Electronic mail is a technique of sending and receiving digital messages via the Internet. E-mail systems consist of server systems that recognize, send, deliver and store messages. These messages are sent or viewed by users through an e-mail interface, which connects to an e-mail server, on their personal computers.

The e-mail message structure comprises of two parts: the message header and the message body.  The message header is structured as fields and holds the original senders e-mail address and one or more recipient e-mail addresses. Additional fields include Subject, Date, Message ID, CC, BCC, and so on. The message body is basically the content of the e-mail. The format for e-mail addresses is specified in RFC 5322 and RFC 2045 through RFC 2049. RFC (Request For Comments) is a memo created and issued by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).

E-mail messages are swapped between hosts by using the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) along with software programs known as mail transfer agents. Home users can fetch their messages by using typical protocols such as Post Office Protocol (POP) or Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP). Corporate users fetch their e-mail with the help of proprietary protocols such as the protocols used with Lotus Notes or Microsoft Exchange Servers.

How to Change E-Mail Address

You cannot change your e-mail address. You will have to create a new account with a different name through your e-mail service provider. There are a number of free web-based e-mail service providers such as Hotmail, Yahoo, and Gmail and so on. It is the same procedure with Internet Service Providers (ISP); however certain ISPs have e-mail forwarding functionality, where the e-mails sent to your old account will be forwarded to the new account.