5 ms·

How well do telegrams compare to, say, overnight courier services like FedEx, or even the telephone? What is their main use in this day and age?

munimkazia 13y ago
There are many villages in India which don't have decent courier services. I think phone should have reached most of them by now though, hopefully. I won't be surprised if there are villages without phone.
- keithpeter 13y ago
  Is the point about the legal status of sending a telegram to a court made in the original article valid?
- brazzy 13y ago
  Then how would a telegram get there?
  - manojlds 13y ago
    The post office gets the telegram, and the postman delivers
patio11 13y ago
They're, if I recall correctly, a $X0 million [edit to add: crikey, checked stats: $500 million a year at the telephone company alone] a year business in Japan. The overwhelmingly most common use is sending a message similar to "We regret that we were unable to attend your wedding. Best wishes to the bride and groom on their unending journey together." That will run you about $20. For an extra $30, you can send the telegram with (e.g.) two dolls of Micky and Minnie Mouse dressed in bridal attire holding a scroll case for the telegram, so that it can be held on the gift table until the bride and groom have the opportunity to read it. Of course it's inefficient. That's precisely the point.
- henrikschroder 13y ago
  Same in Sweden, it's only really used for sending wedding greetings. The reason is that telegrams are seen as the most formal mode of communication, because once upon a time it was faster delivered and more expensive than a hand-written letter. Although there now exists many modes of communications that are way, way, faster, it retains the traditional formality, and is therefore used in traditionally formal settings, such as weddings.
  - dsego 13y ago
    In Croatia it's still customary to send condolence telegrams.
- VLM 13y ago
  "Of course it's inefficient. That's precisely the point." Sounds like that tech will be replaced by word processing a note using 50 different fonts and colors, printing it out, and then scanning/faxing it.
deleted 13y ago
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munimkazia 13y ago

There are many villages in India which don't have decent courier services. I think phone should have reached most of them by now though, hopefully. I won't be surprised if there are villages without phone.

keithpeter 13y ago
Is the point about the legal status of sending a telegram to a court made in the original article valid?
brazzy 13y ago
Then how would a telegram get there?
- manojlds 13y ago
  The post office gets the telegram, and the postman delivers

patio11 13y ago

They're, if I recall correctly, a $X0 million [edit to add: crikey, checked stats: $500 million a year at the telephone company alone] a year business in Japan. The overwhelmingly most common use is sending a message similar to "We regret that we were unable to attend your wedding. Best wishes to the bride and groom on their unending journey together." That will run you about $20. For an extra $30, you can send the telegram with (e.g.) two dolls of Micky and Minnie Mouse dressed in bridal attire holding a scroll case for the telegram, so that it can be held on the gift table until the bride and groom have the opportunity to read it. Of course it's inefficient. That's precisely the point.

henrikschroder 13y ago
Same in Sweden, it's only really used for sending wedding greetings. The reason is that telegrams are seen as the most formal mode of communication, because once upon a time it was faster delivered and more expensive than a hand-written letter. Although there now exists many modes of communications that are way, way, faster, it retains the traditional formality, and is therefore used in traditionally formal settings, such as weddings.
- dsego 13y ago
  In Croatia it's still customary to send condolence telegrams.
VLM 13y ago
"Of course it's inefficient. That's precisely the point." Sounds like that tech will be replaced by word processing a note using 50 different fonts and colors, printing it out, and then scanning/faxing it.

deleted 13y ago

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