A few columns ago I wrote about pen pals. A Japanese woman who had spent many years in the United States found readjustment to Japan difficult. She discovered she had little in common with her former Japanese friends; to them, she was a foreigner. Her American friends wanted to communicate by e-mail but she wasn't ready for even the first step into computerization. I suggested that she shouldn't resist the wonderful world of computers and should explore new horizons, and that the pen-pal concept has become outdated by new technology. I reported that some people misuse pen-pal organizations and prey upon the loneliness of those who choose to write letters to strangers, and that it might be better to find ways of making friends through social or volunteer organizations.
Oops!
Readers have written in defense of correspondence with pen pals. A teacher of English writes, "I understand your point about e-mail. I too find it very useful. However, the pen pal via old-fashioned letters is not entirely out of the picture. Many of my university students do not yet own or even have access to a computer. For them, written letters are still a valid means of making friends in foreign countries. I believe the cautions you suggested (that some people use pen pals to promote questionable businesses or relationships) apply even more to e-mail since authors can easily assume an identity without revealing themselves in any way."