Abstract: Method, product, and apparatus of operating one or more Web pages by email. One embodiment of the method includes sending a first Web page to a first email address via a computer network as a first email message. The sent first Web page may include one or more of links or forms for further interaction, and is in a format consistent with an email environment such that the Web page is directly operable in an email browser of the environment. A user receiving the first email containing the first Web page may respond by operating the received first Web page, and this response may lead to a second email message that includes a URL request or form data being sent by the user to a second email address via the computer network.

Abstract: The present invention is answering agent accessible at an e-mail destination address. The answering agent waits for e-mail messages to be delivered that have a “To:” header and a “Subject:” header. The “To:” header is filled-in by a user and has two halves, a topic half and a domain name half in the form of “topic@domain-name”. The answering agent logically resides at the corresponding domain-name address on a network, e.g., the Internet. It extracts the source addresses of e-mail messages it receives so that it knows where to return answers and where a database of preferences might be indexed locally. The topic refers to an area of information that the user has a question about. The “Subject:” header is filled-in by the user with a qualifier that helps narrow down the breadth of the user's inquiry. A finite set of topical areas are accessible to the user through the answering agent.

Abstract: An e-mail access gateway system is provided. The email access gateway system includes an authorization system that receives an e-mail message and determines whether a reply to the e-mail message is authorized. A reply system coupled to the authorization system receives the e-mail message and generates a response message if the e-mail message is authorized.

Abstract: Method, product, and apparatus of operating one or more Web pages by email. One embodiment of the method includes sending a first Web page to a first email address via a computer network as a first email message. The sent first Web page may include one or more of links or forms for further interaction, and is in a format consistent with an email environment such that the Web page is directly operable in an email browser of the environment. A user receiving the first email containing the first Web page may respond by operating the received first Web page, and this response may lead to a second email message that includes a URL request or form data being sent by the user to a second email address via the computer network.