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Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one, and it drives me crazy.

Who else here likes to have penpals all over the world?
Among those, how many of you are female?
And of those, how many of you do NOT have the following?
Webcam
many pictures of yourself to send

Okay. So of those still remaining, how many of you get a penpal who has you add them on MSN messenger even though you're not entirely comfortable being penpals that way, because it's not the same as writing letters?

And of those, how many are uncomfortable being hit on over the internet, unless you know the other person is just joking around?

Permit me to rant, just a bit?

It seems like every time I get a male penpal, they want to add me on MSN, even though I've stated I prefer writing letters, and then proceed to (in bad grammar and spelling because they're foreign) ask me questions like "how old are you?" "where are you from?" and "do you have a boyfriend?" The first two questions don't bother me (except that the penpal site I'm signed up on SAYS where I'm from AND how old I am), it's that last one that gets me feeling angry and uncomortable. Does it matter right off the bat whether or not I have a boyfriend? Does it make any difference in what I'll be able to tell you about my culture and my country and my home city? If I want you to know if I'm single or not, I'll tell you in my own time!
And every time, my reply is the same. "I'm not interested in romantic relationships. No." But they still proceed to ask for my picture (which is ALSO up on the website), and then tell me things like "I think you're a sexy" or "ur hot" or whatever it is they say. And if I say something along the lines of "I'm not comfortable with comments like that. Please don't say that kind of thing." then they go offline or stop replying.
Now, I know that not EVERY guy on the internet who wants a penpal does that kind of thing. I'm not saying that. I'm just saying that EVERY GUY I'VE COME INTO CONTACT WITH WHO WANTS A PENPAL WANTS A FEMALE ONE ONLY, SO THEY CAN HIT ON HER. And I REALLY hate getting those people, but it seems I always do. It's gotten to the point where I'm saying screw it, I only want to talk to girls...
Except that I want all kinds of friends, and I don't care for gender! Which makes it really annoying for me, because I'm looking for legitimate penpals, who actually want to write letters and trade information about each others cultures and countries and lives and cities and hobbies and what have you. It really pisses me off, to no end, when I get a guy who just wants to know if I'm old enough, single enough, and sexy enough for them to hit on. I know I can just block these people, and I do, but the fact is that I KEEP GETTING THEM MESSAGING ME. Repeatedly. For the last 8 years now, every time I get a guy from somewhere in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, or WHERE EVER they are from, they are one of those guys who are like "A/S/L? Pic? Webcam? Ur sexy."

OH! And don't get me started on the whole webcam thing! I don't own one. I refuse to. They creep me right the ******** out, hard core. Little mechanical eye thingy, always staring and watching and being creepy. My computer is in my bedroom, I do NOT feel comfortable putting a camera in my bedroom. And every time someone asks if I own a webcam, I say no. Sometimes they let it go, but mostly they ask me why. WHY! What does it matter why I don't own a webcamera? Does it really make a difference in me not having one, for you to know why I don't? No. I still won't have one, and I certainly won't run out and buy one, if I tell you why.
And when I do tell people why, how they're creepy and I don't like them, half the time I get called weird, and the other half they don't have a response. Like I even mattered in the first place, you make such a big deal about knowing why, and then don't have a response when I tell you why! Grah! How annoying!

I guess my main point in this rant is as follows:
When I sign myself up for a Penpal website, it is because I am looking for PENPALS, as in people with whom to exchange letters talking back and forth about each others cultures and countries, etc. so as to further my knowledge of the world and help to further another persons knowledge of the world as well. Not - I repeat, NOT - to be asked useless questions about webcameras and sending my picture and get hit on every two sentences because I'm "sexy" or "hot." I don't care if you think I'm hot! I just want to know what the culture is like in Turkey or Spain or Beijing or Pakistan or Gaza or wherever you happen to be from!

Sorry about that. I just had to get it off my chest, I'm just so ******** sick and tired of it, it's not even funny anymore... [sigh]

I agree with you on the webcam thing, they really are creepy. I also wanted to have penpals but they never wanted to write letters and stuff and only chat on msn.

For the past few years, I have been on random penpal sites. Even though I am male and it states on my penpal ads "MALE" in big letters, people always think I'm a girl. I suppose maybe it's because I am gay? No idea. Somehow, I come across as female in my ads. (Which is weird, because honestly, most of my ads are about Star Trek, video games, and other nerdy stuff).

Anyway, most of the replies I get are from girls (mainly South Korean) and they are nice most of the time. The ones I do get from guys, however, are quite rude, inconsiderate, stupid, and downright -- can I say horny? Which you know, fine, if they are gay and a jerk as well, so be it. I'll just ignore them. It just really annoys me that it says in about 3 different places, "I am male. I am gay. I am not looking for a relationship. I am taken," and yet I still manage to get bombarded with man sluts who think I am female. It's...sad, really. No other word for it. It's depressing. It often makes me lose faith in humanity.

As far as webcams go, I do own one. I have since I was 10 years old (Currently, I am eighteen). It is sitting right next to me. I got the kind that you can move up the little eye thing to point it in different directions. To be honest, it creeps me the hell out. I point it towards the ceiling when it is not in use. A friend of mine showed me once how someone can hack a webcam. Although, I feel like most of the people who add me to msn from penpal sites are too stupid to really know how to hack anything. After all, they can't even READ enough of my profile to see MALE like 80 gazillion times. And then they have the nerve to get offended when I'm a guy and gay. People are stupid on the internet. They need a playpen. A place to go to just..be stupid together. Argh! scream

Although, as I am ranting about penpals, I would like to point out my problem with some female penpals. Okay, it isn't true for all of them, but a lot of female penpals ask me the most silly questions. There have been so many times where I've gotten e-mails that say, "Are you really gay? I can turn you straight." It's like, WOW! Really? That's...pretty darn creepy. I had one woman asking me, "What is it like being gay? Are you normal in other ways?" Like I'm a freaking gay buttsex monk living in a monastery and all I do is mate with other males all day long. I AM a normal, nerdy, gamer guy who loves sci-fi and fantasy. Gay is not the only thing in my life. You would really be surprised how many girls want to turn gay guys straight. It's like a massive turn on or something for them. It just creeps. me. out.

well by nature men are...well how can i put this is a nice way without insulting myself....stupid lol in fact i think there have been many studies done and men have problems showing feelings besides anger, sexual lust, and depression. but i dont blame any of you for feeling the way you do but hey there are still some of us out there that arent like all the other a** holes so...im not to sure what im realy trying to get at here but i think im trying to say that im not what you have discribed i have had a few penpals and ive had conversations with them not mindless questions about their body or how i would like to do things to parts of their body. >~< its just...um......i have no idea but yes im not like them so maybe you just need to look a bit harder?

however pointless it was lol XD glad i could pretend to help sweatdrop

lol