An e-mail program is software that runs on your computer and enables you to read and compose your e-mail. If you are using a value-added service provider, your e-mail program will be included in the program disk you use to start your service.

Common features of e-mail programs include the following:

• Selecting and reading e-mail. Most e-mail programs present a list of incoming messages from which you can select.

• Composing, addressing, and sending outgoing messages. E-mail programs usually provide you with a built-in word processing programs that enables you to type in your message and make edits until you are satisfied with what you wrote. Some even have spell checkers.

• Replying to a message that someone has sent you. You usually can include all or part of the message that was sent.

• Forwarding a message you receive to someone else with your comments.

• Redirecting or bouncing a message to someone else without any edits or changes.

• Saving and organizing your messages. Many programs enable you to set up a number of folders on your computer and make it easy to put each message in the right folder.

• Filtering and threading incoming messages. Some e-mail programs have features that enable you to tell the program to put different types of mail into a separate list so you can easily read them in order of the priority you choose. Mail from your boss can be read first (or last!), for example.

• Saving and organizing e-mail addresses.

• Creating a short block of text that is automatically added to the end of messages you send. These files are called signature files.

• Creating personal nicknames, or aliases, that you can use to address mail without typing the entire address.

• Creating personal electronic mailing lists that let you send messages to a number of people at once.

• Importing a computer file into an e-mail message so its text is part of the message.

• Attaching files to an e-mail message. These files may be anything from a word processing document, to a picture, to a video clip.