module 1 the legal, ethical and organisational issues in

NC: End User Computing NQF 3: SAQA ID 61591 US 116935

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US 116935 - MAIL & THE INTERNET - ENHANCE, EDIT AND ORGANIZE MESSAGING ELECTRONIC MESSAGES USING A GUI- BASED

APPLICATION

Module 1 The legal, ethical and organisational issues in

relation to the use of E-mail After completing this module, the learner will be able to explain legal, ethical and organisational issues in relation to the use of Email, by successfully completing the following:

Explain the implications of legislation on the use of email in an organisation in terms of transmission of information via the Internet

Explain the implications to an organisation of providing Email facilities to individuals in the workplace in terms of security, and virus protection

Describe security considerations of using the Internet for transmitting messages in terms of both security and its implications to the immediate environment

The legal, ethical and organisational issues in relation to the use of E-mail

The internet and email enable businesses to improve communications, access information and cut costs. Used effectively, they can also help you to improve efficiency, find new business opportunities and work more closely with customers and suppliers.

However, to take advantage of these benefits, it is vital that you fully understand the potential for the internet and email to enhance the ways in which you do business. This guide provides an overview of the essential components of the internet and email, the opportunities for using them to do business more effectively and the ways in which they can help you to promote your business online.

The abbreviated form of electronic mail is 'email'. It is a system used for creating, sending and storing textual data in the digital form over a network. Earlier, the email system was based on the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) mechanism, a protocol used for sending emails from one server to another. Today's email technology uses the store-and-forward model. In this model, the user sends and receives information on their own computer terminal. However, the computer is used only for connecting to the email architecture. The creation, transmission and storage of email take place only when the connection with this email architecture is established.

Email is one of the many technological developments to have influenced our lives. It has changed the medium of communication. So, it becomes necessary for us to look at the benefits and problems from this popular mailing tool.

1.1 The implications of legislation on the use of email in an organisation

Email is an important method of business communication. Used properly, it is extremely efficient and effective and can transmit all kinds of electronic data.

Email has changed the way we do business. Sure, people complain about the amount of Email they receive. But when all is said and done, using Email has impacted



business in a positive way and has the edge over other methods of communication. It is also very convenient - your message will be stored until the recipient is ready to read it, and you can easily send the same message to a large number of people.

The Internet and the World Wide Web have grown rapidly from a research project into something that involves millions of people worldwide. Much of the Internet's usefulness comes from the fact that it is shared by users, service providers, and others, in the sense that each depends on the other and needs to support the other. Hopefully, that sort of sharing and respect will continue. Your behaviour, your expectations for others, and your activities will make the difference.

The reason why it is increasingly important for email to be effectively managed is because of the ever increasing legal responsibilities with regard to the retention, destruction and restoration of electronic records. In addition to general legislation requiring the maintenance of information, recent legislation specifically relevant to electronic communications includes the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act (ECT Act) and the Regulations of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication-Related Information Act (Interception Act).

One of the main purposes of the ECT Act is to make clear that electronic communications are to be treated in the same way as other more traditional forms of communications, in the eyes of the law. The Act provides that information is not without legal force and effect merely because it is in electronic form.

Because of the nature of electronic communications – including the fact that it can be manipulated fairly easily – varying and specific rules are set out in the ECT Act with regard to how electronic communications should be managed in order to maintain and prove the integrity thereof.

There are specific rules with regards to:

Writings

Signatures

Agreements

Originals

Retention of electronic documents

Production of electronic documents

Admissibility of evidence

Email is increasingly becoming an essential business tool. The legal requirements are becoming more prescriptive about how we use that tool and how we manage the records that are generated as a result.

A company must assemble the right team, examine the issues, including the legal requirements and find a multi-faceted solution that is right for the company. Complying with the laws of the country

There are a great number of laws of the country that you need to comply with, that could relate to any IT type of work, such as the following:

State Information Technology Agency Act (Act no. 88 of 1998)

Electronic Communications and Transactions Act (Act no. 25 of 2002)

SACSA/090/1(4) “Communication Security in the RSA”.

Protection of Information Act (Act no. 84 of 1982).

Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (no. 106 of 1996)

Copyright Act (Act no. 98 of 1978)

Electronic Communications and Transactions Act (no. 25 of 2002)

Communication –related information Act (Act no. 70 of 2002)



National Strategic Intelligence Act (Act no. 39 of 1994).

Provincial Asset management framework

National Archives of SA Act (Act no. 43 of 1996).

Minimum Information Security Standards (MISS).

Public Service Act (Act no. 103 of 1994).

Public Finance Management Act (no. 1 of 1999)

Control objectives for Information and related technology (COBIT)

Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL)

ISO 17799

Promotion of Access to Information Act (no. 2 of 2000)

There are many benefits to be gained by managing your emails properly. These are some of them: the ability to automatically migrate the emails to other storage media, thereby

making the email servers more efficient and users more productive; the ability to make the email system serve as an organisational knowledge store,

allowing users to mine data for a variety of purposes.

But you also have to comply with all laws that apply to email. Everyone uses email and therefore you must comply with the laws that apply to email. That’s it – there is no room for discussion. Much of what is transmitted through an email system constitutes a ‘record ‘, or a document that must be kept for a minimum period of time that is often established by statutes or regulations. Where email is a “record” you have to comply with those laws. You also should consider adhering to applicable rules, codes and standards. Therefore, you should consider adhering to the rules, codes and standards that apply to email. You don’t have to comply, but you should consider doing so.

The problem is that it is very difficult to determine what laws, rules, codes and standards apply to email. For ease of reading, we will refer to the laws, rules, codes and standards as laws from now on. If you are not aware of the laws and do not have a working understanding of their effect, how can you comply with them?

The purpose of this section is to make you aware of the laws in South Africa that apply to email so that you can comply with them.

Find out about the laws or regulatory requirements applicable to email

Who is responsible for complying with email laws? Under King III the board is responsible for the company’s compliance with email laws. The board should ensure that the company implements an effective compliance framework and processes to ensure compliance with email laws.

What are the benefits of complying with email laws? What is in it for you? Avoid potential legal sanctions (such as imprisonment or fines). For example, few

people know that if you send out a newsletter that does not give the recipient the option to unsubscribe, you could go to jail for 12 months.

Avoid financial loss in terms of contract or delict Don’t damage your reputation Retain key personnel Avoid legal difficulties, problems or disputes Avoid costly litigation Produce all relevant records in the event of litigation Your email will be admissible in court and will carry sufficient evidentiary weight Provide access to emails to third parties when required to do so by law Practice good corporate governance Pass audits on email management policies and practices with flying colours



A complete copy of the Guide to Achieving eMail Compliance – A South African Perspective can be found at: http://thornton.co.za/resources/

Working in accordance with organisation standards, policies and procedures

All organisations have policies and procedures that guide how decisions are made and how the work is done in that organisation. Well written policies and procedures increase organisational accountability and transparency and are fundamental to quality assurance and quality improvement programs.

Even where policies and procedures are not written down they exist, guiding the decisions and determining how people who interact with the organisation are treated. The problem with unwritten policies and procedures is that they are not subject to the usual organisational reviews and accountability processes. In the absence of written policies and procedures, unacceptably different approaches which make the organisation inconsistent and inefficient can develop.

The following sample1 outlines a set of policies and procedures governing the use of email (including both company and personal Webmail) on company personal computers.

Prepared by: ______________

Approved by: ______________

Revision Date: ______________

Effective Date: ______________

Purpose:

The purpose of this policy is to define rules for the protection of company

confidential information distributed by email and to document the acceptable and

unacceptable use of email at Company X.

Scope:

The scope of this policy includes email and Webmail (whether Company X

Webmail or third party such as Yahoo! mail, MSN hotmail, etc.), the rules and

limitations governing email use, and the enforcement of those rules. For more

information, see the Company X Email Protocols and Etiquette document.

The topic of email retention is beyond the scope of this document. The

classification of email types and the length of time that email must be retained

(stored) in-house or in a specialised facility is covered in the Data Retention

Policy.

Policy:

Email is vital to the way Company X conducts its business. Email serves many

purposes, such as:

Helping Company X achieve its strategic objectives;

Promoting Company X business;

Serving Company X employees by providing information about company

events, news, and benefits.

This policy addresses security issues surrounding the appropriate and

inappropriate use of email.

1 Sample taken fromhttp://www.knowledgeleader.com



Definitions:

Malware - Short for malicious software. Includes all computer viruses,

worms, Trojan horses or other, similar programs that have the potential of

damaging files stored on the system, affecting the performance of any

application, or degrading the overall performance of Company X’s computer

network.

Ponzi scheme - A type of illegal pyramid scheme named after Charles Ponzi.

He duped thousands of people into investing in a postage stamp speculation

scheme in the 1920s. Money from new investors is used to pay off early

investors until the scheme collapses, leaving recent investors with no means

to recover their money.

Profane – Used here to be consistent with the “vulgar or coarse” definition

offered by most standard dictionaries. It is further defined under the FCC

Communications Decency Act (also known as Title V of the United States’

Telecommunications Act of 1996).

Technology resources - Consist of computing, networking, and software

applications that can be accessed by authorised Company X users.

Trojan horse - A type of destructive malware that arrives as part of an email

attachment and which otherwise appears harmless; however, it can affect the

operation of the computer on which it is activated. Trojan horses do not

typically infect other computers or spread from one computer to another.

User - Anyone with authorised access to Company X’s technology resources

including permanent and temporary employees or third party personnel such

as temporaries, contractors, consultants, and other parties with valid

Company X access accounts.

Virus and email virus - Pieces of code that “piggyback” on other programs

and files that are transferred between computers by way of downloads, email,

or other types of file transfers. Each time the program is run the file is

activated, and can replicate itself and create havoc on the network by using

up computing resources. Email viruses often replicate themselves

automatically, and can infect an email address book, sending itself out to

dozens or even hundreds of other email users.

Webmail - Email that is accessed using a standard Web browser by way of

a Web portal from the Internet.

Worm – A piece of code that scans computer networks looking for specific

flaws (or holes) in other machines on the network, to which it replicates itself.

Once there, it can perform malicious actions on the network, such as

consuming large portions of computer resources or, in some cases, shutting

the network down.

Procedures:

Section 1 Email Policy

All email accessed by Company X users while using company email resources

(which includes Webmail) is the property of Company X and is subject to

monitoring, inspection, deletion, or storage.



1.1 Inappropriate Use of Email

Users may not transmit, forward, or post internal emails or attach internal

documents containing sensitive information to anyone outside of Company X.

Users may not knowingly or purposely transmit, forward, or post emails

containing computer viruses, worms, Trojan Horses, or any other form of

malware that could damage or interfere with the Company X company

network or another user’s computer.

Users may not participate in any email list that either supplies or provides

access to unsuitable content.

Users may not transmit, forward, or post chain letters, pyramid, or “Ponzi”

scheme emails to anyone at any time.

Users may not spoof or otherwise falsify a sender address.

Users may not transmit, forward, or post obscene, profane, or offensive

material. This includes messages, jokes, or forms which violate the Company

X harassment policy, or create an intimidating or hostile work environment.

Do not use email to transfer files between Company X and a personal email

account. Refer to the Remote Access Policy.

Section 2 Webmail

Webmail is defined as email that is accessed using a standard Web browser by

way of a Web portal from the Internet. For the purposes of this policy, the term

“Webmail” includes:

Company X Outlook Web Access (OWA) provided to allow access to company

email from remote locations;

Personal email that is accessed by way of a Webmail portal such as MSN

Hotmail, Yahoo mail, etc.

Company X Outlook Web Access

Outlook Web Access (OWA) is provided via a valid Company X logon ID and

password for access to company email from remote locations. Email is retained

on the server whether it is accessed by the normal email client or by OWA. All

rules and policies pertaining to email elsewhere in this policy also apply to OWA

use.

Personal Webmail

Users having personal email accounts that are accessible by way of a Webmail

portal must keep access to personal email at a minimum. Use of personal

Webmail is a privilege that can be brought to the attention of Company X

Management if it is found that:

A user is sending inappropriate or illegal email as defined under Section 1.1,

Inappropriate Use of Email;

A user is uploading files to Webmail except as necessary to perform work-

related duties.

Disciplinary measures may result from inappropriate or illegal email or Webmail

activities (see Section 5, Enforcement, for details).



Section 3 Email Security and User Responsibility

Users must follow physical security precautions for their workstations as outlined

in the Overview of Information Security Policies, and use password protection

practices (refer to the User Password Policy) to prevent unauthorised access to

email.

The following precautions must be used by every user at Company X to help keep

email and other access privileges secure.

Logoff all workstations at the end of the workday.

When it is necessary to delegate rights for someone to view or to send email

on another’s behalf, grant those rights to the smallest possible group.

Delegated rights can be used where appropriate, but ID Sharing will not be

tolerated.

Email sent from any user account, whether the user sent it or not, is that

user’s responsibility.

Internal email is assumed to be secure and it is the equivalent of a memo

containing a written signature.

Section 4 Exceptions

Requests for policy exceptions must have a valid business justification. The

exception must be documented and approved by the system owner or

department manager. Information Security Services will evaluate, approve and

store exception requests. Refer to the Exceptions and Non-Conformance Policy

and the Policy Exceptions and Non-Conformance Standard for more specific

information on exceptions.

Each exception request must be justified, documented, and approved separately.

Information Security Services maintains the right to deny any exception from

this policy.

Section 5 Enforcement

Network activities may be monitored and logged to ensure compliance with the

rules established in this and other Information Security Services policies,

procedures, standards, and guidelines.

Any user found to have violated this policy may be subject to disciplinary action,

up to and including termination of employment, or legal action as appropriate,

or both. No provision of this policy will alter the at-will nature of the employment

relationship at Company X.

Section 6 Policy Update and Notification

Company X reserves the right to revise the conditions of this policy at any time

by giving notice via the Information Security Policy Update Procedure. Users are

responsible for understanding or seeking clarification of any rules outlined in this

document and for familiarising themselves with the most current version of this

policy.

Section 7 Related Documents

Overview of Information Security Services Policies

User Password Policy

Remote Access Policy

Exceptions and Non-Conformance Policy

Data Retention Policy



Policy Exceptions and Non-Conformance Standard

Information Security Policy Update Procedure

Company X Email Protocols and Etiquette

1.1.1 Transmission of information via the Internet

When you send a message by e-mail, the message is broken into packets and the packets are sent out over the Internet. The number of packets depends on the size of the message. Each message has the Internet address of the sender (your address) and the address of the recipient. Packets from a single message may take different routes to the destination, or may take different routes at different times. This works well for the Internet and for you since packets are generally sent through the best path depending on the traffic load on the Internet, the path doesn't depend on certain systems being in operation, and all you have to give is the address of the destination.

The packets making up an e-mail message may pass through several different systems before reaching their destination. This means there may be some places between you and the destination where the packets could be intercepted and examined.

1.2 The implications to an organisation of providing Email facilities to individuals in the workplace

All organisations have policies and procedures that guide how decisions are made and how the work is done in that organisation. Well written policies and procedures increase organisational accountability and transparency and are fundamental to quality assurance and quality improvement programs.

1.2.1 Security

Information transmitted via the internet, including e-mail, is susceptible to unlawful access or monitoring. Users must be aware of the risk of transmitting any information in this manner. In most companies, Risk management will ensure that they are not liable for any loss, harm or damage suffered by them as a result thereof. Most companies also reserve the right to request independent verification of any information transmitted via the website or e-mail.

To protect themselves against possible law suits, companies will be advised by their Risk Management team to have a disclaimer attached to all outgoing emails. Companies are not always able to distinguish between business and personal emails. Users who make use of company email system will do so at their own risk and must accept responsibility for any actions or consequences that arise from such personal use. Any views or opinions expressed in such messages are those of the individual sender and do not create obligations on or represent any commitment by the company, except where the sender specifically states it to be the views or opinions of company. If this message contains offensive, derogatory or defamatory statements or materials, it means the message has been sent outside the sender's scope of employment with the company and only the sender can be held liable in his/her personal capacity.

1.2.2 Virus protection

Pieces of code that “piggyback” on other programs and files that are transferred between computers by way of downloads, email, or other types of file transfers. Each time the program is run the file is activated, and can replicate itself and create havoc on the network by using up computing resources. Email viruses often replicate themselves automatically, and can infect an email address book, sending itself out to dozens or even hundreds of other email users.



Virus protection software2 ensures all-around protection of your computer from the perilous and harmful threats of malicious viruses. The software secures your computer from the constant threat of different types of viruses while you are surfing, downloading or working online. Virus protection is marketed by vendors such as Norton, Kasperksy, Symantec, Computer Associates, Trend Micro and others.

Complying with the ethical codes of professional bodies and legislative and/or regulatory requirements

A code of ethics is a set of guidelines which are designed to set out acceptable behaviours for members of a particular group, association, or profession. Many organisations govern themselves with a code of ethics, especially when they handle sensitive issues like investments, health care, or interactions with other cultures. In addition to setting a professional standard, a code of ethics can also increase confidence in an organisation by showing outsiders that members of the organisation are committed to following basic ethical guidelines in the course of doing their work.

The format of a code of ethics can vary widely. Unlike more straightforward employee guidelines and codes, a code of ethics usually starts with a section that sets out the purpose, aspirations, and goals of the parent organisation. For example, the 2002 code of ethics for the American Psychological Association (APA) begins: “Psychologists are committed to increasing scientific and professional knowledge of behaviour and people's understanding of themselves and others and to the use of such knowledge to improve the condition of individuals, organisations, and society.”

Following a general introduction to the function and goals of an organisation is a section dedicated to setting out specific behaviour standards for members. This section usually covers potential ethical issues such as confidentiality, partisanship, or misuse of information. In addition to addressing theoretical ethical minefields, a code of ethics often contains a section which outlines the procedures for handling grievances, both outside and inside the organisation.

In the business world, some companies like to use a code of ethics to ensure that their employees act in a responsible manner. A business with a code of ethics may also be viewed more favourably by members of the public, which means that a code of ethics is a sound business decision. Adherence to a code of ethics may also be required for continued employment; an employee manual may include a clearly outlined code of ethics, for example, with a note that failure to follow the code is grounds for termination.

Many people also live by a personal code of ethics. Although your code of ethics may not be clearly written out, you may have some strong personal beliefs about various issues which help to guide your choices in life. Some people believe that having a strong personal ethical code and abiding by it is a very important tool for maintaining self-integrity.

Ethics is the system of right and wrong 3that forms the foundation of civil society. Yet, when a new technology arrives, explicitly extending the ethical code seems necessary — no matter how civil the society. And so it is with email.

The rules of civil society apply equally to all conduct, including that carried out with email. Whatever you would consider unethical in life is also unethical in email. For instance, if lying is unethical, so is lying in email.

2 Information from: http://techtips.salon.com/virus-protection-software-24275.html 3 Information from Email Ethics by Rick Brenner at http://www.chacocanyon.com/pointlookout/050406.shtml

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-profession.htm

http://www.chacocanyon.com/aboutrick.shtml



Somehow, though, it seems easier to cross the line in email than it does elsewhere in life. Your own values determine where the line is for you.

To find your own line, try these on for size:

Denial - If you claim not to have read or received a message when you actually have, you're over the line.

Disclosing someone else's email address for harm - If you subscribe someone else to a newsletter, hoping to flood him or her with unwanted junk, you're over the line.

Abusive omission - If you intentionally omit someone from a To list for purposes of harm or harassment, you're over the line.

Misidentifying yourself - If you supply a false email address just to get someone out of your hair, you're over the line.

Faking a mishap - If you broadcast an embarrassing message to cause harm to someone, intending later to claim that you sent it for FYI or by accident, you're over the line.

Dragging your feet - If you intentionally delay sending a message so as to deprive the recipient of time-critical opportunities or information, intending later to claim that you did in fact inform the recipient, you're over the line.

Silence - If you choose not to reply to someone so as to give offense, you're over the line. Even worse if you later claim that you did reply.

Misrepresenting a quote - If you excerpt a previous message, and alter it in any way other than to indicate deletions, you're over the line. Acceptable indications of deletion are replacement by ellipsis (…) or <snip>, or inserting short phrases in brackets for clarification.

Pleading false confusion - If you claim not to understand a message, when you actually do, so as to cause delay, you're over the line.

Intentional ambiguity - If you write a message ambiguously — to slow things down, to cause confusion, or to mislead — with the intention of later claiming, "Gee, I thought it was clear," you're over the line.

Wandering eyes - If you read other people's email without permission, either at their desks (whether or not they're present), or by any other means, you're over the line. Except, of course, if it's part of your job.

Forgery - If you edit the headers in an excerpted or forwarded message so as to misrepresent the time, date, author, subject, or routing of the message, you're way over the line.

Masquerade - If you send email from another's account without permission, for the purpose of deceiving someone, pretending that you're the owner of the account, you're over the line.

Most of us have been tempted to cross the line now and then. Next time you feel the temptation, imagine how it would feel to receive such a message.



Working within the normal range of time and cost in a professional environment

As you work with MS Outlook, it is important to perform email related tasks within the normal range of time and cost that would be expected in a professional environment. This means that you need to perform your email related tasks without wasting time and money.

Professionalism4 is a way of acting in the work environment. It usually refers to the ability to act in a respectful, educated and understanding manner while on the job.

Adopting the standards of professional conduct generally works to improve employee relationships, business efficiency and company revenue.

Sustained effort is the essence of a strong work ethic. Hardworking employees usually arrive to work on time, work the entire time and work every day. They realize that consistency is key, and they work even if they are tired or don't feel like it. Many hard workers do not give up during trying times because they believe that a greater effort will turn things around.

Being trustworthy and having integrity means honouring commitments, being truthful, maintaining confidentiality and being considerate.

1.3 Security considerations of using the Internet for transmitting messages

When you use a computer system connected to the Internet, you're able to reach a rich variety of sites and information. By the same token, any system connected to the Internet can be reached in some manner by any of the other computer systems connected to the Internet. Partaking of the material on the Internet also means that you have to be concerned about the security of your computer system and other systems.

You don't want unauthorized persons accessing your information or information belonging to others who share your system-you want to protect your system from malicious or unintentional actions that could destroy stored information or halt your system. You don't want others masquerading as you. You need to be concerned about the security of other systems so you can have some faith in the information you retrieve from those systems, and so you can conduct business transactions.

A lack of security results in damage, theft, and what may be worse in some cases, a lack of confidence or trust.

1.3.1 Security

If you access the Internet by logging into a computer system, your primary defence against intrusion is your password. You need to choose a password that will be difficult to guess. This means choosing a password that's at least six characters long. You'll also want to use a password contain upper- and lowercase letters and some non-alphabetic characters. Additionally, the password shouldn't represent a word, and it shouldn't be something that's easy to identify with you such as a phone number, room number, birthdate, or license number.

4 Information from: eHow.com



1.3.2 Implications to the immediate environment

With Global Warming being the hottest topic today, it would be naive of us to think that sending emails will have no impact on the environment. In the following article by Vita Sgardello we learn about the true impact of email5,

We've seen this message at the end of an email a hundred times and often heeded its words: "Please think before printing". But a recent study conducted by the French Agency for the Environment and Energy Management (ADEME) suggests that while refraining from printing emails can help to reduce your carbon footprint, it would be best not to send the email at all.

According to the report, which was researched in collaboration with a French firm specializing in life cycle assessment, Bio Intelligence Services, in France, each employee of a company of 100 people receives an average of 58 emails a day and sends 33. At an average size of 1 MB and 220 working days per year, ADEME has calculated sending work related emails generates 13.6 tonnes of CO2, about 13 round-trip flights from Paris to New York. Times that number by four if you copy 10 people into your message. Times it by 2.8 million to find out how much CO2 is released around the world every second through emailing alone (the Radicati Group research company estimates that 294 billion emails are sent every day, 90 trillion every year).

"Sending an email with a photo attachment consumes far more energy than we think," Alain Anglade, director of ADEME's electronic equipment division told the French magazine reporting the news, Le Parisien. The problem is that while sending an email takes little more effort than a click of the mouse, once it "leaves" our computer it is copied a dozen times by servers and relay servers before reaching its final destination. Each step consumes electricity, as does storing the email, which on some servers can mean for up to a year.

Electricity isn't the only factor that the study took into account. "Our calculations also included the impact of the materials used to manufacture electronic devices such as metal and plastic as well as the energy consumed in the manufacturing process - this is important because in some cases, like for goods manufactured in China, the energy is likely to come from a coal plant," said Anglade.

The basic rule suggested by Angalade is "the smaller the printer the greater its impact on the environment". He also dispels the myth that not printing files is better than downloading them and reading them straight from your computer, "if it takes more than 15 minutes to read a document you are better off printing it out and don't be fooled by those who convince you that paperless files are better than the environment as large printing presses have less of an impact than office size ones". Of course, don't forget to print on both sides of the paper and to put your pc on standby while you read. His final word of advice? "Reduce the number of emails you send - a 10 per cent reduction could save up to 1 tonne of CO2 a year

5 Article taken from: http://www.earthtimes.org/scitech/true-impact-email/1147/

Class Activity 1: The legal, ethical and organisational issues in relation to the use of E-mail

Please follow the instructions from the facilitator to complete the formative activity in your Learner Workbook

http://www.earthtimes.org/authors/Vita_Sgardello/

http://www.earthtimes.org/authors/Vita_Sgardello/

NC: End User Computing NQF 3: SAQA ID 61591


Module 2 Manage E-mail messages

After completing this module, the learner will be able to manage E-mail messages, by successfully completing the following:

Identify default mail folders and explain it in terms of their purpose

Create new mail folders in order to organise messages in an email application

Manipulate E-mail messages between mail folders

Sort e-mail messages within a mail folder

Change the priority of an outgoing message within an email application, in order to allow urgent message to be sent first

Manage E-mail messages Checking your email regularly6 during the day can be an effective way to keep your inbox at manageable levels.

However, the constant interruption and distraction that comes from multitasking in this way can dramatically lower your productivity, and disrupt your ability to enter a state of flow when working on high value projects.

Although a completely empty inbox might be unrealistic for many of us, keeping our main inbox cleared can make us more organized, and help eliminate stress. Start by setting up a simple filing system to help manage your mail.

The advantage to creating specific folders for processing email is that it makes searching for past mail easier. Instead of scouring your entire email system, you can simply search in that particular folder.

Outlook allows you to establish "Rules" to help with sorting email into particular folders.

For instance, you might get several emails per day notifying you of sales that your company has made. You want to receive these, because you want to see what's happening, but you don't want them to clutter your Inbox.

This is where you could set up a Rule in your email program that moves emails with "Sale Notification:" in the subject line straight to the "Sales Made" folder as soon as they come in. This frees up your time from filing these emails, and allows you to keep all of the sales emails in one folder.

Let’s have a look at how we can use folders to make our email management more effective.

2.1 Default mail folders

By default7, messages that are sent to you are stored in your Inbox. But you can organize your messages into a hierarchical folder system and adjust it as your needs change.

Messages that have junk email characteristics but that aren’t blocked by a spam filter before they reach your mailbox will automatically be moved to this folder.

6 Information from: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/managing-email.htm 7 Information from: http://office.microsoft.com/



2.1.1 Inbox and its purpose

Incoming messages arrive in your Inbox unless you’ve created an Inbox rule to redirect them to another folder, or they’re identified as junk email.

2.1.2 Outbox and its purpose

After you send any email in Outlook, it gets sent to the Outbox. The Outbox will store the message until it is send to the recipient. When messages get stuck in the Outbox, it will not be delivered to the recipient, so it is important for the Outbox to be empty at the end of the day.

2.1.3 Sent messages and its purpose

By default, a copy of every message you send is put in your Sent Items folder. These messages will remain here until you delete them.

2.1.4 Deleted messages and its purpose

When you delete a message, it’s moved to the Deleted Items folder. This is like build in safety. Only once you clear out the Deleted messages, will the message be permanently gone.

2.1.5 Drafts and its purpose

If you create or respond to a message, but can’t finish it right away, it will automatically be saved to your Drafts folder. You can come back to the message later to continue editing it, and then send it.

2.2 Create new mail folders

You can create additional folders to organise your messages any way you want. For example, you can create a folder for a specific project, or for all messages sent by a particular person, or all messages sent to a distribution group that you're a member of. To create a new folder, right-click the parent folder you want to create the new folder in. If you want a top-level folder (a folder at the same level as your Inbox), you would use your mailbox as the parent folder.

To create a folder within your account:

1. Right-click your account.

2. Click New folder.

3. Type the name you want to use for this folder.

4. Press Enter or click away.



2.3 Manipulate E-mail messages between mail folders

E-mail messages can be manipulated between mail folders, by moving and/or copying emails between the folders.

2.3.1 Move E-mail messages

To move a message to a folder, you can drag and drop it in place. You can also use this method:

1. Click the title of the message you want to move.

2. Click the Home tab.

3. Click the Move button.

4. Select the name of the folder where you want to place the message

If the folder you want to use isn’t listed in the Move menu, click the Other Folder option and use the Move Items dialog box to choose your folder.

2.3.2 Copy E-mail messages

You can copy messages from one folder to another folder in the folder list.

To move a message to a folder, you can drag and drop it in place. You can also use this method:

1. Click the title of the message you want to move.

2. Click the "Home" tab.

3. Click the Move button.

4. Select the name of the folder where you want to place the message. If the folder you want to use isn’t listed in the "Move" menu, click the Other Folder option and use the "Move Items" dialog box to choose your desired folder.

Note: If you want to copy the message to another folder, use the Copy to Folder... menu selection from within the "Move" sub-menu.

2.4 Sort E-mail messages within a mail folder

E-mail messages can be sorted within a mail folder, e.g. sort the E-mail messages:

by date

by sender

by subject

in ascending order

in descending order



Grouping allows you to lump together sets of emails based on the criteria you opt to use. By default, messages are grouped by when they are received, i.e. Today, Yesterday, Last Week, Last Month, and Older. Other common criteria include grouping by conversation, importance, and flags.

Sorting dictates the order that emails appear in the specified folder. The default sort order is based on date received, though there are a number of other sorting options available. In addition, you can switch between an ascending and descending sort order.

You can easily change the arrangement by selecting Arrange By: from the View menu bar...

...Or by right-clicking the inbox sorting column header, as shown below:



2.5 Change the priority of an outgoing message

Most of us receive a lot of email and important messages may get overlooked in our long list of messages. If you’re sending a message that requires attention in a timely manner, you can set the priority for the message, allowing the recipient to find it quickly.

To send a high priority email message, make sure the “Home” tab is active and click “New Email”.

Enter the recipient’s email address, subject line, and body of the message. Make sure the “Message” tab is active.



In the “Tags” section of the “Message” tab, click “High Importance”, if the message has high priority. You can also assign a “Low Importance” to a message. This is handy if the message is not as important, but you still want the recipient to be able to find it quickly in their list of email messages.

To assign a priority to an email message, you can also click the “Message Options” dialog box button in the “Tags” section.

The “Properties” dialog box displays. In the “Settings” section, select an option from the “Importance” drop-down list to set the priority.



You can also select the “Sensitivity” of the message in the “Settings” section. Click “Close” once you’ve made your selections.

High priority messages received in Outlook are marked with a red exclamation point in the first (“Importance”) column and low priority messages are marked with a blue down arrow.

These marks make it easier to find messages based on priority or importance. You can also click on the column header (“!”) to sort your messages by importance.

Class Activity 2: Manage E-mail messages




Module 3 Use the address book facilities of an electronic

mail application After completing this module, the learner will be able to use the address book facilities of an electronic mail application, by successfully completing the following:

Identify and explain address books in terms of their purpose and use

Add and remove an address from a personal address book

Use the address book facilities of an electronic mail application

In Outlook, you can manage information about your colleagues and your friends by using Contacts. Contacts contain various information, including names, companies, email addresses, and phone numbers. The Address Book is a tool that is mainly used for email information in Contacts. By using the Address Book, you can easily find someone’s email address and select it as the recipient of an email.

3.1 Purpose and use of address books

The Address Book is a collection of address books or address lists. You can use the Address Book to look up and select names, e-mail addresses, and distribution lists when you address messages. When you type a name in the To, Cc, or Bcc box of an e-mail message, Microsoft Outlook automatically checks to see if the name you typed matches a name in the Address Book. If there is a match, the name is resolved — the Display Name and e-mail address are filled in — allowing you to send the message. If there is no match, the Check Names dialog box prompts you for more information or you can create a contact by clicking New Contact. If more than one name contains the letters you typed, you can select a name from the list.

In addition to using the Address Book to address messages, you can look up names and other information, such as office locations and telephone numbers, by typing the name in the Find a contact box on the Standard toolbar

When you first open the Address Book, the default address book, the Global Address List, is displayed. You can change the default address book and also set other Address Book preferences, such as which address book to check first when sending a message and the location to store personal addresses.

Personal Address Books can no longer be created using Outlook. The Personal Address Book is a list of names and distribution lists that you create and maintain. Personal Address Book entries are stored in a file and can be copied to a disk. You can keep the e-mail addresses of your personal contacts in the Contacts folder.

3.2 Add an address to a personal address book

You can capture and organize information about people by creating contacts. Contacts are like electronic cards that store a person’s information. A contact can be as basic as a name and email address, or include more information like a street address, multiple phone numbers, and a photo. Once you’ve saved someone as a contact, you can type the first few letters of their name into an email, and Outlook will fill in their email address for you. Or with a few clicks, you can call that person without ever having to look up their phone number. As you might expect, you can do a lot of contact management with Outlook, and having an address book set up before you start using it makes a lot of sense.



3.2.1 Add a contact from an email message

1. Open the message so that the person's name is shown in one of these lines: From: To: Cc: or Bcc:

2. Right-click the appropriate name, and click Add to Outlook Contacts. A new window opens; in which you can fill in the details you want.

Outlook inserts the contact's email address in the Email box, and any other information about the contact that's available in the message in the appropriate boxes. If a contact is in your organization, that probably includes their title, department, phone, and office.

3. Click Save.

3.2.2 Add a contact from scratch

1. Click People at the bottom of the screen.

2. In the New group, click New Contact or press Ctrl+N.

To create a contact from anywhere in Outlook, press Ctrl+Shift+C.

3. Enter a name and any other information that you want to include for the contact.

4. If you want to immediately create another contact, click Save & New (this way, you don't have to start over for each contact). After you're done entering new contacts, click Save & Close.



Want to add another contact from the same company? Just click the little down arrow next to Save & New, and then click Contact from the Same Company.

3.2.3 Save more than one email address or phone number

You can save more than one phone number, email address, or mailing address for someone. For example:

1. On the new Contact Card, and type your contact’s first email address in the E-mail box.

2. Click the down arrow next to E-mail, and then click E-mail 2. The first email address will be saved and you can type a second one in the field.

3.2.4 Add a photo of your contact

If you have a picture of the person saved on your computer (or in some other location), you can use it in their contact information.

1. Click the image icon in the new contact box.

2. Locate the picture you want to use in the Add Contact Picture box, and then click OK.



3.2.5 Import contacts

You import contacts to Outlook from other email providers using the Outlook Import/Export wizard. The way you import contacts depends on where you’re importing them from.

Import contacts from a .csv or .pst file A .csv file contains contacts you've exported into a text file, where each part of the contact's information is separated by a comma (.csv means "comma separated value").

A .pst file is a file exported from Outlook into a format that another computer running Outlook can read.

Import contacts from a .pst file

Now, you can import the .pst file into your Outlook Contacts folder on a different computer:

1. Click File > Open & Export > Import/Export.

This starts the Import and Export Wizard.

2. Choose Import from another program or file, and then click Next.

3. Under Select the file type to import, choose Outlook Data File (.pst), and click Next.

4. Under File to import, browse to the .pst file you exported and click Open.

5. Under Options, choose whether to replace duplicates (existing contacts), create duplicate contacts, or not import duplicates, and click Next.

6. Under Select the folder to import from, click the Contacts folder or the folder you want to import.

You might need to click the arrow next to the account name (such as [email protected]) to see its folders.



7. Choose whether to include subfolders, and make sure the Import items into the same folder in option is selected and your account is listed in the box.

8. Click Finish.

To find your imported contacts, click the arrow next to the account name in the Mail Folder Pane to expand it.

If you don’t see your contacts when you click the To button in an email message, right-click the contacts folder, click Properties, click the Outlook Address Book tab, check the Show this folder as an email Address Book box, and then click OK.

3.2.6 Remove an address from a personal address book

If you delete a contact from your personal folder's location, it will only be deleted from the computer you are on.

1. On the Navigation Bar (Navigation Bar: Commands at the bottom of the Outlook window that enable you to quickly navigate to Mail, Calendar, People, and Tasks.), click People.

2. In the ribbon, in Current View, click People.

3. Select the contact you want to delete.

4. Click Delete.

If a dialog box appears, it means this contact is linked to other contacts that have information about this person from different sources, such as Facebook and LinkedIn. If you want to delete all the information about someone from your computer, remember to delete the linked contacts for that person too.



Class Activity 3: Use the address book facilities of an electronic mail application


Reflection

Individually, complete the formative activity in your Learner Workbook

Facilitator Observation Checklist

The facilitator will provide you with feedback about your participation during the class activities in your Learner Workbook

Summative Assessment

You are required to complete a number of summative assessment activities in your Learner Portfolio of Evidence Guide. The Learner Portfolio of Evidence Guide will guide you as to what you are required to do:

Complete all the required administration documents and submit all the required documentation, such as a certified copy of your ID, a copy of your CV and relevant certificates of achievement:

Learner personal information form

Pre-assessment preparation sheet

Assessment plan document

Declaration of authenticity form

Appeals procedure declaration form

Place your complete Learner Workbook (with the completed Class Activities) in the specified place in the Learner Portfolio of Evidence Guide.

Complete the summative assessment activities in your workplace:

Knowledge Questions

Individually, complete this summative activity in your Learner Portfolio of Evidence Guide

Practical Activities


Witness Testimony




Logbook


Once you have completed all the summative activities in your Learner Portfolio of Evidence Guide, complete the Assessment Activities Checklist to ensure that you have submitted all the required evidence for your portfolio, before submitting your portfolio for assessment.

References and Further Reading

www.microsoft.com

www.ehow.com

https://kb.wisc.edu/office365/

http://www.gcflearnfree.org/