96 LANGUAGE AND THE INTERNET
The fact that these are core elements is supported by the informa-
tion electronically recorded once a message is sent. These are the
chief elements represented in the Outbo xand Sent folders, under
the headingsTo,Subject, andSent(often, along with an indica-
tion of the server account employed). When a message is received,
they are the chief elements represented in one’s Inbo x(withFrom
replacingToandReceivedreplacingSent).
In addition, several optional elements are available within the
header area:
a space for addresses which are to receive a copy of the mes-
sage (followingCc:, which stands etymologically forcarbon
copy, but which is often glossed ascourtesy copy), inserted
manually or automatically; here too, short and full forms of
an address are available, the latter usually being placed within
angle brackets; the message’s prime recipient is informed that
these copies have been sent;
a space for addresses which also receive a copy of the message
(followingBcc:, forblind carbon copy), but without the prime
recipient’s knowledge;
a space in which a symbol (such as a paper-clip) appears if an
attachment has been added to the message; this also appears
along with the summary in the Outbo xand Sent folders, and
appears on the recipient’s screen;
a space in which a symbol (such as an exclamation mark)
appears if a priority is to be given to the message when it is
received (it does not have anything to do with the speed at
which the message will be electronically transmitted); low,
normal, and high priorities are usually recognized.There is very limited scope for usage variation, within headers, be-
cause so much of the information is dictated by the software. The
conventions of e-address structure (the registered two-part desig-
nation on either side of the @ symbol) are fixed, and if not followed
exactly, the message will either not be accepted by the sender’s soft-
ware or will be returned (‘bounced back’) by the server to which