E-mail is the most popular form of Internet communication. Netscape Communicator includes an electronic mail program, Netscape Messenger. You can use Messenger to manage, send, receive, and work with E-mail messages.
Setting Up Messenger for E-mail. Before you can use Messenger you need to set up E-mail Preferences. You will enter a name, a user name, a password, an E-mail address, the address of your mail server for incoming and outgoing mail, and whether your account is POP or IMAP. Here's how to do it. To enter the information select Edit, then Preferences from the menu bar. The Preferences dialog box will appear. In the category list at the left of the dialog box, click Mail & Newsgroups.
In the Category list, click Identity. Type your information. Click Mail Servers. In the Outgoing mail (SMTP) server text box, type the address of your outgoing mail server. In the Incoming Mail Servers dialog box, click Add if there is no server listed or click Edit if there is a server listed that you need to rename or change. Type the address of the incoming mail server. From the Server Type drop-down menu, select POP or IMAP. In the User Name text box, type your user name for this E-mail account. Click OK to close the Mail Server Info dialog box and return to the Preferences dialog box. Click OK to close the Preferences dialog box you're all set!
Using Messenger. From the Communicator menu select Communicator, then Messenger to open the Messenger window.
Opening Your Inbox. To get your E-mail messages click the Inbox icon on the component bar.
Choosing How You View the Messenger Window. You can customize the way you view the Messenger window. From the Messenger window, choose Show from the View menu to display or hide the message toolbar, location toolbar, messages, or folders. Additional window settings are available from the Window Settings Preferences Panel.
Choosing Between IMAP and POP3 Mail Servers. Netscape Messenger can work with two types of servers: IMAP and POP3. If your Internet Service provider supports both, these descriptions may help you choose which one to use:
Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) Advantages. Your messages and any changes to them stay on your server, saving local disk space. Also, you always have access to an updated mailbox, and you can get your mail from multiple locations. Performance on a modem is faster, since you initially download message headers only, and you can synchronize specific mail folders for offline use. Disadvantages: Not all ISPs support IMAP.
Post Office Protocol (POP3) Advantages. Your messages are downloaded to your local computer all at once, thereby making offline reading easier. You can specify whether to keep copies of the messages on the server. Most ISPs currently support POP3. Disadvantages: You must synchronize your local inbox with your server's mailbox. This can result in downloading new messages over and over each time you connect. If you use more than one computer, messages might reside on one or the other, but not both. POP3 doesn't work as well as IMAP over a slow link connection. Also, you can't access all mail folders from multiple locations. Note: You can have multiple IMAP servers or one POP3 server, but not both types. You can check or change the server type through the Mail Server Property Panel .
Reading Messages. New Mail Notification. The Inbox icon on the component bar notifies you when you have new messages. Netscape Messenger checks your server periodically using the settings in the Mail Servers Preferences panel. After Messenger finds new messages, the Inbox icon displays a green arrow. A yellow arrow indicates that Messenger has not checked for messages . You can also set Messenger to play a sound when it receives new messages.
Getting Messages. Messenger automatically downloads new messages to your Inbox if you've set it to check for messages at timed intervals, but you can retrieve them manually at any time. To get new messages, do one of the following: Click Get Msg on the Messenger window toolbar. Choose Get New Messages from the File menu of the Messenger window. Click the Inbox icon on the component bar.
Sorting and Threading Messages. To sort messages by subject, sender, date, or priority: Click the appropriate label (column heading) in the message list window. To sort messages in ascending or descending order: From the View menu, choose Sort and then select Ascending or Descending. To sort messages in thread order: From the View menu, choose Messages and then select the type of thread you want. You see only messages with the selected thread displayed in the message list window. To group messages by threading: Click the thread button (the button with the lines on it) to the left of the Subject, Sender, and Date column headings.
Saving and Printing Messages. You can save or print any message from a window in which you see it displayed, including messages composed in the HTML composition window. On Windows, you can print multiple messages at a time. To save a message as a plain-text or HTML file: In the Messenger window select the message then open the File menu and choose Save As. You can also save a message as a template or a draft.
To print a displayed message. Click Print. If you are in a composition window, open the File menu and choose Print. To set up the page layout for printing: Choose Page Setup from the File menu. To preview how the page will look: Choose Print Preview from the File menu.
Sending Messages. Composing. To open a composition window to address, compose, and send a new message or reply: In any Netscape Communicator window, open the File menu and choose New, then Message. If you are in a newsgroup window when you choose New Message, the message is automatically addressed to that newsgroup. While displaying a message, click Forward, Reply, or Reply All on the toolbar. From the Address Book window, select an address and click New Msg.
Using the Message Composition Window. Use this window to address, compose, and messages. First specify whether you want to compose messages in plain text or HTML in Formatting preferences.
Toolbar. You can click the following buttons: Send: Send a completed message. Quote: Include the text of a message you're replying to. Address: Search for and select names in your address books or directories. Attach: Attach a file, web page, or address card to a message. Options: Set additional message sending options. Spelling. Save: Save the message as a draft, template, or file. Print: Print the contents of the message composition window. Security: Display the security information and status for the message. Stop: Cancel sending the message.
Tabs at the left of the address name fields: Address List tab: Click this tab to create or edit the recipient list. Attachments List tab: Drag a file to this paper clip icon to attach the file to an outgoing message. Message Options tab: Click this tab to request a return receipt, prevent encryption, prevent attachment of your digital signature, and designate the default character set labeling (Uuencode or MIME). Tip: You can also display this panel by clicking Options on the toolbar.
Addressing a Message. To address an E-mail message type the name in the address field or if you have Pinpoint Addressing enabled (in the Addressing Preferences Panel), type the first few letters of the recipient's name and wait for Messenger to complete the address. Or you can type the name and immediately press Enter to have Messenger try to complete the address. If multiple addresses are found, press Enter, select the address you want, and click OK. Note: Use a comma to separate multiple addresses in the same field. Do not use a comma to separate first or last names. If necessary, click "To:" to choose a different recipient type. To primary recipients of your message. CC = Carbon copy, for secondary recipients. BCC = Blind carbon copy, for secondary recipients not identified to the other recipients, including those in the cc list. Group = Posting to a newsgroup. Reply To = The E-mail address to be used if the recipient uses the Reply-To button. Tip: You can quickly address a message by dragging and dropping (or copying and pasting) an E-mail address into the address field.