Mailboxes still play an important role, especially in parts of the world where few have Internet access.

While walking through the streets of Rangoon, Myanmar, I was struck by the ingenuity of these “mailboxes” (or mail “strings”?) dangling from low-rise apartment buildings.

Each string has a name, floor and clip to receive incoming letters. Rather than scrambling for your mailbox keys in your purse, you just pull up your string.

A very convenient and space-saving way to have a mailbox. But what about privacy?