"You're not sending that thoughtless electronic birthday card to your uncle again this time, are you?" My mom said after she saw me looking through a collection of e-cards on the Internet. "You'd better send a real card this time or you would be in trouble." I was going to talk back, but then, realized that she would tell me the same story of how my uncle will be impressed to see his nephew's handwriting. "You don't know how powerful human handwriting is, son," she added. I did not understanding why it matters that much what type of card I would send. Electronic mail is such a miraculous invention. Why I bother to buy a card and use snail mail service since there are million of cards offered online for free. All I have to do is choose and click, and in a second, the card will be in my uncle's inbox. "The outcomes are the same either way," I thought. Ten years has passed, now, I begin to realize that e-mail and letter might not be that much similar as they seem. They are actually different in several ways: convenience,  feature, and security. By considering this, it would further our understanding of modern day communication system as well as our appreciation of the value of the old way.
         The first difference is convenience. E-mail is cheap, quick, and simple. Apart from normal computer and Internet, e-mail costs nothing. Once you have your idea, all you have to do is type and send. No matter where you are sending to, outside of the country or the other side of the globe, it will reach the destination in seconds. Also, if you make some errors, you can easily correct them with delete keys. In contrast, letter is relatively costly, slow, and more complicated. Writing a letter, which needs a pen and paper, takes longer than typing an e-mail especially when you are sending to many different receivers. Moreover, you need to address the envelop, put the letters in, seal, stamp, and send. How long it will take to reach to the destination varies greatly from days to months. Writing mistakes are also easier to make and more difficult to correct.
         The second difference is feature. E-mail is short and impersonal. Email has influenced our nature of communication. Now, people want quick and brief information. They expect only facts without any supporting detail. Once the email is read, it is unlikely that it will be read again. Email also limits your creativity. Though modern e-mail programs let people attach documents and pictures, most emails usually are all text. On the other hand, letter is long and sentimental. As its nature, letter is relatively long because people tend have more things to say and readers expect something more than just facts. Furthermore, there is feeling of warmth from holding and reading handwritten letters. This is why many people store them for later rereading. In addition, it allows people to attach more things including photographs, handwritten notes, and colorful brochures.

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