Sometimes someone sends you a message that needs a response. You can choose to use the reply function at the top of your screen. This will automatically open the window that permits you to write a reply. It is already addressed. All you need to do when you are finished writing your response is to click send. Note: The polite internet way to do this is to erase the heading that is there including the words "original message" down to "subject". How do you do this? Easy…left-click and run your cursor from original all the way to the end of the subject…it will change color…now place your cursor somewhere on the words you just selected, right-click and from the dropdown menu choose "cut' Voila!!! The words have disappeared. The same thing would apply if you wanted to forward a message. Supposing your friend has sent you something that you want to send to another friend; click forward at the top, erase those drasted useless words at the beginning of the message and click send…you can write a little note of your own at the top of the message if you want before sending. It is of the utmost importance in this case that you erase the heading; sometimes there is even more than one heading because it has been forwarded many times and people forget to erase the headings. Get use to erasing them all the time; it is polite and it is safer because you are not leaving someone else's address exposed there for all to see.

Soooo… you did something new if you practiced the above tip…you right-clicked…right-clicking is very important and a wonderful time saving device. If you start doing it, you will become a pro at it and will have many functions at your fingertips, literally. Go back to a message you have in your mailbox, one that doesn't matter too much if you screw it up. Let's practice right clicking… OK, click on reply for one of these messages;ok drag your cursor along a few words as I showed you in the top tip. Right click..look at the dropdown menu and see what are your options…cut, copy, paste are the first 3 and for good reason; these are the ones you would use most often. Cut is to take the words out of there, copy is to copy them of course, and paste is to paste them somewhere else. Now these 3 functions can be used literally everywhere…in your email, in an email you are replying to, or forwarding, on the net…literally…everywhere….you will even get to use when you want to move or copy things on your computer. This should be practiced until it is secomd nature. So let's try. Go back to the message you have clicked reply on…ok run your cursor on a few words, right click and cut…they have disappeared…if you want to put them back, place your cursor back where they were, right click and click paste…they are back… you understand therefore that you could paste them anywhere in the message as long as you place your cursor where you want them to be.OK close that message. Go to your inbox ;click on create mail to start a new message; click on the area where you write a message to activate the area; ok now write the following sentence: My little brown dog likes bones and milk. Ok, now, run you're your cursor over My little …right click and cut… Put your cursor after milk, right click and paste…see what happened…Now we know that is not where you want those words, so go ahead and cut them and put them back where they belong. Have you got it? Good let's try something now… Run your cursor over bones and milk…right click and copy…(see they are just copied, not cut) Ok put your cursor somewhere and right click and paste…do it again…do it again… don't be afraid…put them anywhere….you can always cut them out later….ok cut the unnecessary words to restore this sentence to how it was in the beginning…If you have it right, you are now a graduate of the cut, copy and paste class…Bravo!!! It sounds simple but I promise you that this is one of the most important things you should learn early in your computing experience. While you were right clicking, did you notice there were other things you could do there? Have a look, play with them if you wish…we'll talk about them next time we meet. Ciao for now