Introduction

In its early days, e-mail was, next to the already existing and more traditional methods, no more than another way of communicating. At that time, people used the phone, written letters and fax as their main way of communication. Even if you wanted to switch to primarily using e-mail, you would not have been able to. Not everyone that was connected to the Internet—if at all, had an e-mail address or used one.

The popularity of the personal computer at home definitely contributed to the fast-growing adoption of e-mail. Many probably realized that e-mail is easy to use, usually delivered promptly and cheap when compared to other communication channels, especially for a message that is traveling half way around the globe.

Over the years, e-mail has grown from yet another way of communicating with people to probably the most important way of non-direct communication.

In our modern world, one could state that—at least for some, e-mail has become a commodity like electricity or water...