Information and Technology Services

1. Information and Technology Services Computer User Support Help Desk phone: 253-535-7525 email: helpdesk@plu.edu online request form: http://helpdesk.plu.edu/

2. Email at PLU • Webmail – on the Web • ‘POP’ client – “Post Office Protocol” • ‘IMAP’ client – “Internet Message Access Protocol” Which one is right for your needs?

3. Available anywhere Easy to use Usage view Many options for colors Good choice if you travel and spend little time on campus Distribution lists Unable to create ‘threaded’ messages Cannot easily save groups of messages Address book creation not user-friendly Not for the unorganized Webmail Pros Cons

4. Easy to use Pulls mail from the server onto your computer Ability to create multiple address books Search messages by multiple criteria Messages only available on your campus computer Deleted messages in Webmail will not show up on your computer 2X cleanup when you choose “leave messages on server” ‘POP’ Client: Thunderbird Pros Cons

5. Same messages and folder structure on Webmail and your desktop Best solution for those who manage their mail Archive your mail in ‘local’ folders when on campus Not for the unorganized Can run out of space on server IMAP Pros Cons

6. Webmail IMAP POP (with ‘leave messages on server’) POP

7. Sending mail to multiple recipients Privacy concerns – cc vs. bcc Always send bcc • Improves the chance your message will be read • Ensures privacy of each individual • Prevents the harvest of email addresses for spam purposes because you never know where your message will be sent/forwarded

8. Thunderbird Address lists Best for short lists Messages may be seen as spam Not easily shared Not easily modified Online tutorial available Distribution Lists Handles unlimited # of addresses Automatically sent bcc Can be shared Easily modified Online tutorial available Address lists vs. distribution lists

9. Create folders • Folders become your email filing system • Always in alphabetical order messageswithin subfolders OR folders

10. Create filters Filters can sort mail for you • Move messages to specific folders based on criteria: • To, from, subject, body, date, etc. • Move spam to your trash folder

11. Your responsibility Perform routine maintenance on your account • Minimize the number of messages in your inbox-- keep <100 messages • Creating folders and filters will minimize your work • Empty your trash – don’t use your trash folder as a holding place • Compact your folders Reminder: we NEVER ask for your password

12. Recommendations • Use a home account for non-PLU messages, saving your PLU account for “PLU business only” • “Archive” important messages by dragging them to your local folders

13. Recommendations (cont’d) • Set your options to see the sizes of files/folders so that you’re aware of how much space you’re using • Take 20 minutes out of each day (or an hour each week) to clean up and organize your messages. You’ll work more efficiently

14. Thunderbird Create a folder Create a filter Create an address list Webmail Create a spam filter Online Tutorialshttp://www.plu.edu/~comptelc/show-me/home.html • Create a distribution listcan be used in both Thunderbird and Webmail