Chapter 1
Using the Electronic Mail Services

This chapter gives you a brief overview on using the electronic mail (E-mail) services with Netscape Messenger program in Netscape Communicator.

If you are using Netscape Messenger for the first time, it is necessary that you follow the steps below to set up the Messenger before using it. If you have already set up a user profile for yourself as instructed in Chapter 3, skip the following steps and proceed to section 1.2.

1.1 Setting up Netscape Messenger

Step 1: From the Edit menu in Netscape window, choose ‘Preferences’. 

Step 2: In the Category sub-window, under Mail & Newsgroup Account Settings key in your name and your email address as given in the letter from either Sabah Net Sdn. Bhd. or IT Advancement Unit (KIT).

The example given here applies to users who are under the Electronic Government system. Other users may have different information. Please refer to the letter issued by the respective authority. However, the setting up process will be the same.

For example: If a user called Ahmad Zulkifri received a letter from the KIT with the following details:

Login name: Ahmad.Zulkifri

Password: eg9999

Email Address: Ahmad.Zulkifri@sabah.gov.my

Outgoing mail (SMTP) server: smtp.sabah.gov.my

Incoming mail server: mail.sabah.gov.my

Then, he will key in the details as follow:

Figure 1.1

Step 3: Under Mail & Group, Mail Server, set the ‘User Name’ to be the ‘Login name’ as given in the letter from KIT. “Server Name” is your Incoming Mail Server. Check the "Leave messages on server " if you want to leave the messages in the server.

Figure 1.2

Then you can set your Outgoing Mail (SMTP) as smtp.sabah.net.my. Next, click “OK” to exit the menu.

Figure 1.3

 

1.2 Starting Netscape Messenger

Step 1: From the Communicator menu, choose Messenger Mailbox


Figure 1.4

Step 2: You will get the Message List window as follows:

 

 

Figure 1.5

1.3 Retrieving and reading new messages

Step 1: Click on the ‘Get Msg’ button in Messenger's toolbar.

Step 2: Key in the password provided by KIT and click ‘OK’. Your new mail will be retrieved.

 


Figure 1.6

Step 3: To read the contents of a message, click a message header in the message list as shown in Figure 1.4. If you do not see the message contents, click the triangle at the bottom of the message list to display the message contents.

Step 4: To read the next unread message, click Next in the toolbar

1.4 Viewing an attachment

An attachment is any file that is included with a message. Attachment appears at the bottom of the message. For example you have received an attachment called ‘testdoc.doc’, which is a DOC file (file which is using MSWord program). Your mail will look something like the following:

 


Figure 1.7

You can either choose to read the attachment or save it in your hard disk. Go through the following steps:

Step 1: Double click on the attachment file :


Figure 1.7

Step 2: You will be prompted with the following window. If you want to open it, then check ‘Open it’ then click OK. A relevant application will be launched to open the attached file.

 


Figure 1.8

In the example above, M.S. Word will be launched to open the file. On the other hand, you might want to save the attached file to your hard disk for future use. In this case, check ‘Save it to disk’ and then click OK. Then you will be prompted with the saving file window


Figure 1.9

Choose the directory you want to save your file in and name the file accordingly. Then, click on ‘Save’ to save the file. You can include your own attachments when you send a message. See section 5.8, Attaching a File to a Message for more information.

1.5 Composing a new message

When you create a new message or when you reply to or forward an existing message, you will get a message composition window so you can type the text of your message. Figure 1.10 shows the various parts of the message composition window and the following functions. 

 


Figure 1.10

 

1.6 Replying to a message

Step 1: Read the message you want to reply to.

Step 2: Click Reply. Choose Reply to Sender if you want to reply only to the person who sent you the message. Choose Reply to All if you want to reply to the person who sent you the message and also send a carbon copy (cc:) of your reply to everyone else that received the original message.

Step 3: You will now get the Composition window. In the composition window, check the address area to make sure that the message is addressed the way you want. Messenger automatically addresses your reply to the recipients listed in the Reply-To header of the original message.

 


Figure 1.11

Step 4: Type your message in the message composition area.

Step 5: Click ‘Send’ to send the message.

1.7 Forwarding a message

Step 1: Select the message you want to forward.

Step 2: Click Forward.

Step 3: Type the address of the person or mailing list you want to send the message to, or click Address in the toolbar.

Step 4: Click in the message area and type any remarks you want to include with the forwarded message.

Step 5: Click Send.

1.8 Attaching a file to a message

Step 1: Click New Message in Messenger's toolbar.

Step 2: In the composition window, hold down the Attach button, and choose File. Refer to Figure 5.11.

Step 3: Choose the file you want to include in the message.

Step 4: Click Open.

Tip : To attach a file on your desktop or in a folder, drag it into the attachment list in the message composition window.

To see the list of attached files, click the Attachment tab in the message composition window.

 


Figure 1.12

Step 5: After completed the attachment and composed the message, click send to send the message.

1.9 Deleting a message

Step 1: Select the header of the message you want to delete. To delete additional messages, hold down the Control key and click on the additional messages.

Step 2: From the Edit menu, choose Delete Message.

1.10 Changing Password

The procedures listed here are for Electronic Government system users.

Users are recommended to change their passwords once a month for security reasons. To change you password, do the following:

Step 1: Launch Netscape Communicator.

Step 2: Go to this site: http://mail.sabah.gov.my:8888. For non-Government users, please go to the User Account Management page and follow the steps described in that page.

Step 3: You will be prompted for your username and password. Enter your login name and current password and click OK.

 


Figure 1.13

Step 4: Under ‘General’ click on ‘password’..

Figure 1.14

Step 5: Key in your User ID followed by “Old Password”.  Type in your new password and Confirm Current  Password. Then click ‘Submit’.


Figure 1.15