Pen Pal Letter
I am so glad that I got your letter and that I have got the chance to get to know you so well over the past year. The Internet is something that I never would have thought that I needed 20 years ago, but yet now it is something I cannot seem to go a day without using. Imagine knowledge about anything that is just a search engine and click away. Imagine a web site that allowed you to get a glimpse of what your dad’s day to day life is like or any people that you know that do not live in the same town. I keep up with my family through a site called Facebook.
The Internet started with genuine and sincere intentions, but over the years, it has been overrun with meaningless statements. I remember you mentioning that when you go to spend your summers with your father, that the local library there has Internet access. The next time that you go, if you decide to learn about anything, look for web addresses ending in . edu, . org, or . gov to make sure that the information you are looking at is actually based on fact. Also, add me on Facebook! I would love to hear from you more often than just in our letters.
The web addresses that end in . edu are sites that dedicate themselves to current events or issues that surround an educational institution and are closely monitored by the school to maintain credibility. Web sites that end in . org are connected to non-profit organizations and are monitored by them as well. Web sites ending in . gov are connected to and monitored by a specific government organization. All of these can be considered to be credible sites to educate you about a particular subject.
Anyone can purchase a web address ending in .com, so if you do find yourself on a site that is not any of the ones I have mentioned, cross reference the information with a site with the addresses ending like the ones I talked about just to make sure the information that is said on the site is real. You mentioned the term digital divide in your letter and you asked me what it meant. I initially did not know what it meant, but I did some research for you and found out some interesting things about it. It means that while people with access to the Internet are able to capitalize on its uses, there are places like where you live that cannot because of not having Internet access.
Having Internet access can bring more jobs to your hometown and can make local businesses like your mom’s textile shop more money by offering her products to people online. Just think of last year around the time that I was celebrating Christmas and your mom was booked with orders for rugs and clothing. People would be able to request a garment or rug and your mother would bring in more money to your family more regularly. As for how I think the divide can be bridged, it has to be a huge effort brought forth by your community.
Rally your townspeople and community leaders together to bid for a company to come in and start the groundwork required to install the wires that are needed to connect online. There are Internet companies that love capitalizing on up and coming consumer markets, so you might be able to get them on board to front the technology for your town in exchange for potential consumer business. It sounds really complicated but if your heart is in the right place, I am sure that you will find more people in your town that wish they could have Internet access.
The good that it can do for your community could be endless and could make your town a better place by bringing in more revenue that can go towards maintaining public buildings and toward education. I love getting your letters and cannot wait to hear from you. If I get a friend request from you this summer, I will be so excited. Let me know how your research goes once you are able to get to the library. I know a lot of your summer vacation at your dad’s is pretty busy, so there is no hurry. I hope that this letter finds your family in good health and good spirits. Take care and I hope to hear from you again soon.
