Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Regular Mail or Email?

Imagine that you want to send a message to a dear friend (partner, spouse, or significant other), and you have the choice of either sending a handwritten letter or an email message? Which would you send and why? Would it depend on the occasion? Please explain your answer.

Randall

14 comments:

  1. Hi Randall,
    This is quite an interesting topic. Thanks for your new post. ;-) Well, I haven't sent a handwritten letter to someone in quite a long time. I mostly keep in touch with my beloved family members either by phone or through e-mail messages. Calling someone is the fastest way to know if this person you're trying to get a hold of is ok. However, if s/he lives overseas, I think an e-mail message would be a better way to elicit a prompt reply. What do you think?
    Best,
    Bruno

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  2. Bruno,

    Well, it really depends on the situation, but when I look over handwritten letters that my grandmother sent to my grandfather over 60 years ago, there something personal in the feel of a letter that a typed message can't convey.

    I also remember living overseas 25+ years ago when I knew that if I sent a letter, I wouldn't get a response for 3-5 weeks. Now, that might sound bad for today's standards, but in today's world, people seem so rushed, so hurried . . . a feeling that if they don't get a reply in 11 seconds they might implode . . .

    Personally, I often enjoy slowing things done a little.

    Randall

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Randall,
    Thanks for your reply. :-)

    I agree with you that for today's standard a handwritten letter may not be as appealing as an e-mail message, and that the feel of a handwritten letter is something that cannot be embodied in any form of electronic communication.
    Well, there are some good and bad points to online communication - but that's another story. ;-)
    Best,
    Bruno

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Randall:
    I think handwritten letter can exactly express my emotion. Every one has their own penmanship, it's the most different from e-mail. You can draw illustrations on the letter or do some especial decoration. I would touched if I receive these kind of letters. But sometimes, e-mail is truely convenient.

    Percy

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hello Randall,
    I think I'd rather send email instead of handwritten letter, because I'm fairly worried that my letter prossibly gets lost.
    I still remember we had received a wrong mail that should have been sent to my neighbour.
    So, sending e-mail could ensure that the right person got the right message.
    Cheers,
    Josephine

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi Randall,
    Nowadays is much more usual that we use email that regular mail. Firstly, because the message is sent and received immediately which is very important, above all if you are waitting an answer. Secondly, you can add photos, videos or any information that you wish share, and finally, there is a lot of emoticons that let you show your emotions if you want.
    Really, I think that written letters will dissapierd.
    Regards,
    Carmen

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Randall,
    I meil you at the first time.
    I usually use e-meil,becouse it
    is very useful and rapid.How ever,
    I sometimes send handwritten post
    card which is arrived on a New Year
    day,or report to my costomer.
    E-mail is very useful, but I need
    a computer,while I can write hand-
    written letters or postcards with
    pen or pencil on the spot.So,I
    think that we can say sending hand-
    written retters is also useful.
    sending hand-written

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Randall
    This is a good topic, it is something to think from people who is far of their families, well I think the best way is sending a handwritten becouse it makes the persons feel than you have time and interrest by him. however sending an email is allways an easier and a faster way, if you wanted to send an urgent message.

    Greetings,

    Carlos ,Colombia

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hello Randal!
    For me is most simple send a e-mail, because the post office of my town is in a solitary place, and it's far away of my house.
    But, I remember whem I was 15 years old (it was a 17 years ago), I din't have phone at home, I and my cousins send letters one another(They were live in other town). I was really like it! Because I was read the letter one or more times, and the smell of the old paper is a pleasant sensation for me!
    Do you like the smell of the old paper?

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Randall,
    I used to handwrite letters many years ago and it sometimes took me a long time to do that. However, whenever I received a letter I felt excited. Now, with internet available, the fact of being able to send a message and get a reply almost immediately has really captured me. Recently I sent a "Happy Birthday" message to a friend including a video with mariachi playing "Las MaƱanitas"!
    I am really for e-mail.
    Benicia

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi Randall,

    When I were a child I helped my grandmother to write letters for her children that lived far. But today I live far of my parents and I just send handwritten in commemorative dates, is most common use the telephone. In my conventional mail box I just receive bills.

    Wanderly

    ReplyDelete
  12. I think it's the same thing email message and handwritten letter because both of them deliver the propuse,however,sendind an email message or handwirtten letter depend on the reason for example,if you have to send a birthday card or any sort of informal occasions i would rather send a handwritten letter and sometimes including a little gift or money but if i have inquire about something or send a business letter to an agent i would rather use email message beause it's fast,easy and ensured.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi Randall,
    Thank you for your interesting topic
    Well, 10 years ago, Internet was a very new concept at Vietnam and most of people using handwritten letter and i also did. I remembered that at the first time i lived far from my family, i missed my family so much and wrote a lot of letter, of course i use handwritten.
    But now, thing is changed, i haven't sent a handwritten letter quite a long time, actually email is more convenience

    ReplyDelete
  14. Harjinder Singh SandhuNovember 25, 2010 at 10:41 AM

    Hi Randall, In an age of head over heart, the e-mail seems to have almost marginalized letter writing.To me it seems that letter writing speaks more of a writer's mind than e-mail can reveal. Letter writing has some aesthetic pleasure whereas e-mail is more of an intellectual exercise. During childhood I used to write letters with lots of art decorations especially the corners. Now its all over for me being busier than ever before. The bygone days still linger in me to remind the calls made by the post man knocking at my door. Anyway, I still value hand writing. At least motor activities of handling pen and pencil in a fine way will make sure we don't let only clicking and typing take over handwriting. I feel kids be never fully allowed to disuse fingers or they will lose finer mobility and flexibilty in finger work in writing.
    Thanks
    Harjinder Singh sandhu
    Member Ezine Articles

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for posting a comment. I appreciate your interesting in sharing your ideas.

Best,

Randall

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