1. Setting up a Gmail Account & Email Safety
Patrick Therrien
Technology & Education Training Specialist
Hello and welcome to the Maine State Library’s training module on how to create a Gmail account and safety. By the end of this module, you will be able to create an account and understand the proper etiquette for sending s and protecting yourself while ing. So let's begin.

2. Basics
Send & receive digital messages and content over the internet
Productivity Tool
Calendar
Address book
Web-based can be accessd anytime & anywhere
is a way to send and receive digital messages and content over the internet.
Some of the advantages of are:
Productivity tools: Most accounts are usually packaged with a calendar, address book and more for convenience and productivity.
You also have access to Web Services: If you want to sign up for accounts like Facebook, or order products from services like Amazon, you will need an address, so you can be safely identified and contacted.
Easy Mail Management: service providers have tools to allow you to file, label, prioritize, find, group, and filter your s for easy management. You can also control your spam and junk mail.
Private: Your is delivered to your own personal and private account with a password required for accessing and reading your s.
s allow you to communicate with multiple people: You can to multiple people at once allowing you the option of having a conversation with several people or sending out a message to a hundred people.
You can access your anywhere and at any time: You don’t have to be at home to access your web-based . You can access it from any computer or mobile device.

3. Email Addresses Format: Free Email Account Providers: Username @
Provider’s domain
Ex.
Free Account Providers:
Yahoo
Microsoft’s Hotmail
Google’s Gmail
To receive s, you will need an account and an address. Also, if you want to send s to other people, you will need to obtain their addresses. It's important to learn how to write addresses correctly, because if you do not enter them exactly right, your s will not be delivered or they might be delivered to the wrong person.
addresses are always written in a standard format that includes a username, (at) symbol and the provider's domain. The username is the name you choose to identify yourself and the provider is the website that hosts your account.
Today, the top three free webmail providers are Yahoo, Microsoft's Hotmail, and Google's Gmail. These providers are popular because they allow you to access your account at any time through their website at yahoo.com, hotmail.com or gmail.com.
You can also set up and access your account with these providers through the user-friendly apps on your mobile devices.

4. Setting up a Gmail Account
Go to
Next click on the create an account button
Go to:
Click here to Create your Account

5. Creating a Gmail Account
Next choose a password. I would choose one with numbers and letters and maybe a capital letter. You will notice when I built my password I used caps and numbers which made my password strong.
Next you have the ability to use the drop down box to choose a security question or write your own. In my example I chose to write my own.
You now have the option to put another address in to be used should you ever encounter problems or forget your password. If you do not have another address, you may leave this field blank.
You also have the option to stay signed in when you are on the computer. I would recommend unchecking this box so that when you are no longer at the computer and you close your account no one can read or send s from your account.
Enter a password
Enter or choose a security question or write your own.

6. Creating a Gmail Account
Type in your month/day/year as shown on the screen. Don’t forget to add the “slashes” or it will not work.
Next enter the “word verification” into the box. I know sometimes they are not easy to read; however, should you get it wrong, it will simply give you another word to enter. In the past it once took me 5 times before I could understand the letters, so don’t get discouraged.
Once that is done click on the “I accept. Create my account button”.
Then a pop up window will appear asking you to select Google as your homepage or adding a tab to your homepage. I have selected to have Google as my homepage.
Type in your birthdate month/day/year
Type in the word in the “word verification” box
Click on the I accept. Create my account button
You can either use Google as your home page or
a tab on your home page

7. Creating a Gmail Account
Congratulations, now click on the “Show me my account” button.
Congratulations
Click on Show me my account

8. Gmail Inbox for your Account
This is the inbox for your Gmail account. Notice the 3 s from Google. Each of these are a tutorial of some of the features in Google mail.
Notice the 3 from Google in your inbox
3 tutorials explaining some of the features of Gmail.

9. Composing a “New Message”
Click on “New” or “Compose”
Contacts
Like an address book
Contains addresses & contact information

10. Properly Addressing a Message
Subject:
Brief description
CC (Carbon Copy)
To include other people in an message
BC (Blind Carbon Copy)
Addresses will not be visible to other parties.
Attachments
Attach or Upload files
• It’s important to include a brief description of what your is about in the subject line. This is a courtesy to the recipient and helps them to efficiently decide which s to read, if their time is limited. It also makes it easier to search for an at a later date.
• CC: stands for carbon copy and is often used in the workplace. You may want to include other people in an message to keep them informed, even though they may not be the recipient of the . You can do this by entering their address in the CC box.
• BC: stands for blind carbon copy. Just like CC it copies other people; however, those recipients (and their addresses) will not visible to others in the .
• Attachments & Uploads: You can attach or upload digital files for documents, images, videos, and presentations and more to your . These attachments can be opened or downloaded by the recipients.

11. Draft or Send Draft: Send Save it to send later
Only click on when the message is complete and ready to go.
• Drafts: contain messages that you have composed, but have not sent. When composing a message, you can click on save to save your message to the drafts folder until you are ready to finish the message or send it.
• Send: When your is complete, you will click on the “send” to deliver it to the recipients.

12. Inbox Shows all incoming mail you have received
Click on the to read it.
All unread s are usually marked in bold text

13. Reply or Reply All Reply Reply All
When you want to respond to an
New window will appear to compose your message
Reply All
The message will be sent to all parties in the .
**Caution** Always check the “To” box before hitting the “send” button to avoid embarrassment of sending it to the wrong people.
When you receive an from someone, you can click on the “reply” to respond to someone. A new window will appear with the original message in the body. You can now compose your response and click the “send” button.
Reply All
Sometimes an has been sent to other people besides yourself. When you respond to these s, you need to decide if you want to respond to just the sender or all of the recipients. If you want the message to be sent to everyone, you can click on the “reply all’ button.
To avoid trouble or embarrassment, it is a good idea to double check the “To” box before you click “send” to make sure your message is being delivered to the right recipient.

14. Forwarding an Email Forward
Share an message with another individual
When you want to share an message that you have received, you can click forward to send it to another person.

15. SPAM or Junk
Spam
Carries viruses and fraudulent scams
Do NOT open it
Move it to the Spam Folder
Do NOT open files with a attachment that has a file extension ending in:
.exe
.zip
.scr
Just like at home in your mailbox, at some point you will receive Junk or Spam. Spam often carries viruses or fraudulent scams, so you don’t want to open these messages. Usually your provider will filter these suspicious s into a Spam folder, but if you get one in your inbox, you should select the checkbox to the left of the message and click on the “Spam” button. This lets your provider know that this is Spam and to block it from your inbox in the future.
Don’t open files with the extensions such as: .exe, .zip, or .scr. These could contain hazardous files that could destroy or steal information.
You should occasionally open your Spam Folder and see if any pertinent messages that you need got caught in the Spam Folder and you can send those to your inbox and allow them to bypass the Spam Folder in the future.

16. Folders or Labels Folders or Labels
Allow you to organize your s for quicker reference.
Most providers have features that allow you to build folders to organize and manage your incoming s. Others let you group s with labels for topics like Family, Facebook, EBay etc.

17. Trash or Deleted Items Deleted Items Trash Folder
To delete click on the “Delete” Command
Once it is deleted from the trash folder “it’s gone”
Trash Folder
Items in the trash folder are accessible
To delete a message you simply click on the “delete” command. Some providers will allow you to retrieve a deleted message from the trash. However, once it is deleted from the trash it is unrecoverable. Other providers allow you to archive a message, which, moves it out of your inbox, but does not permanently delete it.

18. Email Etiquette Email Do’s: Closing Keep emails clear and concise
Use a relevant subject line
Add a greeting and closing line to your
"Dear Angela”
Closing
Sincerely
Thanks
Followed by your name
Be aware of your tone in your
Like any form of online communication, it's important to practice good etiquette and safety when using . Etiquette is a set of rules or guidelines that people use to communicate better and aid in other social interactions. Using good etiquette can help you get your point across and show that you are considerate of the person that you are talking to. You should also be aware of important safety tips that you can use to protect yourself from things like malware or phishing.
Do's:
• Keep s clear and concise. Make sure that your recipient can tell what the is about. Avoid rambling, but provide enough detail to make the point of the clear.
• Use a relevant subject line. The subject line lets the recipient know what to expect in the . Make it clear and relevant.
• Add a greeting and closing line to your . Just like a written letter, it's nice to add a greeting such as "Dear Amelia," and a closing line such as "Sincerely" or "Thanks" followed by your name.
•Be aware that your tone may not be obvious in an . Your recipients may not be able to recognize irony and sarcasm in your s, and this can lead to misinterpretation or confusion. It's best to phrase things in the clearest way possible.

19. Email Etiquette (cont.)
Check your before sending
Check it for spelling and grammar errors
Check the content and wording
Check your recipients To CC
BCC
Before sending your , it’s a good habit to always check your before sending it. You need to check for spelling and grammar errors. Don’t just rely on spell check, because we all know that spell check will see that a word is correct in spelling; however, it may be the wrong word in reference to content. Always check your recipients too to make sure that you are not mailing to the wrong person. This is crucial especially if you are sending sensitive information that should not be seen by anyone other than the party you want to send it to.
Not checking your recipients could place you in an uncomfortable situation, so protect yourself by double checking before sending.

20. Email Etiquette Email Don’ts Don't overuse Reply to All
Don't try to cover too many topics
Don't forward chain s
Don’ts
Don’t use caps lock
An overlong signature
Don’t use hard-to-read fonts or colors
Let’s talk about some don’ts.
• Using caps lock. Writing in all caps is equivalent to shouting. Your recipient may mistakenly think that you're angry, which can backfire (especially in a business ). Also, s written in all caps are harder to read.
• Using an overly long signature. It may be tempting to create an elaborate signature that includes your name, title, address, multiple phone numbers, a Facebook or Twitter link, a picture, a quote, and other information. However, this can quickly turn into a ten-line signature, which may make it harder for your recipients to know how you prefer to be contacted. Instead of including all of your contact info, it's better to focus on your most important or preferred contact info.
• Using hard-to-read fonts or colors. Your service may have various text formatting options, but you should be aware that some of them may make your s difficult to read. In many cases, too much text formatting can also look unprofessional or annoying.
• Overuse of Reply to All. Ask yourself whether every person in the group needs to see your reply. If you're only intending the message for one person, use Reply. On the other hand, if you want to keep everybody in the group informed use Reply to All.
• Trying to cover too many topics. If you find that your is covering several unrelated topics, consider splitting it into separate s.
• Forwarding chain s, even if they sound interesting. Chain s can quickly spread throughout the world because they are forwarded to large numbers of people, who then forward them to even more people, and so on. Many of them are hoaxes, and even the ones that aren't may irritate your recipients.

21. Professionalism in Emailing
Not too informal
No profanity
Never convey anger
Always read your s before sending
Don’t discuss confidential information
Think before you send!
Even though an may be less formal than a written letter, you should avoid being too informal. This is especially important when you are contacting a person for the first time. Once you get to know someone, you can then become less formal.
Profanity or Anger: Using profanity in a business is unprofessional and in some cases could get you in serious trouble. Remember once you send the message, you can’t get it back so watch what you are saying and how the person who is receiving this message is going to receive it. Sometimes s can be taken out of context so watch what you write. It’s a good habit to re-read your s before hitting the “send” button.
Keep it Professional: Never convey anger, use profanity or make racist or sexist remarks. Remember, inappropriate words or images sent via can come back to haunt you. Avoid using ALL CAPS. This is interpreted as yelling. Don't send or forward s containing libelous, defamatory, offensive, racist or obscene remarks - even if they are meant to be a joke.
Don’t Discuss Confidential Information: Most is insecure unless it has been encoded or encrypted. So, sending an is like sending a postcard for many eyes to see. Don’t send confidential information.
Think Before You Send: Don’t treat casually. Play it safe. In general, don't write anything in that you wouldn't feel comfortable saying in a crowded elevator.

22. Companies are Monitoring
Businesses today are monitoring
Don’t use your work to write anything derogatory
Social Media
Is monitored
Beware what you post
Be aware that your company may read your .
Using your work to write anything derogatory about your co-workers is a bad idea, and it could come back to haunt you later. Also you should never use your work to forward jokes that are offensive or inappropriate for the office.
ing, texting and social networking may be second nature forms of communication for many of us, but it seems like every day we are encountering more and more stories about people getting into real trouble due to embarrassing s or online postings. What about this medium makes us write and post things that we would likely not say to an individual face to face? Perhaps the impersonal nature of the technology makes us feel safe, even when the reality sometimes proves just the opposite.

23. Online Phishing Scams
Consumer may be asked to provide Social Security numbers, account numbers, passwords or other information
When the consumer provides the information, those perpetrating the fraud can begin to access consumer accounts or assume the person's identity.
Fishing for confidential information
Receive an which appears to originate from a financial institution
Describes an urgent reason you must "verify" or "re-submit
The term "phishing" – as in fishing for confidential information - refers to a scam that encompasses fraudulently obtaining and using an individual's personal or financial information. This is how it works:
• A consumer receives an which appears to originate from a financial institution, government agency, or other well-known/reputable entity.
• The message describes an urgent reason you must "verify" or "re-submit" personal or confidential information by clicking on a link embedded in the message.
• The provided link appears to be the Web site of the financial institution, government agency or other well-known/reputable entity, but in "phishing" scams, the Web site belongs to the fraudster/scammer.
• Once inside the fraudulent Web site, the consumer may be asked to provide Social Security numbers, account numbers, passwords or other information used to identify the consumer, such as the maiden name of the consumer's mother or the consumer's place of birth.
• When the consumer provides the information, those perpetrating the fraud can begin to access consumer accounts or assume the person's identity.

24. Protect Yourself from Phishing
Don’t reply to s that ask for personal or financial information
Never click links within s that ask for personal or financial information
Avoid cutting and pasting links from an message into a new browser window
Never call company phone numbers listed in an .
Don’t personal or financial information
Use anti-virus and anti-spyware software, a firewall, and spam filters.
Don’t reply to s that ask for personal or financial information. Legitimate companies that you are already doing business with do not ask for personal or financial information via .
•Never click links within s that ask for personal or financial information. Hackers can retrieve information from your computer in numerous ways including accessing stored information and monitoring keystrokes.
•Avoid cutting and pasting links from an message into a new browser window. Many people think this will help them determine if a website is legitimate; however, phishers can make links appear to go to a legitimate site, while sending you to another website they control.
•Never call company phone numbers listed in an . A common scam asks you to call the phone number listed in the to update your account information. Sophisticated technology can mask an area code and divert the call anywhere. If you need to reach a company, call the number printed on your financial statements, credit card, or the company website.
•Don’t personal or financial information and always keep your account passwords private.
•Use anti-virus and anti-spyware software, a firewall, and spam filters. Update these regularly!
•Be wary of s that seem urgent. Phishing s often state that immediate action is required to tempt you to respond without thinking.
•Pay close attention to the web address if you choose to access a company’s website through an link. Some phishers register domain names that look very similar to the legitimate domain name of a company. If there is any doubt, open a new browser window and type the web address yourself.

25. Phishing Here is an example of a Phishing Scam
Here is an example of a Phishing Scam. As you can see the looks authentic; however, your bank will never ask you for account information or your password by . If you should ever get an like this you need to report it to the bank and contact the Internet Crime Complaint Center ( a partnership between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center.
Look closely at this address and notice that it is bankofamerican with an “n” added.
A scammer can place any address they want in the “From” field, so sometimes the will appear to be totally authentic (this is known as “ spoofing”).
That means you can NOT always rely on the from field to tell whether the is from a legitimate source.

26. Fraudulent Emails Subject lines that: Examples: Look important
Show concern
Examples:
Message Alert
Unauthorized Log-In Access Denied
Verification Required
Fraudulent s often have subject lines that look important and appear to show concern for your safety. And who wouldn’t be concerned about an alert on their bank account. Here are just a few examples of Subject lines that have been used on fraudulent s:
Message Alert: You have one important message
Important Online Banking Settings have been changed
New Privacy program (2011)
Unauthorized Log-In access denied
Bank of America Security Update
Your Bank of America Account has been compromised.
If there is a LOGO on the , be aware that Logos can be copied and placed within an .

27. Questions Questions or Comments? Patrick.therrien@mestate.lib.me.us
If you have any comments to improve this presentation, please feel free to drop me an at
Thank you