Astro Hacker News - Pen pal programs endure in a digital age

TFNA |next [-]

The pen-pal phenomenon flourished in a time when letters were exceedingly cheap to send, even internationally. People in the Eastern Bloc seized on such programs for international contacts because sending letters was very accessible even to them.

Fast forward to today, and the cost of sending an ordinary paper letter in my country is now 3€. Lots of people would be reluctant to pay that time and time again, and forget about juggling a large number of pen-pals as people commonly did back in the day.

torben-friis |root |parent |next [-]

I'm not sure that's universal. I just checked and in my country it's still less than 1 euro, and less than 2 for international. Considering the natural delay in letters reaching people, that's not really a significant cost at all.

kelnos |root |parent |previous [-]

Wow! That's expensive. In the US it's certainly quite a bit higher than it was when I was a kid, but right now stamps cost $0.78 per. I think that's going up a few cents later this year. Just looked it up; in the 90s when I was a teenager, it was between $0.25 and $0.32, so it's grown faster than inflation, but still feels manageable.

terinjokes |root |parent [-]

Those are USPS domestic stamp prices, an international stamp is currently $1.70.

While a domestic pen pal probably isn't uncommon, the programs I recall tended to match you with someone international.

whiteleopard |next |previous [-]

I met my wife in Slowly. I can't reccomend it enough for a Pen pal experience.

kelnos |root |parent |next [-]

What a neat idea. It's basically email, but it knows where you are and where your pen-pal is, and doesn't deliver the email until the appropriate snail-mail time between those locations passes? Brilliant.

ricktdotorg |root |parent |next |previous [-]

i'd not heard of Slowly; googled, etc.

how sort of perversely lovely (i say it in an admiring manner), to meet in a gloriously old-fashioned manner on such a modern platform!

love it.

robobro |root |parent |previous [-]

I've made many good, long-term friends through penpal sites, including my wife as well!

fnordian_slip |next |previous [-]

I can give a recommendation for /r/fountainpenpals, if you're into fountain pens. And if not, check out/r/fountainpens or the fountainpennetwork forum and get into it, it's fun and doesn't have to be expensive :)

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Pen pal programs endure in a digital age