In past history it was not uncommon for messages to take months or sometimes years to reach from one side of the planet to the other. Sometimes messages sent never reached their destination at all. It was really an unreliable and very slow process to get word of anything from one distant place to another.

We sent messages by ships, carriages, horses, carrier pigeons, and in the case of the Native Americans, even by smoke signals. We used whatever means we had available to us to send important information from one place to another. The beginnings and endings of wars could depend on whether a message was received or how long it took to get there.

Today we take the art of messaging one another much for granted. Not only is there a better way than ever before to stay in contact with one another, but there are many ways.

The telegraph was our first quick way to relay things across long distances. Then we had that marvelous invention, the telephone. The telephone revolutionized the world, especially after transcontinental calling was achieved.

The telephone is still used today, but even it has under gone so many improvements over the past twenty years it is amazing. Three way calls, call waiting, redial, and voice mail are all standard features of our home phone services today.

The cell phone has literally changed our lives once again. Through the use of satellites and other technologies, we are able to be anywhere, anytime and receive or send cell phone calls. Text messaging and emailing over our cell phones are just two more ways it can be used.

Email and instant messaging through our computers has also become one of the most used methods of communication now. It is not just young people or business people that are using these methods either.

Housewives and older people are all using them too. Some people just enjoy the process of emailing and instant messaging. It is one of the biggest pass times of young people.

The invention of the chat room over the internet has allowed anyone to converse with complete strangers about anything that interest them.

It is one of the biggest socializing phenomenon's we have ever seen. It can bring everyone all over the world together almost instantly. This is something that people of 100 years ago never dreamed would ever be possible.

Just imagine how people of today would react if suddenly there were none of these message sending options available anymore. Our whole world would be affected.

It would probably drive us all crazy if we had to go back to even using just the home telephone all the time much less the telegraph or the pony express.