Emails have become an integral part of our lives, allowing us to communicate instantly with people around the world. However, behind this digital communication tool lie many secrets and fascinating stories that are worth exploring. In this article, we will uncover some curiosities about emails that will surprise you and make you appreciate this communication tool even more.
- The first email The first email in history was sent by Ray Tomlinson in 1971. This message contained only the word “QWERTYUIOP” and was sent between two computers connected in a network. Since then, sending emails has become a daily practice for billions of people.
- The origin of “@” in your email address Have you ever wondered about the meaning of “@” in your email address? In reality, “@” is a symbol called the “at sign” which derives from the English word “at,” meaning “at the rate of” or “at.” It was first used in 1972 by Ray Tomlinson to separate the user’s name from the server’s name in creating email addresses.
- The size of the first emails Over the years, the size of emails has significantly increased. However, the first email sent by Ray Tomlinson was incredibly small. With a character limit of only 65, the message was much shorter than the emails we send today.
- The world’s longest email If you thought emails were long, think again! In 2015, an Indian programmer named Manish Bansal sent an incredibly long email that set a record. This email contained a whopping 4,500,000 characters and took over 13 hours to send.
- Spam and anti-spam filter Spam, which refers to unsolicited and unwanted emails, is a common problem in the digital age. But did you know that the term “spam” to describe this type of message comes from a comedy sketch by Monty Python? In their sketch, Monty Python repeatedly sang the word “spam,” and the term was adopted to refer to unwanted emails.
- Email as legal evidence Emails can be used as legal evidence in court. Many legal decisions rely on emails as documentation of communications between the parties involved in a legal dispute. It is important to keep in mind that emails can have legal implications.
- The quantity of emails sent each day It is estimated that over 300 billion emails are sent each day worldwide. This number shows how widespread and extensively emails are used as a communication tool.
By exploring these curiosities about emails, we can understand how this communication tool has become essential in our digital lives. Emails have revolutionized communication and continue to do so, offering us the ability to connect instantly with people around the world. So, the next time you send or receive an email, remember these curiosities and appreciate the fascinating history behind electronic mail.
