Electronic Mail Essay, Research Paper

Electronic Mail

Instant messages, the communication journey from past to present. During wars like World War I, World War II, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and the war in Kosovo, delivering information to the public has been different each time. During World War I, newspapers and long distance telephone calls were the only ways of delivering information to the public. This took at least 1 to 2 weeks before it hit the newspapers so the public was always at least a week behind actual events. In World War II, newspaper journalists and radio announcers broadcast live action from the war. Television and music played and important part in the community during the Vietnam War. Updates were broadcast directly into homes, businesses and local establishments. Cable News Network was on every television during the Gulf War with live news coverage of bombings, air raids, attempted chemical warfare, and ground movements. Satellite relay stations made it possible for on the spot interviews of soldiers as well as battle commanders. During the War in Kosovo, electronic mail played a key role in communications between military leaders and soldiers.

Fifty years ago, the United States Army unveiled the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC) the worlds first operational, general purpose, electronic digital computer, developed at the Moore School of Electrical Engineering, University of Pennsylvania. Of the scientific developments spurred by World War II, ENIAC ranks as one of the most influential and pervasive. William T. Moye ARL Historian January 1996 http://ftp.arl.mil/ mike/comphist/96summary.

However, in this day and age of tremendous technological advancement, there is almost nothing that cannot be accomplished from the comfort of one s home: grocery shopping, purchasing merchandise, paying bills and even striking up unseen relationships with people halfway across the world. Communication once consisted of putting pen to paper has now been reduced to a few keystrokes and the click of a mouse. People are able to correspond via electronic mail faster and easier than traditional mail services could ever hope to offer. It has saved numerous hours in travel time; costs incurred with meetings, and have also served to process a greater amount of information than was previously possible.

Therefore, the electronic information revolution has also improved my lifestyle by making letter writing easier, ordering items on the Internet, finding information about people, business products, and comparison shopping all without leaving my home. The time saved by sending electronic mail through the information highway and getting an answer back almost instantly is invaluable. Electronic mail can also be a hazard. People can attached a virus to the electronic mail that can attack your computer system hard drive. This could be a major problem for large business, which receive hundreds of electronic mail a day.