Webmail

Webmail is a World Wide Web interface that allows users to read and write E-mail using a Web browser.

Webmail is commonly offered as a service by Internet companies, often in exchange for providing personal information for marketing purposes.

Most webmail services have the following features:

• folders
• filtering (incoming email to dispatch to related folder)
• trash folder
• address book

Several webmail services offer the following features:

• spam detection
• POP3 mail retrieval
• antivirus for mail attachements
• dictionary and thesaurus when composing messages
• spell checker

Table of contents

1 Advantages of webmail services 2 Disadvantages of webmail services 3 History 4 External links

Advantages of webmail services

• Email can be read and composed anywhere a person has access to a web browser.
• Messages do not have to be downloaded.
• Many services allow anonymous sign-ups.

Disadvantages of webmail services

• The user must stay online to read and write email.
• Commercial webmail services often offer only limited email storage space and deliver advertisements.
• Heavy use of webmail over a slow network connection can be tedious.

History

Historically, the first webmail service was Hotmail. Hotmail was Created by Sabir Bhatia in India. Hotmail became very popular, and was later bought by Microsoft and rebranded MSN Hotmail. There are now many other webmail services available.

There is webmail software available that allows one to create one's own webmail server.

External links

• List of webmail softwares/librairies
• Webmail directories and guides