Internet Email FAQ

The following questions and answers have been compiled to give ECPI customers a quick reference to Internet e-mail related information.

1. How do I check mail when I am away from home?

2. How do I check mail from another country?

3. How do I send attachments?

4. Why does my e-mail show up blank for some people?

5. How do I find someone's e-mail address?

6. Does it cost more to send e-mail overseas?

7. I have received an attachment - what do I do now?

8. What is my ECPI E-mail address?

9. How long does it take for e-mail to be received?

Flaming, Spamming and Emoticons

Now that you know how to get around on the Net, you'll need to understand the proper rules of conduct. The possibility of getting "flamed" is real.

What is getting "flamed?"

    Getting flamed is when you receive responses back to something you've said or done on the Internet which has made others angry. This usually happens in "chat" rooms and news groups. These responses are sarcastic, searing, lambastes which will make you squirm and feel like fire is licking up your back. There are those who are looking to flame someone, called flame warriors, and others who are looking to get flamed, flame bait. If two or more people start blasting each other it's a flame war.

What can I say on the Net?

    Generally, you'll find others on the Net an open, friendly group of people. They support the free and open nature of the Net -- no one "owns" it. You have a right to free speech, but on the Net, you should refrain from making statements which may be hurtful or offensive. You should also keep an open mind to other people's interests. Humans are a diverse group if nothing else and we all need to regard the right of others to be what we might consider weird, strange, or different. Obviously, if someone is talking about behaviors which are harmful to others, especially the innocent - the beasts and the children, then they should be flamed as completely as possible and you should write to your webmaster and possibly contact local authorities. All of this doesn't mean you have to be politically correct, but by all means: BE NICE! The Internet is one of the best opportunities the individual has of creating a world community. It's up to you to do your part.

    I wrote in all caps and got flamed. Why? One important rule is do not shout. "Sure," you say. "How can I shout in a chat room where everything is typewritten words?" SIMPLE! BY USING ALL CAPS AND LOTS OF EXCLAMATION POINTS!!!! Not only is it hard on the eyes, but it conveys anger, frustration.

What else can I do to avoid being flamed?

    Don't take up space on people's computer screens with frivolous banter. Normal conversation is fine. But if you get in there and start writing something stupid over and over, you'll be annoying and get yourself flamed. Imagine someone writing, "The Writing's On The Wall" again and again. Not only is it not clever but it's pretty boring.

What is Spamming?

    Spamming is when someone sends their message to several thousand Usenet groups, chat rooms and/or thousands of individual e-mail addresses. These messages often promote a business or fringe point-of-view. If you send one, you risk receiving thousands of flames and the cancellation of your account. What are all those acronyms people use in their messages? In the heat of a chat room exchange the last thing you want to do is waste keystrokes typing common sayings. To get around this people have started using acronyms. The following is a list of acronyms commonly used:

    * BTW - By the way
    * FWIW - For what it's worth
    * FYI - For your information
    * IMHO - In my humble opinion
    * IMO - In my opinion
    * LOL - Laughing out loud
    * OTF - On the floor (laughing)
    * PMFBI - Pardon me for butting in
    * PMFJI - Pardon me for jumping in
    * ROTFL - Rolling on the floor laughing
    * TIA - Thanks in advance

What are those marks people put at the end of a sentence?

    Those marks are called emoticons or smileys and they are used to convey emotion. Since you can't see anyone in the chat room, the expressions and inflections of voice we use to convey emotion when talking are lost. To make up for that, a system of symbols has developed which uses common keyboard marks. The following is a short list, but remember, have fun and be creative:

    :-( Sadness, disappointment
    :-) A smile, also :-> or :^]
    8-) Goofy smile, or wearing glasses
    ;-) A wink
    :-& Tongue-tied
    :-o Shock, surprise
    :-p Sticking tongue out
    :-} Another goofy smile
    :-{| Mustached straight-man
    :-)8 Formal occasion
    :-x Speechless

What other ways can I convey emotion?

    Since you can't use bold and italic in most chat rooms, you can emphasize words by marking them. Use *asterisks*, =equal=, +plus+, etc.

Can I use a pseudonym?

    Generally, using a pseudonym or alias is frowned upon. But, in some groups it is plainly prohibited (like some writer's groups), while in others it is encouraged (in virtual reality chat rooms).

Email Error: We do not support relaying

This error will occur when sending e-mail using ECPI's Mail Servers, and you are not dialed into ECPI, or you are not using your OWN mail server.

ECPI has implemented special anti-spam software that disallows the use of our SMTP servers to anyone outside of our network. This means that you must be dialed into ECPI via one of our local access numbers in order to use our mail servers for sending e-mail. The correct name of the ECPI Outgoing mail server is mail.ecpi.com.

If you have an ECPI account, but access your ECPI mail while connected to a different ISP, you will need to use the SMTP (Outgoing Mail Server) of that ISP.