From our own correspondents

Letters to the Editor are one of the oldest features of The Times. Professional journalists who write the rest of the newspaper feel pride in the part written by informed, passionate and witty amateurs. Today we have made room for even more letters, by abbreviating addresses and dates on the facing page. Meanwhile, the Debate page is now without boundaries, having been moved to Times Online. Times have indeed changed, as most letters now arrive electronically. They come from all over the world, not just from the triangle of Oxford, London and Cambridge.

You are able to disagree almost instantaneously with correspondents from Detroit, Delhi, Dubai and Dublin. The Times started 220 years ago with a letter to the public from its founding father, John…