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  Using FirstClass email
Reading mail
Selecting what to list
If you are interested in checking only one type of mail, such as unread messages, in a container, you can list only those messages. Your changes are only in effect for as long as you have the container open.
To list only a certain type of mail:
1 Open the container.
2 Click one of the following:
You can also list only unread messages by default.
Working with message threads
Messages with the same subject, that were sent in reply to other messages, are presented in a special way. As replies to messages accumulate, they create a thread of related messages. Each reply in the thread is numbered; by default, the subject of the first reply starts with "Re:", the subject of the reply to this reply starts with "Re(2):", and so on. When you group messages by subject in list view, all older messages in a thread are grouped under the most recent message.
If you open a message that is part of a thread, you can open the next message in the thread by clicking Next in Thread.
To open the previous message in this thread, click Previous in Thread.
 TipThere is a limit to the number of FirstClass messages that can be displayed with a web browser. Only the most recent messages are shown. To see an older message in a thread, open a more recent message, then click Previous in Thread.
Working with unread messages
Listing only unread messages by default
You can list only unread messages by default in all containers. This can cut down the time it takes to see the list of messages when you have a slow connection.
To list only unread messages by default, select "Show only unread items" in your preferences.
When you list only unread messages by default:
• the number of read messages not displayed is indicated on the summary bar (where they are referred to as hidden messages)
• only read messages will be hidden; you will still see other types of messages, such as unsent and sent messages in your Mailbox.
Working with unread flags
When a message is unread, a red flag is displayed beside it. You will also see a red flag beside the icon for your Mailbox or a conference that contains unread messages, plus the number of unread messages that are inside.
After you open an unread message, the red flag beside the message disappears. If you want this message to attract your attention again, you can put the flag back. To do this, select the message, then click Mark as Read. To remove this flag again, do the same thing.
 ShortcutClick the flag beside the message to turn it off or on.
Dealing with junk mail
FirstClass can mark as junk certain types of mail on the assumption that they are unsolicited (also known as spam). You can decide whether to accept or reject this mail. For details on what FirstClass considers junk, contact your administrator.
NoteYour administrator may have defined other types of mail as junk, such as mail coming from a particular address. You will never see this mail.
To specify how you want to handle the mail that FirstClass considers junk, choose the option you want at "Junk mail handling" in your preferences.
In addition, you can define what you consider to be junk mail (for example, mail from a particular address) and create rules that tell FirstClass what to do with this mail.
Sending messages
Message forms
When you create a message, you use a message form.
FirstClass includes a standard message form plus special message forms that are geared to particular purposes. Your administrator may provide additional special forms that are customized for your organization.
Personal stationery
Your administrator may create partially completed message forms as stationery. For example, a form may be preaddressed. Depending on how your administrator set up stationery, you may not be able to change prefilled information.
Stationery appears in the top pane of the page. It works just like a paper pad of message forms; you "tear one off" and fill it in.
You can create personal stationery that works like the stationery created by your administrator. If you send a lot of messages with common information, such as messages addressed to the same person or conference, or on the same subject, you will find personal stationery a convenient shortcut when creating these messages.
Creating personal stationery
To create personal stationery:
1 Open your Mailbox.
2 Create a new message, using whichever message form you want, and fill in any fields you want prefilled.
3 Save the message as an unsent message.
4 Select the unsent message.
5 Open the message's properties, then select "Stationery".
The message is converted to stationery and placed in the upper pane of your Mailbox.
TipIf you want other users to use your stationery, move it to another container where your intended stationery users have access.
Changing personal stationery
To change personal stationery:
1 Select the stationery.
2 Open the stationery's properties, then clear "Stationery".
The stationery becomes an unsent message in the bottom pane.
3 Open the unsent message and change information as required.
4 Save the message as an unsent message.
5 Select the unsent message.
6 Open the message's properties, then select "Stationery" again.
Creating messages
To open a copy of the standard message form, choose New Message from the Create field.
To open a copy of a special message form, choose the form you want from the Create field.
Using stationery to create messages
To use stationery:
1 Double-click the stationery to open a copy of the message form.
2 Fill in the missing information.
3 Send the message as you would any other message.
Changing message forms
If you don't want to create a message using the form you have open, click Delete.
Addressing messages
Addressing messages using the Directory
To specify a recipient who is in the Directory, enter the recipient's full name or part of the name. For details, see the help for the standard message form.
If you have not yet created a new message, you can use the Directory or Who's Online list to create a preaddressed standard message. To do this:
1 Select the listed recipient.
2 Click Create Mail To.
Addressing messages to your contacts
You address messages to your contacts just as you specify any other recipient who is in the Directory.
If your contact has multiple email addresses (such as a business and a personal one), all addresses will be included in the list of matches when you type the contact name, or part of it. Simply choose the address to which you want to send your message.
You can also create a message addressed to a contact or mail list that you have opened in your Contacts folder or a contact database. To do this, click Create Mail To on the contact/mail list form.
Addressing messages to Internet addresses
To specify a recipient when the message will go over the Internet, type the recipient's email address. FirstClass recognizes any address containing @ as an Internet address.
Example:
 FirstClass doesn't check whether this type of address is valid.
NoteSending mail to local addresses (addresses on your own server) is more efficient than sending mail over the Internet. For this reason, if the recipient is on your server, FirstClass will try to substitute their local FirstClass address for the Internet address.
Addressing messages to gateway addresses
To specify a recipient who is connected to your server through a gateway, type the address in the format
recipient's name,gateway name
The recipient's name is the user name or address of the recipient as defined on the other system. The gateway name is the name used by the other system.
Example:
To send a message to Amanda Ho through the HuskyPlanes Toronto gateway, type
 For information on the gateways to which you can address messages, contact your administrator.
Using addresses from other messages
To use an address from a message that has already been sent, click the appropriate name in the message envelope. A new message is created with this address in the "To" field.
Removing recipients
To remove a recipient, click the Delete icon beside that recipient's name.
Adding a signature
When you create a new message, you can add a signature to the bottom of the message body. Signatures can be used to repeat your name, indicate your title or email address, or even cite a favorite quote.
You can add your signature only to selected messages, or make FirstClass add it automatically to all new messages.
Creating your signature
To create your signature text, update your preferences. This is also where you can make FirstClass add your signature to all new messages.
Adding your signature to selected messages
If your preferences don't tell FirstClass to automatically add your signature to all new messages, you can add it to a specific message by clicking Insert Signature in the editing toolbar.
Special message handling
Making messages urgent
An urgent message message appears in bold. Where applicable, it also involves special gateway handling.
To make an unsent message urgent:
1 Click Message Options with the message open.
2 Choose Urgent at "Priority" on the Message Options form.
Making messages low priority
Some gateways have special handling for low priority (bulk) mail. Check with your administrator to see if making messages low priority is useful to you.
To make an unsent message low priority, choose Bulk at "Priority" on the Message Options form.
Marking messages as junk
Recipients control whether they want to see junk mail through their preferences.
To mark messages as junk for recipients, choose Junk at "Priority" on the Message Options form.
Preventing generation of nondelivery notices
By default, FirstClass sends a nondelivery notice (NDN) to your Mailbox if your message can't be delivered.
If you don't want to receive an NDN for a particular message, select "Suppress NDN" on the Message Options form.
Setting message sensitivity
Currently, message sensitivity has no effect on how FirstClass handles messages. It is provided as information for the recipient, and could be used by third-party gateways.
By default, messages are assigned normal sensitivity. To change sensitivity, choose Personal, Private, or Company at "Sensitivity" on the Message Options form.
Registering messages
When you send someone a private message, you can make FirstClass send notifications of the message status to your Mailbox. The message is marked as Registered.
To generate status notifications:
1 Open the unsent message.
2 Click Message Options.
3 Select one of the following at "Receipt options":
Sending messages
Sending messages immediately
To send your message, click Send. This button is only displayed after you have addressed the message.
Sending messages later
To close a message and leave it unsent, click Save. The message stays in your Mailbox with an unsent flag beside it.
You can open the message later to update and then send it.
What happens when you send a message
When you send a message to several people, only one copy of the message is actually created. It is stored on the server, and links to it are stored in your Mailbox and the Mailboxes of all recipients.
You can change the properties of your own link, or even delete it, without affecting the links in others' Mailboxes. The actual message stays on the server as long as there are any links to it, and it has not expired.
Unsending messages
In certain circumstances, you can unsend a message. This makes the message disappear from the container to which you sent it.
NoteBe aware that the message may have already been read.
You can't unsend a message that was:
• sent through the Internet or a gateway
• moved into a folder or deleted by the recipient
• sent to a user who does not allow you to unsend from his Mailbox.
To unsend a message, open it, then click Unsend. The message becomes editable, and an unsent flag is displayed beside the message in your Mailbox.
Checking message history
FirstClass tracks the history of each message. This history includes when it was created, who has read it and when, and whether it was worked with in any other way (for example, forwarded or copied).
To see the history of a sent message, select or open the message, then click History.
NoteThe names of Bcc recipients do not appear in the history, except to themselves and to the message sender.
Replying to messages
You can send a message reply to:
• the message sender plus all other recipients of the message
• just the sender
• just the conference that contains the message, if the message is in a conference.
If you simply reply to a message without specifying recipients, the reply is sent to your default reply recipients, or, in the case of a message in a conference, to the conference's default reply recipients.
No matter how you decide to direct your reply, you can change the reply recipients just as you would address any other message.
A message reply is given a subject of "Re:" plus the subject of the original message. The original message is quoted, prefaced by the name of the original sender and, depending on your preferences, the time the original message was sent.
Specifying reply recipients
Specifying default reply recipients
You can specify who will receive your replies to messages by default. This default only affects your private mail, not messages in conferences. Conferences have their own default reply recipients.
To specify the default recipients for your replies, choose your default recipients at "Reply preference" in your preferences.
Replying to your default recipients
To reply to your default recipients:
1 Open the message.
2 Click Reply.
3 Type your reply in the message body.
4 Click Send.
Replying to everyone
To reply to the sender and the original recipients of a message, click Reply All.
The sender's name is placed in the "To" field of the reply. The names of the original recipients are placed in the "Cc" field.
Replying to senders only
To reply to just the message sender, click one of the following:
Replying automatically
You can make FirstClass reply automatically to messages that are sent to you. This is useful, for example, if you want to inform people that you are not available that day.
To turn on automatic reply, update the "Automatically reply to" fields in your preferences.
Forwarding messages
When you receive a message, you can forward this message to another user or a conference. You can forward fax and voice messages just as you would a text message.
To forward a message:
1 Open the message.
2 Click Forward.
This creates a copy of the message, including any attachments. The "Subject" field contains "Fwd:" and the subject of the original message. Your name, and the name of the original sender, are in the "From" field.
3 Address the message.
4 Make any changes you want to the message body.
5 Click Send.
Forwarding messages automatically
You can forward your messages to another user or a conference automatically. This is useful when you go on vacation and you want your mail answered by someone else.
To forward your messages automatically, update the "Automatically forward" fields in your preferences.
Forwarding messages to pagers
FirstClass can notify you of new messages through your pager, if you have an email-enabled paging system.
To forward new messages to your pager, update your preferences.
Working with Internet messages
Viewing Internet headers
An Internet header describes the route taken by a message received over the Internet.
To see this header, click Show Internet Header. The header is displayed in a pane above the message body.
To hide the Internet header, click Hide Internet Header.
Changing your email address for Internet recipients
If you are using the standard message form to send a message over the Internet, you can choose which address you want to appear at "From". Anyone who receives your message over the Internet won't see your FirstClass user name, just your Internet adddress.
Choose the address you want from the field beside your name.
Retrieving mail from Internet mail accounts
You can import mail from POP3 mail accounts into your FirstClass account, so that mail from all accounts appears in your FirstClass Mailbox. To do this:
1 Click Import Accounts in your preferences.
2 Update the Mail Import form.
Making Internet messages secure
Your administrator determines the level of security that FirstClass normally uses for the exchange of email.
If you want to send a message containing particularly sensitive material at a security level that is higher than normal, you can take advantage of FirstClass' S/MIME support. This support works on a per-message basis, so that you can continue to use FirstClass' normal security level for regular messages.
S/MIME is a method for sending and receiving encrypted messages, typically involving the exchange of digital certificates that contain encryption keys.
To use an S/MIME message, both you and your intended recipient must have secure certificates. For help on obtaining certificates, contact your administrator. What follows is a general description of the procedure that both you and your intended recipient must follow.
Obtaining secure certificates
You must obtain a secure certificate from a third party, known as a certificate authority. You will receive a link from the certificate authority for downloading your certificate.
To download the certificate, you normally use the same browser and computer you used when you requested the certificate. The certificate installs on your computer after the download.
After your certificate is installed on your computer, you must generate a certificate file.
Generating certificate files
You can't use FirstClass to generate your certificate file. You must use an external application, such as Outlook Express.
To generate your certificate file using Outlook Express or Windows Mail:
1 Choose Tools > Options.
2 Click Digital IDs on the Security tab.
3 Choose Secure Email at "Intended purpose".
4 Select your certificate.
5 Click Export.
6 Follow the prompts.
When asked:
• export the private key
• include all certificates in the certification path
• enable strong protection.
You will also be asked to provide a password for the private key. This is actually optional, and you must be aware of the implications if you password protect your private key.
To generate your certificate file using Mac:
1 Choose Utilities > Keychain Access.
2 Select "login" in the Keychains list.
3 Select your certificate in the list to the right.
4 Choose File > Export Items.
For "File Format", select Certificate (.cer).
5 Provide a name and location for your file, then save.
Deciding whether to password protect your private key
A password protected private key provides an additional layer of security. With a password protected private key, only you can use this certificate to send S/MIME messages, because your password must be provided with every S/MIME message that is sent.
However, FirstClass can't decrypt S/MIME messages received by someone with a password protected private key. Message recipients will see a blank message with an encrypted attachment. They will have to download the attachment and use an external application to decrypt it.
If you choose not to supply a password, FirstClass can automatically decrypt S/MIME messages.
NoteNormally, a certificate provided by your organization doesn't require a password protected private key.
What to do with your certificate file
After you have generated your certificate file, send it to your administrator, who will store it in a location where FirstClass can access it.
You must tell your administrator the email address you used when you ordered the certificate. If you don't remember the address, do the following (this assumes you are using Outlook Express or Windows Mail):
1 Choose Tools > Options.
2 Click Digital IDs on the Security tab.
3 Select your certificate.
4 Click View.
5 Select "Subject" on the Details tab.
The "E =" value is the email address.
Exchanging S/MIME messages
To send a message using S/MIME:
1 Choose S/MIME Message from the Create field.
2 Update the S/MIME Message form.
If this is the first S/MIME messages you have exchanged with this recipient, choose Signed at "S/MIME type". You can't send an encrypted message to this recipient until you have the recipient's public key, as described below.
3 Send the message.
FirstClass automatically attaches a certificate containing your public key.
The first time you exchange S/MIME messages
When you send an S/MIME message to someone for the first time, that recipient must send the attached certificate to their administrator. That administrator will store your certificate in the same place as the recipient's certificate. When the recipient replies, their certificate is attached to the reply. You must now send the recipient's certificate to your administrator for storage.
Both you and your recipient now have copies of each other's public keys. From now on, each time you send an encrypted S/MIME message to this recipient, FirstClass will use the recipient's public key to encrypt it. Therefore, you can exchange future S/MIME messages without having to involve your administrators.
How to know you have received an S/MIME message
There are three distinct icons used for S/MIME messages:
Attaching files to messages
You can attach both files that are on your computer and FirstClass objects to messages.
To attach a file on your computer to a message:
1 Click Browse at "Attachments".
2 Select the file you want to attach.
3 Click Attach.
To attach a FirstClass object to a message:
1 Click On Server at "Attachments".
2 Select the object you want to attach.
Removing attachments
Downloading attached files
To download an attachment, choose your web browser's standard download command from the context menu.
NoteIf a conference message with an attachment appears in italics, the attachment has not yet been approved for download. You can't open this message and download the attachment until it is approved and the italics are gone.
To save an attachment elsewhere in FirstClass:
1 Open the message.
2 Click Save Attachment.
3 Select the attachment.
4 Select the location where you want the attachment copied.
The open container is in bold. To see all containers on your Desktop, click Desktop. To see subcontainers inside a container, click it.
5 Click Copy.
Previewing attached files
FirstClass lets you preview an attached file, or listen to an attached sound file, before you download it. To do this, click the attachment. To return to the message, click your web browser's Back button.
If your browser can't display this type of file, you are asked if you want to download it.
Changing your Mailbox permissions
You can update the permissions on your Mailbox to:
• stop messages above a certain size from being accepted
• limit the number of messages stored
• specify when messages expire
Expired messages are deleted automatically.
• control specific users' access to your Mailbox.
To update your Mailbox permissions:
1 Open your Mailbox.
2 Click Permissions.
3 Update the Mailbox Permissions form.
Creating rules for automatic mail handling
Basic mail rules tell FirstClass how to handle the following mail:
• messages that you send
Rules only affect the copies of the sent mail that are left in your Mailbox (local copies).
• messages that you receive in your Mailbox
• messages that are received by conferences.
Each set of mail rules is associated with a particular container. You can set up rules for your Mailbox and for any conferences for which you have this permission.
TipIf you want to use a rule to move received mail to another container (the target) and have the target container flag when it contains unread mail, make sure the target is a conference, not a folder. Folders don't flag.
For each container, separate rules control mail received by the container and mail sent from the container. Received mail rules apply to all containers, and run whenever that container receives mail from anyone. Sent mail rules apply to your Mailbox, and run whenever you send mail.
You can set up multiple rules for both received and sent mail. Each rule specifies a particular type of mail, and how FirstClass is to handle that mail. For example, your Mailbox may have rules to:
• delete all mail received from a specific address (such as joespammer@bugthem.com)
• file all mail with a certain subject in a specified subcontainer.
You can open rules to update them, just as you would update other FirstClass objects.
You can share rules with other users by moving or copying them among containers' Rules & Resources folders.
Creating rules for mail you receive
To create a rule for mail received in a specific container:
1 Open the container.
2 Click Rules.
The container's mail rules page opens. This page lists all existing rules for this container.
3 Choose New Receive Rule from the Create field.
4 Update the Receive Rule form.
Creating rules for mail you send
To create a rule for local copies of mail that you send:
1 Open your Mailbox.
2 Click Rules.
Your Mailbox's mail rules page opens. This page lists all existing rules for your Mailbox.
3 Choose New Send Rule from the Create field.
4 Update the Send Rule form.
Creating advanced rules
If the Receive Rule and Send Rule forms do not cover the conditions or actions you want to specify, you can create an advanced mail rule. An advanced rule can apply to:
• received mail
• sent mail
• mail that you run rules on manually
• mail that users delete.
NoteSetting up a properly functioning advanced mail rule can be more complex than setting up basic receive and send rules. For that reason, we recommend that you do not create these rules unless you feel you have a good knowledge of mail rules.
To create an advanced mail rule, follow the same procedure you would for a basic receive or send rule, but choose New Advanced Rule from the Create field, then update the Advanced Rule form.
Sorting rules to control how they work together
FirstClass runs rules in the order they appear in the mail rules page. For that reason, you may need to sort your rules.
As an example, if you have a rule that files all Internet mail in a subcontainer and also an exception rule that allows certain Internet mail senders to put mail in your Mailbox, you must have the exception rule before the rule that controls Internet mail in general. Otherwise, FirstClass will consider your exceptions to simply be Internet mail addresses, and will file their messages in the subcontainer before it ever gets to your exception rule.
To change the order of your rules:
1 Select the rule you want to move.
You can only move one rule at a time.
2 Click Move Up in List or Move Down in List until the rule is in the location you want.
Running rules on demand
You can apply rules to mail that was created before the rules were in place, or to mail that would not otherwise trigger rules.
 These rules will only run on mail that you have selected.
Putting rules on toolbars
Only applies to advanced rules using the Run Manually trigger. CautionIf you add a rule to a toolbar, you can only remove it using the FirstClass client.
If you put a rule on the container's toolbar, you can select mail in that container, then click the toolbar button to run the rule on the selected mail. This allows you to:
• run only one rule instead of all your manual rules
• run a rule on a container.
To put a rule on the toolbar:
1 Open the container.
2 Click Rules.
3 Open the rule.
4 Select "Add to toolbar".
The rule stays in the mail rules page, and buttons for it are added to the container's toolbars.
The rules log
Every time you create or update a mail rule, FirstClass compiles the rules for that container. This is done to locate any errors in the rules, such as a missing folder name. The results of the compile are recorded in a rules log that FirstClass places in the container's mail rules page. Each compile adds to this log. If you want FirstClass to start a new log, delete the old one.
The cost is a general indicator of how much impact your rules processing will have on the server. The higher the number, the more server resources you are using. A cost up to 25 has little impact on the server. Above 50 has a high impact, and may result in slower response times.
CautionBe sure to correct any errors reported by the log before your new or updated rule runs.
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