Updated 09 October 2001, 17.39

			Fact File
	E-mail
		Invented in 1971
		Ray Tomlinson invented the software
		E-mail means electronic mail
		The Finnish think '@' looks like a sleeping cat
		Koreans called the '@' after a snail
		By 2002 there'll be 505 million email addresses
		By 2005 there'll be 1.2 billion addresses
		E-mails can be sent through TVs and mobiles now

The inventor of e-mail is Ray Tomlinson. He created the software that meant messages could be written then sent from one computer to another, electronically.

And because his keyboard only had 12 punctuation keys, he chose the '@' symbol for e-mail addresses.

The '@' makes e-mail addresses easier to remember, helps to organise who has what address, and looks pretty cool too.

E-mail or snail mail?

E-mail's a really fast way of sending messages, files or images and lots of businesses rely on the speed of e-mail instead of "snail mail", which is what normal post is being called now.

It's also made it easier for people to keep in touch with those who are far away, like grandparents.

Most people who like e-mail also seem to love sending text messages on mobiles and it's now starting to change the way we communicate.