Code of Conduct
The Month of Letters (LetterMo) Challenge is designed to connect the world via postal mail.
LetterMo is a community designed for adults (age 18 and older). By using the LetterMo website, you agree that you have read and understand the following Code of Conduct:
The Code of Conduct Agreement is in place to make clear what it means to be part of LetterMo. Please note that these Code of Conduct are binding for all participants, and that they will be updated from time to time by the volunteer LetterMo Board of Administrators.
The volunteer LetterMo Board of Administrators shall not be held liable for any violations of the Code of Conduct Agreement. This includes, but is not limited to, unintentional breaches, lack of awareness of the terms, or actions taken in good faith to serve the organization’s best interests. By agreeing to these terms, participants acknowledge and accept that the volunteer Board of Administrators cannot be held responsible for any consequences resulting from violations of the Code of Conduct Agreement.
On Using Your Account
Be friendly.
A Month of Letters is a global and diverse community of people, which is what makes it special. Be mindful of everyone’s differences, and always be polite and respectful. There’s no room in LetterMo for hate speech or hateful imagery that attacks any person or group based on, but not limited to, their profile information, profile image, place of residence, region, race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, disability, medical condition, body size, age, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity.
Use your profile to write about yourself.
Your account profile is the place where others can learn more about you and helps people decide whether to accept a penpal request or initiate one themselves. Keep your bio short and sweet, and please enter a few sentences. Part of the fun of LetterMo participation is learning more about you via exchanging letters.
Accounts are for personal use only.
The account you created must be for personal use only, and not for business purposes. Participants should only create one account. Admins will remove multiple accounts belonging to the same person. If you are having difficulty accessing an account you previously created, please contact our admins for assistance.
Sign in regularly to keep your account active.
Upon account approval, you will have 30 days to activate your LetterMo account. Our admins will periodically remove old accounts that are no longer active. We will try to connect with inactive accounts before any are removed.
Use people’s profiles to learn about them.
Please remember that it is your responsibility to review the profiles of those who request a penpal connection with you. Use this information to help decide if you are interested in sending letters to them and receiving letters from them. There is never a requirement or expectation to accept an incoming request. If it is not a match, it is perfectly acceptable to reject a penpal request.
Keep private information private.
The addresses and profile information shared with you are private information and can only be used for LetterMo purposes. Do not share addresses or profile information with anyone or make them public on the internet. This also applies to what is written on the letters and postcards you have received. If you are sharing an image of received correspondence in an online space, please ensure the address is not legible. Sharing the private information of another participant online or in a public space will be grounds for immediate account termination. If you become aware that your personal information, or the personal information of another participant, has been shared without consent, please contact the admins.
On sharing your address
It is a responsibility of all LetterMo participants to safeguard their personal information. Please be aware that the address listed in your profile will be visible to the participants you’ve added as a “Friend.” If you prefer not to share your home address, please consider renting a post office box (a “P.O. Box”) or using another mailing address.
Unwanted or inappropriate contact
Our penpal connections are based on mutual respect and consent. LetterMo admin monitor LetterMo website, forums, and social media, and reserve the right to remove anyone at their sole discretion for inappropriate conduct.
It is the right of any participant to refuse to accept a penpal connection or to end a penpal connection for any reason. If you are receiving unwanted or inappropriate contact from another participant of LetterMo, please contact our admin team immediately. Our admin team will review and take appropriate action.
Mail Etiquette
Send your mail.
If you request a new penpal connection (add someone as a Friend), you are expected to write the first letter to your new penpal.
Write the address exactly as it appears in a participant’s profile and always include correct postage. Check our blog for more ideas on what to write.
Include your return address on both the envelope and on the inside of your first letter.
Your address is important.
For LetterMo to work well, providing a complete and reliable address is very important. It is your responsibility to keep your address correct and up-to-date at all times on your profile. Not everyone is comfortable with sharing their home mailing address, and some participants choose to open a post office box instead. Keep in mind that everyone with whom you accept or initiate a penpal connection will have access to the mailing address on your profile. Types of addresses might include:
- Residential
- Post office box
- Business
- Institutional Facilities (correctional, educational, medical, etc.)
- Military (APO/FPO/DPO)
- Temporary, rural route, or forwarding address
Reply to any correspondence you receive that was sent in February.
The expectation with LetterMo is also that every letter received in February receives a response, whether in February or in a later month.
Mail can be a rough ride.
Consider using water-resistant ink pens to prevent the mailing address or return address from being smudged on your envelopes.
Postal services are not always perfect.
Snail mail earned its name for a reason: in some countries, mail can take longer to arrive. When sending mail to an international penpal, this is normal and to be expected. Patience is appreciated as you wait for your correspondence. Also, mail can sometimes get lost, damaged, or delayed. LetterMo is not responsible for lost or stolen mail.
Be mindful of letter contents.
Different countries have different customs procedures. When you are assembling your letter contents, it is important to be aware of what can and what cannot be accepted by an international penpal’s postal service. If you are not sure, simply start with a letter rather than non-paper items. Ask your penpal what they can and cannot receive in a letter, or consider sending a parcel.