Mailbox

firstclass e-mail using the web client interface

FirstClass© E-mail

These documents have been created to assist you in learning this new system. However, learning is best accomplished by exploring and using the system, as opposed to simply reading help documentation. At any rate, we encourage you to check often for updates to this documentation, and to use the Online Help features within FirstClass itself. As always, you can also contact the Technology Application Assessment Coordinator (formerly EdTech!), or the Information Services Office.

The FirstClass© Mailbox

While FirstClass mail is similar to what you are used to (Outlook Express or Outlook), it is also different in many ways. It will take some time for you to get used to the look of this new interface and the way it works, but rest assured that like any other new program, you will become an expert sooner than you think! FirstClass is a comprehensive communications tool that once learned, will improve communication and encourage collaboration between all levels of the Warwick Public Schools system!

Selecting what to list

If you are interested in checking only one type of mail, such as unread messages, in a container, you can list only those messages. Your changes are only in effect for as long as you have the container open.

To list only a certain type of mail:

1 Open the container.
2 Click one of the following:

Show Incoming Items	Lists only received messages (both read and unread).
Show Outgoing Items	Lists only sent messages and messages created but not yet sent.
Show Unsent Items	Lists only messages created but not yet sent.
Show Unread Items	Lists only messages that you haven't read.
Show All Items	Reverts to the default view, which is all message types.

You can also list only unread messages by default.

Dealing with junk mail

FirstClass can mark as junk certain types of mail on the assumption that they are unsolicited (also known as spam). You can decide whether to accept or reject this mail.

Note

Our network currently employs junk and spam-filtering hardware and software, but no system can prevent unsolicited junk mail or spam 100% of the time simply due to it’s prolific nature. You may still occasionally receive junk mail or spam. FirstClass does contain some user-level junk mail filtering, and you are encouraged to make use of it.

To specify how you want to handle the mail that FirstClass considers junk, choose the option you want at "Junk mail handling" in your preferences.
In addition, you can define what you consider to be junk mail (for example, mail from a particular address) and create rules that tell FirstClass what to do with this mail.

Reading Your Mail

· Unread messages will have a Red Flag next to them.

· Double-click the message to open and read it.

Previewing and downloading attached files

You can preview and download files attached to messages similar to how you do it in Outlook Express.

To preview an attached file, click it. If your computer does not have an associated application to display the file (such as Excel, Word, Publisher, etc.), the system will ask if you want to download the file to your computer.

Downloading attached files

1. Right-click the attachment filename.

2. Choose Save Target As from the shortcut menu.

3. Select the location for your downloaded file. Note where you saved it so you can find it later!

4. Rename the file, if you wish.

5. Click Save.

Creating a New Message to Send

· In the left pane of your Mailbox, click the picklist labeled Create, and choose New Message

· Use this form to create a new message

· Note the major difference between this message and those you are used to creating with other email programs: The Subject of the message comes first!

From	This field is automatically filled in with your name.
Subject	The subject of the message.
To	The recipients' names. You can type partial names for recipients who are in the Directory. To add a recipient's name, click Add after typing the name. If you typed a partial name, and it is unique in the Directory, the rest of the name is filled in after you click Add. If the partial name is not unique, the Directory opens with a list of all the names that match. Select the name you want, then click Select. You can select multiple names. Names in bold are currently logged in. Tip To open the Directory without typing a partial name, click Add with the field blank. To remove a recipient, click the Delete icon beside that recipient's name.
Cc	Fill in this field like the "To" field. These recipients are copied on the message.
Bcc	Fill in this field like the "To" field. These recipients are blind copied on the message; they are never visible to To or Cc recipients. This allows you to copy people without your other recipients being aware of these copies.
Attachments	To attach a file that is on your computer to this message, click Browse and select the file. After it appears in the "Attachments" input field, click Attach. To remove an attachment, click the Delete icon beside it.
Insert signature	Adds your signature (as defined in your preferences) after the message body when you send or save the message.
Message Options button	Click this button to display priority, sensitivity, and receipt options fields.
Priority	Urgent	Makes a message urgent. An urgent message appears in bold. Where applicable, it also invokes special gateway handling.
	Bulk	Makes a message low priority. Check with your administrator to see if making messages low priority is useful to you.
	Junk	Makes a message junk priority. Recipients control whether they want to see junk mail through their preferences. Junk messages sent to the Internet are marked as bulk mail.
Sensitivity	Currently, message sensitivity has no effect on how FirstClass handles messages. It is provided as information for the recipient, and could be used by third-party gateways. By default, messages are assigned normal sensitivity. You can change this to personal, private, or company.
Receipt options	When you send someone a private message, you can make FirstClass send notifications of the message status to your Mailbox. The message is marked as Registered.
	On read	Notifies you when the recipient reads your message. This option is useful when the recipient is using FirstClass; it will not work on most other mail systems.
	On delivery	Notifies you when your message is delivered to the recipient's Mailbox. This option is useful when the recipient is using FirstClass on another server; it will not work on most other mail systems.
	On route	Notifies you each time your message is delivered to another server on its route. This option is useful for detecting problems in multiserver FirstClass mail systems; it will not work on most other mail systems.
	Suppress NDN	Doesn't send you a nondelivery notice (NDN) for this message. By default, FirstClass sends an NDN to your Mailbox when your message can't be delivered.
Send button	Sends the message. This button is only displayed after the message is addressed.
Save button	Saves the unsent message in your Mailbox. To see it listed in your Mailbox, click the Show Unsent Items in the left pane of your Mailbox screen.
Reset button	Reverts all values back to what was last saved.

· To Cancel message creation, click the Mailbox or Desktop link in the header above the message. Note that when you return to the Mailbox view, you will see the “canceled” message with an Unsent status flag (clear white flag). To remove the message, Delete it at this point.

Another Way to Create a Message

· In the left pane of your Desktop, click Who’s Online

· Click in the checkbox next to the user you wish to email.

· Click the envelope icon in the toolbar above the user list, to Create Mail To

Replying to a Message

You can send a message reply to:

• the message sender plus all other recipients of the message
• just the sender
• just the conference that contains the message, if the message is in a conference.

A message reply is given a subject of "Re:" plus the subject of the original message. The original message is quoted, prefaced by the name of the original sender and, depending on your preferences, the time the original message was sent.

To reply to a message:

1 Open the message.
2 Click Reply.
3 Update the reply header to add recipients, if desired.
If you simply reply to a message without specifying recipients, the reply is sent to your default reply recipients, or, in the case of a message in a conference, to the conference's default reply recipients.
4 Type your reply in the message body.
5 Click Send.

Specifying default reply recipients

You can specify who will receive your replies to messages by default. This default only affects your private mail, not messages in conferences. Conferences have their own default reply recipients.
To specify the default recipients for your replies, choose your default recipients at "Reply preference" in your preferences.

Specifying quoted text formatting

Quoted text is normally formatted in a special way, to differentiate it from your reply text. By default, FirstClass formats quoted text as black text on a gray background, as in this example:

To change the way quoted text is formatted by default, specify the font attributes you want at "Quoted text" in your preferences. You will always see quoted text in this style, no matter what the sender's preferences are.

Replying automatically

You can make FirstClass reply automatically to messages that are sent to you. This is useful, for example, if you want to inform people that you are not available that day.
To turn on automatic reply, update the "Automatically reply to" fields in your preferences.

Forwarding a Message

When you receive a message, you can forward this message to another user or a conference.

To forward a message:

1 Open the message.
2 Click Forward.
This creates a copy of the message, including any attachments. The "Subject" field contains "Fwd:" and the subject of the original message. Your name, and the name of the original sender, are in the "From" field.
3 Address the message.
4 Make any changes you want to the message body.
5 Click Send.

Forwarding messages automatically

You can forward your messages to another user or a conference automatically. This is useful when you go on vacation and you want your mail answered by someone else.
To forward your messages automatically, update the "Automatically forward" fields in your preferences.

Deleting and Undeleting Messages

You might want to delete older messages if you find you’re running out of space or just to keep your Mailbox uncluttered. This is particularly true of messages with large attachments. And because you might delete a message you really want to keep, you can undelete messages you have previously deleted.

Special Note regarding undeleting messages:

If you delete a message, you must undelete it on the same day: Each night, FirstClass performs self-maintanence activities, which includes “trash collection”, which is completely removing any messages that users have deleted. Once this nightly audit runs, messages users have deleted are completely removed from the system, and therefore unrecoverable!!! There are no exceptions to this! These nightly self-maintaining activities ensure that FirstClass is up and running to its full potential every day!

Deleting a message

1. Select the checkbox beside the message you want to delete.

2. Click Delete.

Undeleting a message

The FirstClass system will periodically remove all deleted messages from the environment during trash collection (nightly maintenance audit). If FirstClass has removed your deleted message, you cannot undelete it, as noted above. This is typically set to be done daily around midnight.

1. Click Show Deleted Items icon.

All deleted items will appear with a trash can to the left of the attachments column.

2. Select the checkbox beside the message you want to undelete.

3. Click Undelete.

4. Click Hide Deleted Items icon to restore the list view without the deleted items.

Mailbox Control

You can control the mail in your Mailbox by:

• setting up mail rules to handle your mail automatically.

Changing your Mailbox permissions

You can update the permissions on your Mailbox to:

• stop messages above a certain size from being accepted
• specify when messages expire
Expired messages are deleted automatically.
• control specific users' access to your Mailbox.

To update your Mailbox permissions:
1 Click Mailbox.
2 Click Permissions.
3 Update the Mailbox Permissions form.

Specifying mail handling rules

You can set up mail rules that tell FirstClass how to handle the messages in your Mailbox. For example, FirstClass could send mail containing the word "budget" in the subject to a subfolder called Budgets.

About mail rules

Basic mail rules tell FirstClass how to handle the following mail:
• messages that you send
Rules only affect the copies of the sent mail that are left in your Mailbox (local copies).
• messages that you receive in your Mailbox
• messages that are received by conferences.
Each set of mail rules is associated with a particular container. You can set up rules for your Mailbox and for any conferences for which you have this permission.
For each container, separate rules control mail received by the container and mail sent from the container. Received mail rules apply to all containers, and run whenever that container receives mail from anyone. Sent mail rules apply to your Mailbox, and run whenever you send mail.
You can set up multiple rules for both received and sent mail. Each rule specifies a particular type of mail, and how FirstClass is to handle that mail. For example, your Mailbox may have rules to:
• delete all mail received from a specific address (such as joespammer@bugthem.com)
• file all mail with a certain subject in a specified subcontainer.
You can open rules to update them, just as you would update other FirstClass objects.

Creating rules for received mail

To create a rule for mail received in a specific container:
1 Open the container.
2 Click Rules.
The container's mail rules page opens. This page lists all existing rules for this container.
3 Click New Receive Rule.
4 Update the Receive Rule form.

Creating rules for sent mail

To create a rule for local copies of mail that you send:
1 Open your Mailbox.
2 Click Rules.
Your Mailbox's mail rules page opens. This page lists all existing rules for your Mailbox.
3 Click New Send Rule.
4 Update the Send Rule form.

Creating advanced rules

If the Receive Rule and Send Rule forms do not cover the conditions or actions you want to specify, you can create an advanced mail rule. An advanced rule can apply to:

• received mail
• sent mail
• mail that you run rules on manually
• mail that users delete.

Note

Setting up a properly functioning advanced mail rule can be more complex than setting up basic receive and send rules. For that reason, we recommend that you do not create these rules unless you feel you have a good knowledge of mail rules.

To create an advanced mail rule, follow the same procedure you would for a basic receive or send rule, but click New Advanced Rule, then update the Advanced Rule form.

Contact Management

Your Contacts folder

All FirstClass users have personal Contacts folders on their Desktops. Your Contacts folder contains personal addresses and mail lists that you have added for your own use.
To open your Contacts folder from a location other than your Desktop, click Contacts Folder.
Don't move your Contacts folder off your Desktop, or it won't work. If you moved this folder off your Desktop in error, you can move it back, and it will work again.

Viewing contact databases

There are several ways you can control how you view contact information in your Contacts folder and other contact databases.
You can view the entries in a contact database in the normal List view or in an Index Card view that looks like this:

This view gives you immediate access to standard information, such as phone numbers, so that you can call someone without having to open their personal address form.

To use List view, click View by List. To use Index Card view, click View by Index Card.

Controlling how you view personal address information

FirstClass supplies several versions of the form you use to add and store personal addresses in contact databases. For example, if you are used to an Outlook or Palm personal address form, there are FirstClass forms that have a similar layout.
Choose the form you want to use in your Contacts folder and as the default form in any contact databases that you create in your preferences. Choose the form you want to use for a specific contact database in that contact database's permissions.

Grouping your contacts

You can create contact databases within your Contacts folder, or another contact database, to organize contact information.
For example, you can create a contact database for all contacts involved with a special project, then move entries into this contact database. You can share this contact database just as you would any other contact database.

Adding Contacts

You need to add a Contact address if your recipient is outside the Warwick Schools FirstClass email Directory listing. These would be your personal Contacts for people outside our system.

Adding personal addresses

1 Open your Contacts folder or the contact database where you want to store this address.
2 Click New Contact.
Shortcut

If the address you want is in the "From" field of a FirstClass message header, click the Add to Contacts Folder icon beside it. This opens the New Personal Address form with the name and email address prefilled.

3 Update the New Personal Address form.

Adding mail lists

1 Open your Contacts folder or the contact database where you want to store this mail list.
2 Click New Mail List.
3 Update the New Personal Mail List form.