Ever have a pen pal? Having a pen pal can be a great way to get to know someone someplace far away. Before the days of the Internet, writing to your pen pal would mean not only writing the letter, but also addressing an envelope, attaching a stamp, and mailing the letter. Depending upon how far away your pen pal was, your letter may take days, even weeks, to arrive at its destination. Not any more! Even a pen pal on the other side of the world can receive your letter the same day, the same hour, even the same minute that you send it. (Of course, it may be the middle of the night where your pen pal lives!)

     You may think that beginning a friendship with someone you've never met could be a bit risky. What if you change your mind? What if the person doesn't seem like your type and you want to end the friendship? What if the person wants to meet you, and you don't think that is a good idea? Having an e-mail pen pal, called a "keypal," is really a lot less risky than having a traditional pen pal. An e-mail pen pal has no way of knowing your last name and where you live if you don't tell them. In fact, it is recommended that you correspond on a first name basis, at least until you know each other very well. Make sure that your parents don't object to your having an e-mail pen pal. If they are concerned, have them check out the information on this site: http://www.4j.lane.edu/safety/.

     Here are some rules that you should follow. These rules also came from a brochure titled, "Child Safety on the Information Highway" and was taken from the site listed above.

1. I will not give out personal information such as my address, telephone number, parent's work address/telephone number, or the name and location of my school without my parent's permission.



2. I will tell my parents right away if I come across any information that makes me feel uncomfortable.



3. I will never agree to get together with someone I "meet" online without first checking with my parents. If my parents agree to the meeting, I will be sure that it is in a public place and bring my mother or father along.



4. I will never send a person my picture or anything else without first checking with my parents.



5. I will not respond to any messages that are mean or in any way make me feel uncomfortable. It is not my fault if I get a message like that. If I do, I will tell my parents right away so they can contact the online service.



6. I will talk with my parents so that we can set up rules for going online. We will decide upon the time of day that I can be online, the length of time I can be online, and appropriate areas for me to visit. I will not access other areas or break these rules without their permission.

     For further information on child safety, please call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).

     A computer with access to the Internet and an established e-mail account. You may set up a free e-mail account through such Web sites as http://www.geocities.com or http://www.hotmail.com. Additional information on e-mail from a 4-H perspective is found at http://www.4-h.org/chat/e- mail.html.

     If you need to find the e-mail address of a pen pal, try searching for "pen pal," "penpal," or "keypal" using a standard search engine. http://mail.starting-point.com is an example. You'll find lots of interesting sounding kids from all over the world today who are looking for pen pals. BE CAREFUL, though, to adhere to the "Rules for Online Safety".

     Pick one (or two or three) pal(s) and write a letter of introduction about yourself. It's always best to be honest as you describe yourself in your letter. Not only is that the best way of finding someone who has similar interests to the real you, but if this friendship you're about to begin ever has a change of growing, honesty is the best way to build trust. Describe yourself, generally where you live, your activities, etc.

• How did you go about locating a keypal?



• Was locating a keypal easier or more difficult than you thought it would be?



• What are some advantages and disadvantages of communicating through electronic mail?

     "Netiquette" is the term used to describe the rules for polite and appropriate conversation on the Internet-Internet etiquette. Visit one or more of the Netiquette Web sites listed in the DATA- BANK to brush up on your netiquette.

     "Emoticons" are figures created using symbols on the keyboard to show expression when communicating electronically. You need to turn the page sideways to see the expressions. For example, this : ) means that the writer is happy (smiling). Search the Web sites or other sources to see how many emoticons you can find. Create some of your own. Share them with your club or class.

Books:

• Internet for Kids (A Beginner's Guide to Surfing the Net), by Pederson and Moss. (1995).
  Los Angeles: Price Stern Sloan.

URL's:

• http://www.screen.com/start/guide/default.html
  Beginner's Guide: Life on the Internet



• http://www.sierramm.com/smpnet.html
  Free interactive guide to the internet (downloadable)



• http://dir.yahoo.com/Computers_and_Internet/Internet/Beginner_s_Guides/
  Yahoo's Links to Beginner's Guides



• http://www.magicpub.com/netprimer/home.html
  A Brief Net Primer



• http://www.albion.com/netiquette/index.html
  Netiquette Homepage

Adapted from material developed by Illinois 4-H. Used by permission.

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