Email issues

While email is a fantastic communications tool, it comes with some hazards.

• Viruses
  The email system was designed to allow people to send emails with file attachments, such as documents or spreadsheets. This also makes it a very good system for spreading computer viruses from one person or another.

  A person with a virus on their PC can accidentally infect others by sending an email attachment containing the virus. When the recipient opens the attachment, their computer could be infected by the virus too.

  A number of computer viruses have been designed to be spread via email. When your computer gets one of these viruses, it can take over your computer and send itself to everyone in your email address book, disguised as an email from you.

• Spam
  If you've ever received an email from a person or organisation you don't know, you're probably aware of one of the biggest issues with email today - spam.

  Generally, any email sent without the permission of the recipient can be considered spam. However, in particular it refers to emails attempting to sell things.

  As a result of how the email system works, it's very easy to send an email to millions of people at a very low cost. This makes it easy for people (termed spammers) to send emails to many people in the hope that a few will buy a product. Spammers often need less than one person in a million to buy a product in order to make money.

  Some computer viruses are even designed to allow spammers to use your computer to send spam to others. What these viruses do is allow a central controller to access your computer's email program to send emails without your knowledge.

  It is estimated that 70 to 80 per cent of emails sent today are spam.

• Privacy and security
  The email system was not designed to be very secure.

  Your emails are generally sent across the internet without any form of encryption to scramble your message and make it difficult for others to intercept and read.

  This means that when you send an email, it can be read by anyone who has the technical ability to intercept it, so it's important that you don't send confidential or sensitive details such as credit card numbers, or passwords and usernames via email.

• Email rage and flame wars
  It is very easy and quick to type and send an email. These messages are sent as text, with none of the voice tone or body language cues used in everyday speech.

  This makes it very easy to both misinterpret the tone of an email and very easy to respond angrily to a perceived difference.

  Known as email rage, this is the act of sending personally insulting emails to others in response to emails that may be personal, or may simply have been misunderstood.

  A flame war is an ongoing exchange of these types of emails, often with others being copied in on the emails to make a point.

  When receiving an email that could be a personal attack, it's best to contact the person by phone to clarify what the email meant, rather than replying immediately.

  And if you're angry at someone and want to send them a quick email, have someone else read it, or save it and reread it later when you're not angry before sending it.