The new face of social networking is one of a global nature. People are reaching out from all over the globe to connect with others of different cultures and different languages. This new wave of social networking only goes to prove people are people and want to connect, no matter where they're from. One such site, International Penpal Social Club is the brainchild of Michael Walrath. Mr. Walrath says that he wants to unite the world. His motto is "Bringing the world together a person at a time." Michael has been a Webmaster for over ten years and sponsors other sites such as International Internet Dating News, a Blog, primarily about the ins and outs of Internet and international dating, as well as Steel Horse Motorcycle News and Lace Wheels- Motorcycles and Women to mention a few.
International Penpal Social Club, located at interational-penpal.com, is not to be confused with some of the others out there, which are less reputable and were quick to snatch up the Penpal name. While some of the others are hawking foreign brides and pen pals for prisoners, Walrath's International Penpal Social Club is a wholesome site for members 18-years and older. Walrath hopes to deter child predation. He does not want to cater to a perverse or negative element. Walrath says, "At International Penpal Social Club our goal is to offer a clean, safe environment, where people of different cultures can meet and greet. The site is monitored daily to prevent minors from slipping through the cracks and to prevent any negative element, including scammers."
International Penpal Social Club offers many great features on the site. Members can create or join a group where they can share their special hobbies or interests. My favorite is the group, "We Love Cultural Food," This tribute to international culinary delights features recipes that members can submit from all over the globe. Also in the food section is a group called cookies from around the world with recipes of awesome sweet treats. There is also a group for motorcycle riders and a group for those that wish to do something about global warming on a worldwide scale called, "Friends of the World." Besides the vast selections of groups to join, there are forums, blogs and articles to entertain. The site features games to play, radio stations to listen to, music downloads, video uploads and Youtube. One of the features that I found interesting was the "Events." Here members can post pictures and write-ups on events from around the world. I found events from China, the Philippines, Canada, Germany, Italy, Brazil, the United States and Ireland, plus many more. At International Penpal Social Club members can make friends, write to their special penpals, or they can enter the chat room and can chat live to people clear across the planet.
For business, networking on a global scale the site features a large classified section that they prompt members to think of as a huge world bazaar. Here members can seek employees, seek jobs, seek house swaps for travel, rent vacation property, or buy, rent, or sell a multitude of international things.
"The site is in English, it is surprising how many people and countries around the world speak English," says Walrath. We have members from Japan, China, Germany, the Philippines, Russia, Mexico, Thailand, India, Italy and France, none of which are English speaking countries." The site is an excellent place for American's working abroad, service men or women and missionaries that are in different countries to communicate and share with their loved ones back home. It can give a sense of being closer to the one's they love. English language centers abroad can use the site as a teaching tool. The site is also a great place to find a mate, for some. Many others however, are just looking to make friends and to learn about other cultures from around the world. A most interesting feature offers a unique first hand look into lives and cultures of members when they post photos of their homelands, and local sites.
"Though we are very new, we already represented by over 63 different countries and growing everyday," Says Michael Walrath, "I will not be surprised if this grows as big as MySpace. The members on International Penpal Social Club are very real, very nice and very sincere people. I am happy to have them as my pen pals. I love being global. There's a whole world out there to explore, and my site offers the opportunity for first hand exploration of different cultures, even if you can't afford to travel abroad." International Penpal Social Club is the new face of global, social networking.
J Walrath-Peterson
Walrath Publications
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