What is e-mail

Email is a shortened version of the two words 'electronic' and 'mail' and can be considered the electronic version of the letter.
Email is one of the most used and popular services on the Internet.
Email enables messages to be transferred from an individual to another individual or from an individual to a group of people.
Documents (audio, video, pictures etc.) can be attached to email messages and sent with the message.
Email can be sent and viewed various ways - the most common through a computer program, such as 'Outlook'.
Email can be sent to anywhere in the world and viewed whenever the recipient logs onto the Internet and checks their ‘mailbox’ where emails are stored.




What is Spam?


Spam is the email equivalent of junk mail or nuisance phone calls.
Spam can simply be defined as all unsolicited electronic mail sent out in bulk to individuals/organisations that have not consented to receive it.
Spam comes under a number of classifications:
Unsolicited Commercial Email (UCE) which usually advertises a product or service.
Unsolicited Bulk Email (UBE) which is used for things like lobbying.
Chain letters and pyramid schemes and emails relating other fruadulent schemes such as phishing.
Messages sent to a recipient who had agreed to receive mail but has subsequently opted-out.
Any email without an Opt-out facility.
Where an Opt-out facility is provided but it is deliberately misleading or difficult to activate.
Any email that does not have a valid address in the reply to line.
A full consumers guide on spam can be found at:
Australian Communications and Media Authorityz