Plain, old email can often be found lurking in the shadows cast by the hundreds of thousands of glitzy web sites.

However, it's important to remember this unsung hero is the internet application we use most often.

It is also simpler and faster to use and far more flexible than the web browsers we know and, supposedly, love.

For the millions of people who spend their days in front of a computer, there are even ways of getting email to work for them.

Broadcast email newsletters are mailing lists which accept post from only one or two people, as opposed to discussion lists, on which any member can post a message for discussion by others.

Once you've subscribed to such a list it's a bit like getting a little bit of the web delivered to your door (inbox). There's no need to make a cup of coffee while your browser lurches into life and no need to spend hours refining your Google searches. Information about almost every topic under the sun just keeps arriving.

The best thing is, unlike discussion mailing lists, there's no pressure to return the favour by making a contribution.

Here are a few of my favourite useful, interesting and free broadcast email newsletters.

A daily news bulletin for UK emailers is Channel 4's Snowmail, written by newscaster Jon Snow and sent out during the late afternoon.

Mr Snow's personal commentary is caustic, funny and, at times, decidedly world weary.

The only problem is sometimes he's too busy to send it out but this just adds to the charm. It is also devoid of advertising, which makes a pleasant change from many others.

If you want to keep up to date with cyber culture around the globe, HotWired's weekly update should serve you well, while lists like Tidbits, for Macintosh users, and Lockergnome contain a mix of technical advice, articles and reviews.

A quick search on Google should bring up lists of popular newsletters.

The one thing worth bearing in mind is the need to be fussy about what you want to receive in your email. If your inbox is stuffed with newsletters you have no time to read, it's time to go through and start cancelling subscriptions.

That way you'll have more time to read about what you're truly interested in.

www.channel4.com/newshotwired.lycos.com
www.tidbits.com
www.lockergnome.com