This lesson discusses electronic communications and collaboration. It identifies different communication methods like email, instant messaging, and teleconferencing. It also covers the advantages of electronic communications, common problems, and how to communicate professionally. Additionally, the lesson addresses issues like spam, fraud, and computer security risks. It provides guidelines for safely and effectively using electronic communications.

1. 1
Lesson 26
Communications and Collaboration
Computer Literacy
BASICS: A
Comprehensive Guide
to IC3, 3rd Edition
Morrison / Wells

2. Lesson 26
Objectives
 Identify appropriate uses for different
communication methods.
 Identify the advantages of electronic
communications.
 Identify common problems associated with
electronic communications.
 Identify the elements of professional and
effective electronic communications.
2 Morrison / Wells CLB: A Comp Guide to IC3 3E

3. Lesson 26
Objectives (continued)
 Identify appropriate use of e-mail attachments
and other supplementary information.
 Identify issues regarding unsolicited e-mail.
 Describe how to minimize or control
unsolicited e-mail.
 Identify effective procedures for ensuring the
safe and effective use of electronic
communications.
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4. Lesson 26
Vocabulary
 biometric security
measures
 filtering
 fraud
 hoax
 logic bomb
 netiquette
 phishing
 pyramid schemes
 RDF Summary
 spam
 tagging
 teleconferencing
 time bomb
 Trojan horse
 urban legend
 virus
 worm
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5. Lesson 26
Communication Methods
 E-mail is best when the correspondence requires a
paper trail, covers multiple points, and needs to be
accessed frequently.
 Instant messaging is best when the correspondence
needs to be in real time.
 Teleconferencing permits the live exchange and
sharing of information between two or more people.
 RDF Summary is a format used to share the content
of blogs.
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6. Lesson 26
Advantages of Electronic
Communications
– Not restricted to time and space
– Uses text and graphics rather than voice
– Speed is almost instantaneous
– Cost is minimal or even free
– Access is available from various devices
– Forwarding and routing can be accomplished
– Collaborative communication allows interaction
– Community building connects group members
– Online document sharing possible
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7. Lesson 26
Solving Communication Problems
 Troubleshooting tools help identify problems.
 Lost Internet Connection:
 The Network Connection Repair tool can
help.
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Windows Network Diagnostics dialog box

8. Lesson 26
Solving Communication Problems
(continued)
 E-Mail Software
Problems:
 Windows Help
and Support
provides
answers.
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Troubleshoot problems with Windows Mail window

9. Lesson 26
Solving Communication Problems
(continued)
 Downloading and Viewing E-Mail Attachment
Problems:
 Could be due to attachment size, a virus, or the
sender may be blocked.
 Delivery Failure:
 E-mail can “bounce” because the address was
mistyped; it may have a virus; it was identified as
spam; the sender is blocked; or the mailbox is full.
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10. Lesson 26
Solving Communication Problems
(continued)
 Garbled Messages/No Guaranteed
Delivery:
 Occasionally e-mail and other transmissions
over the Internet are lost or spliced together.
 Lost Formatting:
 If the recipient’s e-mail program does not
support HTML, the message will display as
plain text.
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11. Lesson 26
Solving Communication Problems
(continued)
 Lack of a Paper Trail:
 Paper trails have been used in legal cases
for evidence proof and in other situations.
 Some types of electronic communications do
not produce a paper trail.
 Hasty Responses:
 Avoid sending messages you may later
regret.
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12. Lesson 26
Professional Versus Informal
Communication
 Volume of E-mail Replies:
 Communication netiquette refers to good manners
and proper behaviors when communicating through
electronic media.
 Use guidelines when replying to messages.
 Junk Mail (Spam):
 Prevent by using caution giving out your e-mail
address; checking Web site privacy statements; not
replying to junk e-mail; and using a filter.
Morrison / Wells CLB: A Comp Guide to IC3 3E
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13. Lesson 26
Fraud, Hoaxes, and Other False
Information
 This type of computer crime involves the manipulation
of a computer or computer data in order to dishonestly
obtain money, property, information, or other things of
value, or to cause loss.
 E-Mail Fraud:
 Phishing involves sending messages that appear to
come from legitimate sources asking to update or
verify personal information, are in fact used to commit
identity theft.
 Pyramid schemes are an illicit business model.
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14. Lesson 26
Fraud, Hoaxes, and Other False
Information (continued)
 Hoaxes:
 A hoax is an attempt to deceive an audience
into believing that something false is real.
 Urban legends are stories that at one time
could have been partially true, but have
grown from constant retelling into mythical
yarn.
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15. Lesson 26
Viruses and Security
 Viruses:
 A virus is a program that has been written,
usually by a hacker, to cause corruption of
data on a computer. Types include:
– Worm
– Time bomb
– Logic bomb
– Trojan horse
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16. Lesson 26
Viruses and Security (continued)
 Viruses (cont):
 How a virus can spread
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17. Lesson 26
General Security Risks
 The best way to protect data is to effectively
control access using passwords, electronic
identification cards, firewalls, and antivirus
software.
 Use precautions by instituting a selective
hiring process, regularly backing up data,
and employing biometric security measures.
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18. Lesson 26
Professional and Effective
Communications
 Rules of etiquette and formality apply to
business communications.
 Consider whether the type of communication
is business, social, or professional.
 The purpose and the recipients of the
message will determine the level of formality.
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19. Lesson 26
Other E-Mail Options
 Attachments and hyperlinks can be added to e-mail
messages.
 Controlling Unsolicited E-Mail:
 Filtering allows you to define rules to manage
incoming e-mail by sorting, tagging, forwarding, and
deleting messages.
 Filtering Mail by Mail Servers:
 Software filtering can cut down or eliminate most junk
mail.
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20. Lesson 26
Guidelines for Electronic
Communications
 A checklist of guidelines for electronic
communications:
– Attachments should be checked for viruses.
– Review communication prior to sending
– Understand and apply rules of netiquette
– Encrypt messages
– Filter messages
– Back up and archive regularly
– Be aware of leaving an “electronic trail”
– Follow school and company guidelines
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21. Lesson 26
Summary
In this lesson, you learned:
 Teleconferencing uses a telecommunications
system to serve groups, permitting the live
exchange and sharing of information between
two or more people.
 Syndication (Really Simple Syndication or RSS),
also known as Rich Site Summary and RDF
Summary, are formats originally developed to
facilitate the syndication of news articles.
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22. Lesson 26
Summary (continued)
 Electronic communication offers many advantages. The
communication is not restricted to a specific place and
time. Secondly, in most instances, it uses text and
graphics rather than voice. These tools also provide for
different types of correspondence such as one to one,
one to many, or many to many.
 Typical communication problems include failing to
connect to the Internet or to your e-mail server. Being
unable to download or view an e-mail attachment could
be due to the size of the attachment, a virus in the
message, or the sender and the type of e-mail.
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Morrison / Wells CLB: A Comp Guide to IC3 3E

23. Lesson 26
Summary (continued)
 Communications netiquette, a combination of the
words net and etiquette, refers to good manners
and proper behaviors when communicating
through electronic media.
 Fraud and false information are computer crimes
that involve the manipulation of a computer or
computer data in order to dishonestly obtain
money, property, or other value or to cause loss.
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Morrison / Wells CLB: A Comp Guide to IC3 3E

24. Lesson 26
Summary (continued)
 A virus is a program that has been written,
usually by a hacker, to cause corruption of data
on a computer. The virus is attached to a file and
then spreads from one file to another once the
program is executed.
 Computer security is necessary in order to keep
hardware, software, and data safe from harm or
destruction. The best way to protect data is to
effectively control access.
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Morrison / Wells CLB: A Comp Guide to IC3 3E