By now there is an entire network of electronic post offices around the world, dedicated to quickly sending e-mail around the globe and which provide address books and message archives. You can use these electronic post offices to send regular mail, express mail, memos or packages.
 

In order to send an e-mail message around the world, your message is placed into an electronic envelope that contains sender and recipient information. The routing computers on the Internet use this envelope to send the letter to its correct address. The sender first routes the letter to his Internet service provider, which, in turn, forwards the message to the Internet, where many computers are involved in routing the letter towards its final destination - sometimes dozens of computers are involved in the routing process. Finally, the message arrives at the recipient's Internet connection.

Keep in mind that every piece of e-mail is sent via many routing computers - and your message can be read by anyone who has access to these computers. Thus, e-mail messages are not like sealed letters, rather they are like printed matter or postcards that can be read by anyone, not just the recipient. Confidential information should be sent via encrypted e-mail only. Please refer to the "Computer Writing Set" section for information on how to use encryption.

Following topics

• Zip codes on the Internet
  
• Obtaining your own e-mail address
  
• The computer writing set