific information, you can
do the same with WebMail.
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Default
Folders
By default,
the first time you log on to WebMail, you'll have three folders: an
In Box, an Out Box and a Spam Box. The In Box
is where new mail is automatically put. Anytime someone sends you a
new e-mail message, it will go into your In Box. The Out Box
is where WebMail stores the e-mail you have sent to others, provided
you checked the box labeled Save Outgoing Message at the time
you wrote the e-mail. (If you didn't check the box, the e-mail is not
saved and cannot be retrieved). Your Spam Box is where junk e-mail
is sent, depending upon the settings you chose. You can read more about
spam and WebMail's handling of junk mail here.
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Creating
New Folders
You can
create new folders. In WebMail, look under the Folder List on
the left. You'll notice a folder icon with a starburst that says Manage
Folders. Click the link. You'll be taken to a page labeled Manage
Custom Folders. Click on the link marked Create A New Folder.
You will be asked to type the name of the new folder - type "The
Kids" and then click the Add This Folder box. You'll be
taken back to the Manage Custom Folders screen and you'll notice
that there is now a folder named "The Kids". Additionally,
if you look under the Folder List on the left, you'll see your
new folder created there as well.
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Editing
New Folders
Renaming:
Suppose you didn't want to name the folder "The Kids", suppose
you wanted it to say "Work". On the Manage Folders
screen, click the Edit button next to the "The Kids"
folder. You'll be given a box that will let you rename the folder. Type
in "Work" and click the Edit This Folder button. That's
it, the folder is renamed form "The Kids" to "Work".
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Deleting:
Now suppose you decide you don't want any new folders right now. To
delete the "Work" folder you've created, you'll simply click
the Delete button next to it. You can delete any of the custom
folders you've created. However, you cannot delete your In Box,
Out Box or Spam Box.
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Moving
Messages Among Folders
Since folders are intended to help you organize your e-mail, we've
set it up so that you can move messages among folders. Let's look at
an example.
First,
following the example in Creating New Folders,
make a new folder called "Test".
Next, go
to your In Box and select a message you want to move. To move
that message, you click the checkbox next to it (go ahead and do it,
we'll move it back in a minute), then scroll to the bottom of the page.
You'll see a button that says Move Messages To: with a drop down
box next to it. From the drop down box, select the folder you want to
move that message to. In our case, select the folder you just created
called 'Test'. After choosing 'Test' in the drop down box, click the
Move Messages To: button. WebMail will do its work and you'll
notice that the message is no longer in your In Box.
Now, in
the Folder List on the left, click on the folder marked "Test".
Viola! There's your message. Follow the same procedure to move it from
the "Test" folder back to your In Box.
Hint: Remember,
you don't have to move messages one at a time. If you have three messages
that all go to the same folder, click the checkboxes next to all three
before selecting a Move To: folder - that way, you'll move all three
at the same time.
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