Email System Overview
What is Email?
Electronic mail (email) is a method of exchanging messages between people using electronic devices.
High-Level Architecture
[Sender] → [Mail Client] → [SMTP Server] → [Internet] → [Recipient SMTP Server] → [Mail Client] → [Recipient]
Key Questions to Explore
- How does an email travel from sender to recipient?
- What protocols are involved?
- How is email stored and retrieved?
- How do email receipts work?
- What security mechanisms exist?
- How are attachments handled?
Topics to Cover
- Email Protocols (SMTP, POP3, IMAP)
- Email Headers and Structure
- DNS and MX Records
- Email Delivery and Routing
- Read Receipts and Delivery Confirmations
- Authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
- Attachments and MIME
- Email Clients vs Web Mail
- Spam Filtering
- Email Security and Encryption