Mail communication seems to have waned with the advent and subsequent advancement of e-mail technology, but there are still some forms of communication that are better addressed through the older, snail mail route. There was a very successful insurance agent I knew who sold long term care insurance, and his mailing list largely consisted of people in the 40-60 year old age group. Even when many of his colleagues switched the bulk of their advertising promotions to e-mail, he continued using the postal service to distribute his advertising, and remained the top seller in his office. In the office, you can play in the break Farmerama. He insisted that the age group he was targeting for long term care would not be as receptive to the impersonal approach associated with e-mail, and that the long term care he was selling was rather costly, so he didn’t feel that it was in good taste to use a less expensive form of advertising to market an expensive insurance product. He further argued that he followed up all of his advertising correspondence with a telephone call, so he never wanted what he called the tennis ball, back and forth of e-mail to replace that personal voice relationship that served to bring a closer and more friendly demeanor to his customer business relationships. Even with the recent significant rise in the cost of postage, even for bulk mailing, this insurance agent continues to do most of his initial marketing and advertising with snail mail, and also continues to be a top producer, but no Online Games in his office.

On a personal level, there is nothing like a good, old fashioned thank you note, written in long hand that you can hold in your hand, that's written on a pretty piece of stationery, and that has been touched by the person from whom it was sent. As much as e-cards have their place in wishing a quick greeting to a friend or business associate, nothing can take the place of a card that has been sent in the mail. Just the act of opening it, and anticipating the contents holds a bit more excitement than clicking a mouse to reveal a message on a computer screen, even with all the audio and video bells and whistles. Even online games can be a part of it. I suppose the days are gone since people sent cash in birthday cards, but that $10 bill that floated out of many a birthday greeting that came in the mail is still a tough act to follow.