Integrating the Internet into your Clinical Practice
http://www.fpen.org/allina
May 8, 1998

E-Mail and Discussion Group Exercises
(Designed to work with Netscape 3.0 Mail)

Preparation for the Instructor:

• Create a group address at the instructor’s workstation to mail to all the user’s boxes
• Send an e-mail message to the users
• Create a discussion group for the class
• Sign the members up for a busy discussion group

Getting Oriented

• Select Netscape Mail from the Window menu.
• Take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the menu bar.  Use your mouse to point to the word File on the menu bar and click on it.  Now use the up and down arrow keys in the keypad to select an item from the drop-down menu.  Notice that there is a description of each of the menu items in the status bar at the bottom of the window.   Use the right and left arrow keys on the keyboard to examine different menus.  Some of the menu items have ">" at the right.   These are hierarchical menu items.  Use the arrow keys to highlight one of these items and then use the right-arrow key see how a submenu appears.  When you are done looking at the menus, click anywhere in the blank window to close the menus.
• Now notice the icons in the button bar below the menu bar.  These provide easy access to some basic functions such as printing, getting your mail, starting a new message, replying, deleting messages and moving from one message to the next, etc.
• Note the upper left window.  This contains your mail folders.  Your upper right window identifies the messages within that folder and the bottom window displays the content of the highlighted message.
• Note how some of the items in the upper-right window
• If your Inbox containes messages, try highlighting a few and examining the content of the messages.

Checking for mail

• Check for any new mail by clicking on the Get Mail icon in the upper left.
• Scan your messages in the upper right window.
• Click on the Sender, the Subject or the Date title bars to resort your messages.
• Read your electronic Mail by highlighting the item in the upper right window

Reply to a message

• While reading a message, click on the Re:Mail button in the Button bar above
• Edit down the message
• Type in your reply
• Check the to: and cc: fields to be sure your message is going where you wish
• Send your message

Creating a new message.

• Send a message to your neighbor telling him / her what you like most about the weather in Minnesota.
• Type in his / her e-mail address
• Pick a meaningful subject
• Type in your message
• Check your spelling / grammar
• Send your message

Signing on to the classes discussion list

• Get a list of listing of Mailing lists at a particular site by sending the one line message LISTS to  LISTPROC@FPEN.ORG
• Wait a few moments
• Retrieve your mail
• Look to see if there is a message from ListProc@FPEN.Org and open it.
• Examine the listings of lists to see if there is a list that was created for list training
• Get more information about the list by sending the message INFO <LISTNAME> to LISTPROC@FPEN.ORG
• Send this message, wait for a reply and then read the reply.
• Subscribe the the list by sending the one-line message: SUBSCRIBE <LISTNAME> PAUL KLEEBERG to LISTPROC@FPEN.ORG. Note: If you are not Paul Kleeberg, substitute your own name.
• Create a new message with a meaningful subject and sent it to this list.  Tell everyone why you signed on for this class.
• Check the To: and cc: fields and then send your message.

Creating an Address book entry.

• Manually creating an address book entry for the discussion list onto which you just signed.

• In the Window menu select Address Book.
• In the new window, select the Item menu and then Add User.
• Give it a Nick Name (no spaces) a Name (which may contain spaces) and type in the E-mail address of the list Training-List@fpen.org.   You may add any comments you wish in the Description field.   When you are done, click OK. and close the Address Book window by choosing Close from the File menu.
• Send a new message using the Address entry

• Creating an address book entry using a more efficient method.

• Select an e-mail message in the upper right window for which you wish to create an address book entry.
• Then from the Message menu select Add to Address Book
• Give the item a nick name, a description if you wish and hten click OK.
• Do this for a few more e-mail messages from individuals in the class so that you have several address book entries

• Creating an address book entry foir a group of people

• Open the Address Book
• From the Item menu select Add List.
• Give the new item the name Training Class and click OK.
• Click on several of your address book entries and "Drag and drop" them on the icon for this new folder.
• Close the address book window and compose a new message using the Training Class alias

Attaching Files

• Create a new message and try attaching a file (Directions will be given in class.)

Encryption the simple way

• Select an existing message
• From the View menu select Unscramble (ROT-13).
• Notice what it does to the message
• Now select ROT-13 again and notice what happens.
• Try composing a new message, encrypting it with ROT-13 and sending it to the list.