Who writes handwritten letters anymore?

mrichhcirm · Oct 25, 2017

I still believe in sending handwritten letters. In a world of overflowing email accounts and constantly-buzzing smartphones, I think a handwritten letter is more personal, more appreciated by the recipient, and gets more attention.

cerving · Oct 25, 2017

Who writes ANYTHING anymore? Everything is email, text, and social media. Even "How are you?" phone calls are an endangered species...

Steven · Oct 25, 2017

There's really becoming less of a need for it and that's absolutely fine with me.

afadeev · Oct 25, 2017

mrichhcirm said:
I still believe in sending handwritten letters. In a world of overflowing email accounts and constantly-buzzing smartphones, I think a handwritten letter is more personal, more appreciated by the recipient, and gets more attention.

The only sources of hand-written notes and cards in my life are the salespeople with whom I recently did business, or who lost out and want another bite.
That's my only associations with hand written artifacts these days. And it's not all that positive.

And than there is this:
https://www.feltapp.com/

MikeyDSlagle · Oct 25, 2017

mrichhcirm said:
I still believe in sending handwritten letters. In a world of overflowing email accounts and constantly-buzzing smartphones, I think a handwritten letter is more personal, more appreciated by the recipient, and gets more attention.

I agree a hand written letter is more personal, but rarely write them anymore. The main reason I don't is I have no long distance friends/family that I feel the need to write. The occasional Christmas card is about it. Even with smart phones and social media, I rarely even drop a "How are you" message.

Sometimes a letter is the only means of communication available, even in this day and age. Letters are still popular for friends/family of folks who are incarcerated or deployed. And even though I have been neither I know folks who have or still are. And they enjoy getting hand written letters. Something they can carry with them and look at whenever they want...up to a point of course.

My last job away from home was about 7 years ago. I wrote home then. Even with email, text, social media, I wrote letters...just because. And still would today if my work took me away. Though today I have Marco Polo for the daughter and that works just as good.

cerving said:
Who writes ANYTHING anymore? Everything is email, text, and social media. Even "How are you?" phone calls are an endangered species...

LOL. We do. We have to write mission logs/reports, equipment manifests, and training outlines to name a few. We even use carbon paper! No XEROX in my office which is a 160,000 acre training area.

dhbarr · Oct 25, 2017

Every time I have to mail someone a check, I'm tempted to ask them to send a pony express receipt.

Peartree · Oct 25, 2017

I said weekly because that's probably a decent average. Thank you notes should always be handwritten to reflect that you care as much about the sender of a gift as they have shown you by buying it. But I also write to people who visit our church (if they give us an email address they get a (short) handwritten note AND and an email) to let them know that we know they had a choice of what to do and where to go on Sunday morning and we appreciate that they chose to spend an hour or two with us.

MClark · Oct 25, 2017

I hand wrote a message last week for a rifle scope we were returning for repairs/replacement.
Where I work we do not have a computer.

M

mpitfield · Oct 25, 2017

I switched from writing to printing at an early stage, I think it was High School. But even printing is something I rarely do. Funny the timing of this thread as my wife, who is a High School teacher, has been working with our kids on their cursive, and at almost 8 they can literally write better than me at this stage. I can't remember the last time I actually wrote a sentence so I was inspired to try to write while watching them, and I was horrified at how poor my cursive skill has become. Literally the only thing I can write is my signature as I sign stuff all day, but even that is slowly morphing into the same gobble-de-goop that your doctor writes on a script.

muddymooose · Oct 25, 2017

I'm lucky to remember how to sign my name.

cerving · Oct 25, 2017

MClark said:
I hand wrote a message last week for a rifle scope we were returning for repairs/replacement.
Where I work we do not have a computer.

M

That reminds me of when I briefly worked for Radio Shack between jobs after college. We sold computers, but all of the receipts were handwritten...

K'Tesh · Oct 26, 2017

The last handwritten letter I wrote was burned. Don't get me wrong, the recipient didn't burn it... I did. After years of pining for my ex-fiance, I saw her again. There was no chance that we would have made it had we married. We'd have had a kid (or 4), and eventually she would have left me (she was the one who broke off the relationship). I was praying about what I was to do, and I looked at all the letters she had written to me as my "Wife". I realized that while the love was there, but the word "forever" was a lie. Rather than have the letters and the lies be recycled into toilet paper or something else, or one day found by someone digging in a trash heap someday, I decided that God was the best to sort out the truth (Gold) from the lies (chaff), and gave them to him.

Steve Shannon · Oct 26, 2017

Absolutely. My family hand writes thank you notes, post cards, anniversary, birthday, and other greeting cards (we just bought Halloween cards yesterday).
When I was still working if one of my employees did something that made me especially proud, I would hand write a note to let them know. It might have been more efficient to do that in email, but it would not have been as personal.

Steve Shannon

dr wogz · Oct 26, 2017

I found the topic a little vague. are you asking about sending a letter, regardless of how it's written (typed, printed, hand written, etc..) or send a hand written (with pen, stylus, pencil, crayon, quill, etc..) letter?

I try to include a 'year in review' letter with our Christmas cards every year. I write them on the computer, attach photos, etc.. make it all nice & pretty. And, because my hand writing absolutely sucks!!

I remember my mum "forcing" my sister & I to write thank you cards for gifts & such. We hated it. But, I see the reasons why now, and understand the importance. Sadly, I don't do it as nearly enough as I should.

Sooner Boomer · Oct 26, 2017

I write letters, if you're special. I write them in cursive, with a fountain pen.

Sent from my A1-810 using Rocketry Forum mobile app

TopRamen · Oct 26, 2017

I only hand write letters to my Grandfather, as I know that he appreciates them. Everyone else is corresponded with through other less thoughtful manners. Not that I am trying to be disrespectful, but people actually prefer fast and disposable nowadays, so let them have it.
My Grandpa is awesome, and since we both don't like to talk on the phone, letters it is.
The best part is that I can make photo prints to send along, so he can see what I have been up to in actual hard copy pictures!

I only send one every few months or so, but I make them decent. Being able to review and edit them, and fix things like grammar and penmanship, show that I reserve letter writing for those that deserve and appreciate it.

mrichhcirm · Oct 26, 2017

dr wogz said:
I found the topic a little vague. are you asking about sending a letter, regardless of how it's written (typed, printed, hand written, etc..) or send a hand written (with pen, stylus, pencil, crayon, quill, etc..) letter?

I'm going to say if it's a personal letter that gets a stamp, it counts whether typed printed or written. Postcards w/ personal messages and your "year in review" letters to family and friends count too.

Lately, I've been using snail mail to write elected officials again. Email and social media take no effort at all; at least I showed I'm committed enough to buy stationery and a stamp !

AlphaHybrids · Oct 26, 2017

I use a Pelican M205 - you?

Edward

SteadyMobbin · Oct 27, 2017

I'm in the fountain pen group as well, but only if the person really matters to me.
Parker Frontier and Pilot Metro, cheap but they work for me.

Sparky · Oct 27, 2017

SteadyMobbin said:
I'm in the fountain pen group as well, but only if the person really matters to me.
Parker Frontier and Pilot Metro, cheap but they work for me.

I am a lover of pens, and do have a few fountain pens. I go in spells of using them. Monte Blanc and Parker are my favorites.

mrichhcirm · Oct 27, 2017

Angie said:
I am a lover of pens, and do have a few fountain pens. I go in spells of using them. Monte Blanc and Parker are my favorites.[/QUOTE
I feel like such a plebian with my cheap ball-points from Staples

Sparky · Oct 27, 2017

mrichhcirm said:
Angie said:

I am a lover of pens, and do have a few fountain pens. I go in spells of using them. Monte Blanc and Parker are my favorites.[/QUOTE
I feel like such a plebian with my cheap ball-points from Staples

Click to expand...

I have a bunch of the cheap ball points, also. It's the feel of a pen and how it flows when writing. I love handwriting. But, I communicate by electronic means mostly.

Who writes handwritten letters anymore?

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1+ times a week

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