Chapter 4 - Reading, Replying, and Forwarding Mail

Reading a Mail Message

When you receive mail messages, they appear in the General mail folder.

To read a message, either:

	Select it and click the Read icon from the top row of icons in the Mail List window
	Double-click the message

You can open as many messages as you want. Up to five messages open simultaneously. If you open multiple messages at once, they appear cascaded.

After clicking the Read icon, a Read window appears:

Table 4-1 summarizes the Read window icons:

Click	To
	Compose a new message.
	Reply to a message.
	Forward your message to another user or group of users.
	Certify that your message was delivered.
	Manage the attachments you receive. See Chapter 6 for more information on attachments.
	Display the priority of a message you receive.
	File your message into a different folder from the one it is in currently. Filing messages is explained in Chapter 5.
	Print the message you are currently reading.
	Delete the message you are reading. If you opened: One message - the message window clears and you return to the Mail List window Multiple messages - you return to the previously opened message Deleted messages are stored in the Wastebasket folder until the mail service deletes them, usually at night. Caution: If you delete a message from the Wastebasket folder, you cannot recover it.

Vertical and horizontal scroll bars allow you to view the entire Read window. By vertically scrolling the address panel, you see all of this area' s fields, summarized in Table 4-2:

All of these fields are displayed when you print the message.

Replying to a Mail Message

To reply to a mail message that you are reading or an already-read mail message listed in the Mail List window, follow these steps:

1. From the Mail List window, select the mail message you want to reply to. If you are already in the Read window, go to the next step.

2. Click the Reply icon or choose the Reply command from the Mail menu. A Reply window appears:

The Reply window is similar to a Compose window, except that certain fields are automatically generated, as shown in Table 4-3:

You can open multiple windows on your desktop. This feature lets you copy text between windows. You can select entire mail messages or parts of mail messages to copy and paste. If you want to copy the entire text of a mail message into your reply, follow these steps:

1. Select and open the original mail message.

2. Click to move your insertion point in the text area.

3. Select the Select All command from the Edit menu to select the entire text of the mail message.

4. Select the Copy command from the Edit menu to copy the selected text to the Clipboard.

5. Click anywhere in the Reply window to make it active. Position the insertion point at the spot in the message text area where you want to paste the selected text.

6. Select the Paste command from the Edit menu. The selected text appears in your reply message window.

If you wish, you can add other users in the address fields. When you are ready to send the mail message, either:

	Click the Send icon
	Select Send from the Mail menu

Forwarding a Mail Message

After you read a mail message, you can forward it to one or more users with comments.

The same mail message can be forwarded many times. Each time a recipient can comment on the mail message and forward it to another user. The text of the original mail message and all comments are automatically included in the forwarded mail message.

The following Read window shows a forwarded mail message with comments:

Each section of the message is separated by a dotted line. The latest comment is on top, the next most recent underneath it, and so on. The original mail message is on the bottom, marked by the heading, "Original Message."

Each section (except the original mail message) includes:

	A comment
	The name of the sender of the forwarded message
	The name of the recipient of the forwarded message

This lets you see at a glance who received the mail message before you.

You can forward mail messages to several other users at the same time, but need only enter the comment once. Your comment appears at the beginning of each forwarded mail message.

Follow these steps to forward a mail message:

1. From the Mail List window, select a read message.

2. From the Mail List or Read window, either:

- Click the Forward Mail icon

- Choose the Forward command from the Mail menu

3. The Forward window appears. Enter the recipient' s address and your comments. The subject of the original mail message automatically becomes the subject of the forwarded mail message:

4. Click the Send icon or choose Send Mail from the Mail menu to send the mail message. The window automatically closes if the appropriate preference is set. To leave the window open after sending the mail message, press option while clicking the Send icon.

Table 4-4 describes the Forward window icons:

Click	To
	Access STDA to search for addresses
	Certify your forwarded mail message
	Forward your mail message after entering addresses and comments
	File the mail message with your comments in a different mail folder
	Print your mail message
	Delete the forwarded mail message with the comments

You enter your comments in the message text panel. Note that you cannot see the original message text while composing your comment. Your recipient will see the original mail message, however, separated from your comments by a dotted line.