Email provides
a great way to establish penpal friendships, since you can correspond as often
as you like, anywhere in the world, at no cost.
The newsgroup soc.penpals has hundreds of messages
from people all over the world if you want to establish
an email penpal relationship. Many
good friendships have been established on the Internet between
distant email
penpals.
One
of the best places to find email penpals is through mailing
lists, since you can join a list that interests you and find others with
a similar interest.
However, always keep safety in mind, and be cautious
when corresponding with anyone that you don't already know. Just as in the non-virtual
world, there are some people who will try to take advantage of you, and there
is increased risk on the Internet because of its anonymity. Keep in
mind these basic safety rules:
- Choice. Completely break off all communications
with someone if you become uncomfortable with the content.
- Confidentiality.
Never give anyone your home address, phone number, credit card number, or other
identifying information for any reason whatsoever.
- Don't
send money. Never send
money to anyone for any reason, no matter how seemingly important or great an
investment.
