So How Does An E-mail Work?

So how does an e-mail work? It sounds like an easy question but not at all, there's a lot more to it, as we found out ! Everyone might think they know it all, but they're wrong :)

-To send e-mail, you need connection to the Internet & to access the mail server that forwards your mail.

-The standard protocol used for sending Internet e-mail is called SMTP, short for 'Simple Mail Transfer Protocol'.

-It works in conjunction with POP (Post Office Protocol) servers. Almost all Internet service providers and major online services offer at least one e-mail address with every account.

-When you send an e-mail message, your computer routes it to an SMTP server.

-The server looks at the e-mail address (similar to the address on an envelope), then forward it to the recipient's mail server, where it's stored until the addressee retrieves it.

You can send e-mail anywhere in the world to anyone who has an e-mail address, which makes it really easy for people to contact each other with the minimum effort. Today, everyone uses it for contacting each other for whatever reason! xxx

I used information from www.howstuffworks.com, to find out more about e-mails.