[GreenKeys] Your thoughts on a new telegram service

[Richard Knoppow]

     In the last days of WU delivery was by phone. If you wanted 
the hard copy they would mail it to you. The days of the WU 
messenger ended around the 1960s (not sure of the date). In its 
heyday WU messengers in big cities were available to carry other 
documents as well as telegrams. But, they depended on the 
availability of a large work force willing to work for little pay.
     One can always print out an e-mail message. I don't know if 
text has reflectors like e-mail, for instance this is a mailing 
list generated by a reflector which accepts messages from 
subscribers and sends them to a list of other subscribers. The 
advantage is that any subscriber can reply to any message either 
to the entire list or just the person who originated it. 
Telegrams could also be sent in bulk, WU had a special service 
for sending "books" to a list of recipients, usually for 
advertising purposes, but it did not have the reply options of 
e-mail and was expensive.
     Last but not least, keep in mind that WU was an enormous 
company who had the means of routing messages to quite small 
towns. The cost of maintaining that network was very high. Modern 
e-mail via the internet (it really is not the internet) can go 
anyplace because the circuits can be created by satellite links.
    I think there are still special services where one can have 
birthday greetings, etc., delivered by messenger in some limited 
areas. Messenger services of course still exist but are used 
mainly for delivery of critical documents or sometimes small 
packages, often by motorcycle. These exist only in large cities 
where the amount of traffic and relatively short distances make 
them profitable.
    WU died because of competition that could do the same job 
cheaper. We will never see the likes of it again.

On 6/21/2019 6:04 AM, Joe Herdler via GreenKeys wrote:
> So, after being up all night at work due to weather, my mind 
> started wandering and of course, (re)turned to my favorite 
> subject, Teletypes.
> 
> I know that WU stopped its' telegram service about thirteen years 
> ago.
> 
> Now I am not a Luddite, and I realize that the digital / internet 
> realm has conquered almost every aspect of life. However, I 
> wonder if there would be any demand for a new telegram service. 
> Unlike texts or e-mail (which itself is on the decline giving way 
> to texts), a telegram is physical and you can hold it, file it, 
> put it in a drawer or even the fireplace. There is a sense of 
> urgency and permanence with a telegram. It is there when the 
> lights go out. It can be put in a scrap book. I have seen old 
> telegrams about everything... birth and death announcements, 
> military service men and women, business and political 
> activities, etc and etc. And a telegram, unlike a first class 
> letter, was a premium service. They were never cheap to send in 
> whatever eras money they were sent with.
> 
> So what do you think? Could some entrepreneur with more dollars 
> than sense start a smallish company and revive wire sent 
> telegrams? Maybe even with modern versions of the old WU telegram 
> form (with a new company's logo, of course) and pasted tape printout.
> 
> Best,
> 
> Joe Herdler KB0TXC
> 
> Consciousness affects the medium. Think happy, be happy, and 
> happiness will follow you.

-- 
Richard Knoppow
1oldlens1 at ix.netcom.com
WB6KBL