====== Electronic Mail ======

Synchronet's **Electronic Mail Menu** lets you send and receive personal messages — local e-mail to other users on this BBS, NetMail to users on other BBSes (FidoNet, QWKnet, Internet), and feedback to the sysop. The menu shown here is the stock //Email Section//; a sysop may have replaced it with a customized version.

To enter the Email menu, press the key your [[user:shell:|command shell]] binds to the Email Section. In [[user:shell:classic|Classic]], that's ''E'' from the Main prompt.

===== The Email menu =====

A live capture from [[bbs:vertrauen]] (Synchronet v3.22, UTF-8 / ANSI):

  ┌──────────────────────┐
  │ Electronic Mail Menu │
  ├──────────────────────┴──── Send Mail ────┐
  │ S Send mail to a local user              │
  │ A Send file attachment                   │
  │ F Send feedback to the sysop             │
  │ N Send NetMail (Fido/QWK/Internet)       │
  ├──────────────────── Read Mail ───────────┤
  │ R Read mail sent to you                  │
  │ U Read your un-read mail only            │
  │ K Read/Kill mail you have sent           │
  ├──────────────────────────────────────────┤
  │ Q Quit the E-Mail Menu                   │
  └──────────────────────────────────────────┘
    Anytime: ^U Users online  ^P Private msg

  E-mail:

The ''E-mail:'' prompt is its own context. ''Q'' returns you to the previous prompt (typically the Main prompt of your shell).

===== Sending mail =====

==== S — Send mail to a local user ====

Sends an e-mail to another user on **this** BBS. You're prompted for:

  - The recipient's **user name** or **user number**. Partial matches are searched: if you type just part of the name and the system can identify a unique match (or a short list), it'll help you complete the name.
  - The **message title** (subject line).
  - The **message body**, composed in your selected [[user:editor|message editor]] (the built-in line editor by default; the editor's commands are documented on its own page).

In the built-in line editor, ''/S'' saves and sends the message; ''/A'' aborts. (Other editors have their own keys.)

==== A — Send file attachment ====

Composes an e-mail with a **file attachment**. The flow is similar to S, but you're additionally prompted to select a file from your inbox-attachment area or the BBS's file libraries (depending on what the sysop has enabled).

==== F — Send feedback to the sysop ====

Shortcut for sending mail to user #1 (the sysop). Same as ''S'' with the recipient pre-filled. //Feedback// is the conventional way to suggest features, report bugs, ask questions, or just say hello to your sysop.

==== N — Send NetMail (Fido/QWK/Internet) ====

Sends a message to a user on **another** BBS via the appropriate network. You're prompted for:

  - The recipient. The address syntax depends on the network type:
    * **Internet e-mail**: ''user@host.example'' (full RFC-822 address)
    * **FidoNet NetMail**: ''Username@1:138/110'' or ''Username@1:138/110.0'' (handle + zone:net/node[.point])
    * **QWKnet NetMail**: ''Username@QWKID'' (QWK ID of the destination BBS)
  - Subject and body, same as local mail.

The sysop's network configuration determines which networks the BBS can reach.

===== Reading mail =====

==== R — Read mail sent to you ====

Lists the messages in your inbox and lets you read them. ''*'' next to a title marks an **unread** message. If only one message is in your inbox, it's displayed directly; otherwise you get a list followed by the **Read Mail prompt**:

At the Read Mail prompt:

  * **#** — read message number //#// (e.g. ''3'')
  * **<CR>** — read the next message
  * **-** — read the previous message
  * **L** — list all message titles and authors
  * **R** — re-read the current message
  * **D** — delete the current message
  * **A** — //automatically reply// to the author of the current message; prompts for whether to remove the original
  * **F** — forward the current message to another user (removes from your mailbox)
  * **Q** — quit Read Mail and return to the previous prompt
  * **?** — display the Read Mail menu

==== U — Read your un-read mail only ====

Same as ''R'' but skips messages you've already read. Useful when you've fallen behind and just want to catch up on what's new.

==== K — Read/Kill mail you have sent ====

Reviews mail **you've sent** to others and lets you delete it (typically only allowed if the recipient hasn't yet read the message, depending on sysop policy). The prompt is similar to Read Mail:

  * **#** — read sent message //#//
  * **<CR>** — next
  * **-** — previous
  * **L** — list titles and recipients
  * **R** — re-read
  * **D** — delete
  * **Q** — quit

''*'' next to a sent-message title indicates the recipient hasn't read it yet.

===== Mail forwarding =====

You can have your local BBS e-mail **forwarded** to your network e-mail address — see [[user:settings|User Settings]] -> ''M'' (Forward Mail). Useful if you don't log in regularly but want to be notified of mail.

===== See Also =====

  * [[user:|User Documentation]]
  * [[user:editor|Message editors]] — used to compose mail
  * [[user:settings|User Settings]] — your network e-mail address, mail forwarding, default download protocol for attachments
  * [[user:msgbase|Message Bases]] — public conferences (sub-boards), separate from personal mail
  * [[user:qwk|QWK packets]] — read/post mail offline
  * [[ref:smb|SMB format]] — the on-disk format Synchronet uses to store mail
  * [[howto:emailsec|Securing e-mail]] (sysop how-to)

{{tag>user mail email netmail feedback}}