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Email Frequently Asked Questions

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Where else can I find answers to my email questions?

Check the set of Frequently Asked questions maintained by UW Technology's consulting staff:


What can be done about the junk mail I am getting?

Use the Junk Email Filter in the Email Delivery Manager. For a detailed explanation of the system, see Junk email (spam) filtering at the UW.

Can I use my UW Email for personal email?

In general, UW Email is provided for purposes relating to your work or education. Faculty and staff may use UW Email for limited personal use. See the Provost and EVP's message on Email and Computer Usage by Faculty and Staff

How big can an email attachment be?

The real question is how big an attachment will your message recipient be able to receive. Many email systems will not accept a message that is over 10MB in size (including any attachments) and free email systems often have much lower limits. An alternative method for making a large file available is to put the file on a Web server. Thus, anyone with a Web browser can retrieve your file. Just send them the URL.

Keep in mind too that some types of attachments are automatically stripped off of all email messages going through the UW Email systems because of the danger they may carry viruses or worms. See Blocking File Attachments for details.

Should my email be plain-text or HTML?

With many desktop email programs you have a choice of composing your email in plain-text or in HTML. The latter offers word-processing-like features such as bolding, centering, and headings. Plain-text, on the other hand, works with the widest variety of email programs. If you expect to be sending messages to a larger group of people you do not directly know or to email lists and newsgroups, plain-text is the safer bet.