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Next: Electronic Mail Features Up: Lecture 5 Previous: Nature of Electronic Mail

Electronic Mail Functions

Composition: e-mail user agents should enable users to

• create and address e-mail messages
• reply to e-mail messages received

Display: e-mail user agents should enable users to

• browse messages received by main identifying attributes
• read or render message on demand

Disposition: e-mail user agents should enable users to

• delete received messages
• save received messages in a folder
• keep received messages in user's mailbox

Reporting: e-mail facilities should report on messages sent so users

• can discover from logs what messages they have sent and when
• are notified when their messages cannot be delivered
• can ask for e-mail confirmation that message is received

Transfer: e-mail facilities should

• transfer messages from sender to addressee
• cope with any delays or problems experienced

Transfer may involve use of intermediaries which

• store and forward e-mail for certain addresses
• act as gateways to other e-mail or messaging systems