With Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator pre-installed on so many new computers these days, many people do not realise that, by default, an e-mail sent from Internet Explorer or Netscape's bundled mail packages, will actually be composed in HTML, the language that makes up the Web, writes David McManus.

The fact is that e-mails can really only send basic ASCII text and attachments. Because this would leave your messages as rather boring plain text, these clever e-mail programs actually allow you to compose a basic Web page so that fonts can be selected, words can be coloured or bolded etc. and images can be dropped into the message rather than sent as an initially invisible attachment.

The screen that then shows you your composition, or messages sent from other people, is actually a Web browser that renders the HTML and shows it as a beautifully formatted e-mail. HTML e-mail as it is known, is a simple but extremely clever idea that is let down my one, simple problem; if the person you are sending the HTML e-mail to does not have a browser-based e-mail client (and despite the popularity of Internet Explorer and Netscape's e-mail clients, there are still plenty who do not), your message is going to display itself as HTML code, making it confusing and potentially unreadable to your chosen recipient.

The problems don't end there. I have an e-mail account that sends messages directly to my mobile phone (mcmobile@sms.genie.co.uk).

Because of the limitation of phone messaging, any e-mail is chopped after 140 characters. This is usually enough for me to get the gist of what is being said and to give me the chance to respond to the sender should I wish to do so, but if the message has been inadvertently sent as an HTML e-mail, the majority of those 140 characters are taken up with useless header code, making it meaningless.

Unless you are confident that your e-mail's recipient is using HTML readable software, it would be a good idea to send your first message as text only, an option that should be available under the 'format' option.

Once you are happy that you can use HTML e-mail for particular people, you can have some fun with it, as demonstrated by the fantastic Zaplets (www.zaplets.com). This exceptionally good idea allows you to turn your e-mail into a live, shared place where you can set up meetings, share ideas or generate group discussions.

Zaplets use HTML to generate useful forms that can be filled in by the recipient and shared around a group of people.

It's really an idea that is better demonstrated than explained and zaplets.com has plenty of screenshots and simple-to-follow guides that take you through their many different uses.

Zaplets will be best used in the workplace and would be a valuable addition to any company Intranet. Web innovations are ten-a-penny these days, but Zaplets are one idea that really demands some attention, containing as it does that important mix of usefulness, cool and downright fun.

Start a Zaplet today!