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Postal Service Stares Into The Abyss

post #1 of 27
3/25/09 at 1:19pm
Thread Starter 
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Call-f...-14741729.html

I recently realized that I don't get anything of use in the mail anymore. All my bills are both received and paid online. My check is direct despositied into my account. My credit card statement is online. My banking statement is online. Any time I need to be contacted about work or classes, it's done through e-mail, text, facebook, etc. When dealing with packages, I usually use UPS or FedEX because the postal service once badly screwed me over on some international shipping.

I could go on and on. Point is, with a few exceptions (usually notices from corporate entities and municipal or state stuff) I don't get anything useful in the mail. It's all sales papers, flyers, and other assorted crap.

Now, I realize lots of people are still dependant on traditional mail for these things. I'm just saying that a scaled back postal service may make some sense.
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post #2 of 27
3/25/09 at 1:22pm
Netflix and my water bill. Everything else is online. The mail system definitely needs to be reviewed if it is to continue to justify its existence.
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post #3 of 27
3/25/09 at 1:26pm
I feel like a tard for not banking online but I don't feel like having another password.
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post #4 of 27
3/25/09 at 1:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by EdHocken View Post
I feel like a tard for not banking online but I don't feel like having another password.
Just don't be this guy:
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post #5 of 27
3/25/09 at 1:47pm
Exactly.
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post #6 of 27
3/25/09 at 1:52pm
Ed: you NEED to bank online. You're able to get real, timely information on the status of your account that way. You'll avoid overdrafts and catch fishy looking transactions faster. Most of the bank fraud issues that I dealt with involved people who didn't bank online and therefore DIDN'T catch on to the problem until it was too late.

Sorry for the derailment.

I'm convinced that the postal system exists for the sole purpose of delivering junk mail and credit card applications.
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post #7 of 27
3/25/09 at 1:54pm
Good point Judas. I imagine it would be the same for credit card. I'll get around to it.
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post #8 of 27
3/25/09 at 2:35pm
About the only thing I get consistently via snail-mail is Netflix & wedding invites. And I only need one of those.
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post #9 of 27
3/25/09 at 2:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tieman View Post
About the only thing I get consistently via snail-mail is Netflix & wedding invites. And I only need one of those.
And as soon as Netflix offers a Watch Now-only account, I won't need mail for that either.
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post #10 of 27
3/25/09 at 4:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Judas Booth View Post
Ed: you NEED to bank online. You're able to get real, timely information on the status of your account that way. You'll avoid overdrafts and catch fishy looking transactions faster. Most of the bank fraud issues that I dealt with involved people who didn't bank online and therefore DIDN'T catch on to the problem until it was too late.

Sorry for the derailment.

I'm convinced that the postal system exists for the sole purpose of delivering junk mail and credit card applications.
I've been guilty of slacking on this myself. I need to get my credit card stuff online as well. Thanks, Judas!
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post #11 of 27
3/25/09 at 5:27pm
This and the Borders thread have made me come to the conclusion:

Fuck Paper!
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post #12 of 27
3/25/09 at 5:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Doc Happenin View Post
This and the Borders thread have made me come to the conclusion:

Fuck Paper!
I blame George Bush.
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post #13 of 27
3/25/09 at 5:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Doc Happenin View Post
This and the Borders thread have made me come to the conclusion:

Fuck Paper!
Don't forget the impending demise of the newspaper industry. Tons of them are closing or nearing bankruptcy.

Fuck paper indeed.
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post #14 of 27
3/25/09 at 5:47pm
Still get some mags in the mail (TV guide, Toyfare and SI) but other than that really snail mail is worthless. Even movies I just go with "on demand" from Comcast.
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post #15 of 27
3/25/09 at 5:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by EdHocken View Post
I feel like a tard for not banking online but I don't feel like having another password.
use passwordsafe or a similar utility

http://passwordsafe.sourceforge.net/

I have to remember so many damn passwords for work and home that it's the only way.


Oh, and I need a printer, because wait for it, I now send more letters out than I ever had in my entire life.

Edit: The reason I've been sending out more letters recently, is that I've noticed that a letter gets a much better response. Sending an email though some computer system in the hopes of getting a good response has proven to be a fruitless event more often that not.

I know electronic communications are more convenient, but they are also more conveniently forgotten or lost.
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post #16 of 27
3/25/09 at 6:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by billylove View Post
I know electronic communications are more convenient, but they are also more conveniently forgotten or lost.
That's the whole point! Imagine a world where info is so freely traded that it becomes irrelevant. Then, all we'll have to do is hire the firemen.

zomg. Bradbury was right!
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post #17 of 27
3/25/09 at 6:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Doc Happenin View Post
That's the whole point! Imagine a world where info is so freely traded that it becomes irrelevant. Then, all we'll have to do is hire the firemen.

zomg. Bradbury was right!
I already see that now.

People texting, tweeting, "more news than you can handle" news shows, clips shows, clip clip shows

It really is maddening if you try to keep on top of it. I'm not sure if society will keep going down this path of information overload. Or maybe it's just the greater masses trying to figure out how to handle the information super highway.
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post #18 of 27
3/25/09 at 6:13pm
Society will adapt, of that I'm sure. But even now, it doesn't look like anything from fifty years ago. It's just that now, I think, we're seeing the advance of technology literally happening every single day. This is the next step; I don't know if it's good or bad, though. It's like a worldwide growing phase; we just need to get our shit settled and create cyborgs so we can process all the information.
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post #19 of 27
3/25/09 at 6:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Doc Happenin View Post
Fuck Paper!
But love trees!
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post #20 of 27
3/25/09 at 6:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Doc Happenin View Post
Society will adapt, of that I'm sure.


Indeed.
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post #21 of 27
3/25/09 at 6:57pm
I never noticed that T.J. O'Handjobs logo there on the screen. That's great.
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post #22 of 27
3/25/09 at 9:44pm
Netflix DVDs, credit card bills for companies that still haven't created an online alternative that is useful, and adverts. Lot and lots of adverts. And holiday cards. That is a fascinating glimpse into my life!

Thing is, once, say, your newspaper goes online, or goes under, there is a whole supply chain that gets disrupted. The people who set and run the presses, build and service the equipment, process the paper used in each edition, deliver the paper, etc etc etc. All without jobs, and no prospect of getting those jobs, or anything like them, again.

I think we are going through a fundamental shift in our economy, similar to the change from a mostly agrarian to an industrial economy. And given the education and literacy rates in the US, combined with raised expectations of the American Dream, I think we're in for some horrible times...
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post #23 of 27
3/25/09 at 11:58pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cylon Baby View Post

I think we are going through a fundamental shift in our economy, similar to the change from a mostly agrarian to an industrial economy. And given the education and literacy rates in the US, combined with raised expectations of the American Dream, I think we're in for some horrible times...
That raises an interesting point, which is that for all this leaping towards the digital age, there are still a ton of people that don't understand technology. And it isn't just older folks. Sure, teens can text, tweet, facebook, etc. But they aren't really understanding technology in doing so. They're pushing buttons to make things happen. In fact, I work with lots of 18-22 year olds every day, and this so called "tech generation" doesn't really understand tech all that well. They can use it, but they don't understand it. It's sort of like being able to drive a car without understanding how anything under the hood works and panicking because a fuse gets blown.
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post #24 of 27
3/26/09 at 12:30am
I don't think there is a tech generation per se, it's just that tech has become in use by more than just nerds and geeks.

Who's messaging and using social networking type stuff? Not Star Trek nerds only, but also more and more of the average teen. The average teen isn't going to know exactly how shit works, even if they can program a VCR...er a DVR.

And it's all being made easier to use so you don't have to understand how it works anymore to use it. They don't have to be nerds to use this high tech stuff anymore.
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post #25 of 27
3/26/09 at 12:31am
Western postal services will always remain relevant as long as people need physical items delivered to them.
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post #26 of 27
3/26/09 at 12:54am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by neoolong View Post
I don't think there is a tech generation per se, it's just that tech has become in use by more than just nerds and geeks.

Who's messaging and using social networking type stuff? Not Star Trek nerds only, but also more and more of the average teen. The average teen isn't going to know exactly how shit works, even if they can program a VCR...er a DVR.

And it's all being made easier to use so you don't have to understand how it works anymore to use it. They don't have to be nerds to use this high tech stuff anymore.
My point isn't that you have to understand how it works to use it, it's just that there's this meme in the media about this being the "tech generation" when it really isn't. Stuff like social networking and texting is, at its core, fairly fundamental, easy stuff. It doesn't really take any knowledge of technology to text or use Twitter.

This pushes the notion that we're rapidly becoming a culutre of technological wunderkinds when the reality is we're just getting really good at pushing buttons. It's just something that sort of bugs me.
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post #27 of 27
3/26/09 at 1:29am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Drew S. View Post
My point isn't that you have to understand how it works to use it, it's just that there's this meme in the media about this being the "tech generation" when it really isn't. Stuff like social networking and texting is, at its core, fairly fundamental, easy stuff. It doesn't really take any knowledge of technology to text or use Twitter.

This pushes the notion that we're rapidly becoming a culutre of technological wunderkinds when the reality is we're just getting really good at pushing buttons. It's just something that sort of bugs me.
My backup auditor turns 70 tomorrow, she's been working here for about a year and a half...it took her a year to understand "drop-down menu" and 3 months more to understand e-mail.

I wouldn't necessarily disagree with you, provided the understanding was that, once the UI is hurdled, it becomes nothing but button pushing.

She's damn good with customers, though.
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