What is Digg?179 Comments
- mccune, on 03/20/2008, -2/+41I shouldn't have to pay anything to opt out of mail I never asked for in the first place.
- inactive, on 03/20/2008, -7/+46Here is the clincher: "Then came the pushback from the postmasters, who told Pearson and other lawmakers that "standard" mail, the post office's name for junk mail, has become the lifeblood of the U.S. Postal Service and that jobs depend on it."
Technology is rendering the post office irrelevant, yet the postmaster wishes to delay the inevitable demise as long as he can to maintain power in politics and to keep us paying for those $.41+ stamps. It's like the postal organization is telling us to go back to driving the Model-T Ford. The postal system is a dinosaur. What is wrong with reducing the junk mail so the post office can downsize and have fewer workers. Businesses do it all the time. When they do, they become more completive and a better service entity. With the post office, it is like the body is dead, but the brain just won't die. The postmaster may as well face it. The post office mail delivery is slowly dying, and they need to start downsizing now gradually to make way for new technologies, so that hundreds of thousands of jobs won't be lost abruptly and cause devastating affects to families. - liuite, on 03/20/2008, -3/+40I would like to stop the phonebook publishers from delievering door to door without request....who uses a phonebook any more?
- thechr0nic, on 03/20/2008, -1/+35I absolutely loath the fact that my mailbox fills up with 95% garbage that goes directly into the trash without even opening/reading it.
The most exciting things in the article for me are:
the Natural Resources Defense Council and other groups have created Catalogue Choice, a program that asks retailers to voluntarily stop sending catalogues to anyone who signs up for the free online service at http://www.catalogchoice.org
The Direct Marketing Association operates its own registry http://www.dmachoice.org - theghoul, on 03/20/2008, -1/+23The post office needs to find another source of revenue. The argument isn't valid.
I'm sure the Horse and Buggy Whip makers wanted to slow down the automobile as well. Times evolve, needs change, learn to adjust to it USPS.
How many trees must die to save jobs? - aladrin, on 03/20/2008, -1/+17You know what? I'm okay with that. Guess how many letters I've sent in the past 5 years? 1. Why the -hell- do I have to be subjected to the 2-3 pieces of junk mail I get every single day so that my letter cost $.50 instead of $1.50? The -only- reason I have a box is that I have to have somewhere to receive bills and video games from GameFly. I'd drop the thing if it weren't for that.
(Yes, the people that send me mail would have to pay more as well. I don't have a problem with that... It'd convince some of them (the bills) to bill me electronically and the rest would just increase their prices a bit. It'd be -much- better than dealing with the crap.) - PimpinOnWelfare, on 03/20/2008, -2/+18you have to tear SOMETHING in half, how else would you impress the ladies?
- uptwolait, on 03/20/2008, -1/+16Sounds just like every other government-run "business"...keeping the system bloated and consuming funds is the ultimate objective, not serving the public or providing anything of value. Much like cancer.
- obliviousfool, on 03/20/2008, -2/+16I got a chuckle from that bit of the article. The Post Office is now mostly supported by delivering mail that no one wants! Sure, they've "created jobs", but can't they create jobs that don't involve bulk advertising?
- WhiskeyLemur, on 06/30/2009, -0/+14Let private companies compete with the government for postal services, and you won't _have_ to pay the higher postage. Why the hell should we generate all this paper waste just to subsidize an increasingly obsolete organization? Allow people the option of choosing what they do and do not want in their mailbox, allow other companies to provide the same service, and you will go a very long way toward resolving this nonsense.
No, it's not hard to "just chuck it in the recycling bin." But that's still ***** on the environment - you still have to produce the paper, ship it to the printer, print it, ship it to the recipients - JUST SO WE CAN TRASH IT. Think of the energy required for all of that; the electricity for production, the gasoline for shipping.... You want to talk about environmental waste? Start there. I know we fill 2-3 garbage cans EACH WEEK with this crap, and we are one household of millions. How about obviating the NEED for recycling, instead of just blowing it off with an "is it really that hard?" No, it's not - but it's revoltingly wasteful. - sjl127, on 03/20/2008, -5/+17It's less business for the post office. That's why they're "slowing" it. This is the definition of organized crime, racketeering and conspiracy. But, hey, it's the government; they're allowed to do that.
- munkyxtc, on 03/20/2008, -0/+11While I feel sorry for anyone who loses their job because of any type of downsizing, I can hardly support the argument that because someone may be out of a job we'll stagnate innovation and/or streamlined processes.
- Coopjust, on 03/20/2008, -7/+18Like it or not, junk mail subsidizes the cost of mailing for the rest of us.If registries like this become popular, the cost of mailing a letter will go up.
You can opt out of the Direct Mailing Association list for a $1 online (prevents bots), which will greatly cut down on your junk mail - ObeseSnake, on 03/20/2008, -0/+10Fail! I've had VOIP over four years now and get TWO sets of phone books each year from two different competing companies. I said "sets" because they each deliver a full book plus a condensed one. What a waste of paper.
- JamesDiggem, on 03/20/2008, -0/+10Dude my mailman got extremely angry with me when I asked him if he could please not give my the ads and junk mail that everyone else gets. I said I was just gonna throw it into the already overflowing trash can next to the community mailbox. He got all pissy and said that the junk mail is what keeps him employed and it doesn't hurt me one bit to toss it in the trash. All we hear now days is green this, green that, yet we get stacks of paper in the mail that NOBODY wants.
- WhiskeyLemur, on 06/30/2009, -0/+9I'm sort of okay with that. I honestly can't remember the last time I _personally_ had to send a letter - that's not counting the mail I send on behalf of my company. All my bills are paid online or over the phone; if I want to contact someone, I'll call or text or e-mail them. And I'm very, very tired of wading through twenty letters each day to pick out the one legitimate bill in the bunch.
- akatherder, on 03/20/2008, -0/+81-800-GOOG-411
- Coopjust, on 03/20/2008, -0/+8I made an error. The DMA no longer charges a $1 if you register online (only by mail), they now just use the credit card to authorize that the person looking for removal is actually the person claimed.
https://www.dmachoice.org/MPS/mps_consumer_descrip ... - bigdoug2005, on 03/20/2008, -2/+10We have no phone service (only cellphones) and still get tons of phone books.
- inactive, on 03/20/2008, -0/+8Teach Grandma to use PayPal...........
- cvindustries, on 03/20/2008, -1/+8Get rid of junk mail, and your stamps will quickly go up in price.
- theutopian, on 03/20/2008, -0/+7Unfortunately we need the mail. Ever tried to send a letter via FedEx? It's substantially more than .41.
- Bloodwine, on 03/20/2008, -0/+7I'd happily pay more for postage stamps if it meant I got no junk mail. Just imagine how many people fell victim to identity theft from all that junk mail sitting in the garbage bin outside, unprotected. Having to constantly shred junk mail is an annoyance.
- djcgmcse, on 03/20/2008, -0/+6it may subsidize the cost of mailing, but it also generates a ton of overhead. Think of how much less sorting the post office would have to do if there wasn't so much junk.
I think the only loss from less sorting would be jobs. - esc27, on 03/20/2008, -0/+6Simple solution. The Postal Service should charge higher rates for junk mail. This could both decrease the volume of junk mail and possibly increase profits enough to lower the cost of sending an average letter.
- br0ck, on 03/20/2008, -0/+6I found out about another cool thing one a while ago on Digg. The FTC has a way to permanently opt out of credit prescreening which means that after a while you'll receive NO pre-approved credit card offers by mail. http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/prescre ... Another thing to consider is calling all your credit cards and requesting that they don't send you those blank credit card checks. Both of these types of mail are worse than general bulk mail because they expose people to identity theft and require shredding.
- ronin691, on 03/20/2008, -1/+7If it wasn't for the 8 pounds of junk mail, there'd be no reason fro me to ever go to my mail box. I do all my billing on line. I haven't written a paper letter in a decade. USPS = FAIL, USPS = obsolete.
- swr1ght, on 03/20/2008, -1/+7Not the issue, the issue is whether or not it saves us enough money to be (a) worth the hassle, and (b) worth the massive impact to the environment. Which I believe that it is not.
- sq2shooter, on 03/20/2008, -0/+6Unions are running out of industries to help destroy and bring to their knees.
- ricksite, on 03/20/2008, -0/+5I don't understand how they can get away with giving everyone phone books. Since I don't want it, it is like the publisher is just littering my doorstep. I would say the same goes for the free newspaper I get every Wednesday. How do I stop my subscription for something I don't subscribe to?
- inactive, on 03/20/2008, -2/+7Sounds like they need to cut back and find a different way to earn revenue.
I'm tired of the Post Office delivering the garbage to my house - TrendyIdeology, on 03/20/2008, -1/+6[Woman] Please, stop harassing me!
[USPS] But we have an entire industry supported by individuals who like to harass you!
[Woman] But it's my right to not be harassed!!
[USPS] PEOPLE WILL LOSE JOBS IF THEY CAN'T HARASS YOU
[World] . . . . . - purzzzell, on 03/20/2008, -0/+5blame unions for that one.
- keltin, on 03/20/2008, -7/+12So the reason we may not prevent junk mail from clogging our mailboxes, causing us to 'waste' hundreds of pounds of paper per year per person, is because of jobs!!!
I'll tell you what, Let's get rid of the stuff - insist on it. With the PO contributing to those legislators that will prevent the 'No Junk Mail Lists' from being developed and implemented, this is more like heavy-handed unionism. It's the worst kind, because with fewer junk to carry, each delivery person can cover more area = fewer employees. Wouldn't it be great to be able to DECREASE the price of stamps to somethingmore reasonable, like a nickel or even 25 cents?
So, if we do what the postal service says, we need to just keep paying people to do irrelevant things, and not free up people power to do more creative things that will make money? Talk about socialism!! - inactive, on 03/20/2008, -0/+5I loath the fact that people can dump their trash in my mailbox to begin with. What if I went and dumped paper and trash at their property? They'd be a little miffed. I dont want their garbage coming to my house and I should have a right to stop them. As for the tag team with the postal service... they are quickly becoming outdated too.
- swoopdog, on 03/20/2008, -0/+5mine is still sitting in the bag from whenever they delivered it 3 months ago. What a waste I already have the ultimate phonebook its called google.
- BaronSamedi242, on 03/20/2008, -1/+6Yeah, I do want them to go out of business. I want the ***** that works at the nearby office to have to get her wrinkled ass a real job, rather than taking 2h lunch breaks, spending 20 minutes with her friends and telling everyone else to go line up at the back again (or have security called - cause she refuses to deal with anyone who won't OBEY her).
She's unemployable otherwise, and I'd love to see her starving to death under a bridge or sucking ***** to stay alive. - swr1ght, on 03/20/2008, -0/+4They "recycle 99.9% of the waste/ink/even heat used in making them". You know, you read some stupid ***** on forums. But man, that was special...
- GQCarrick, on 03/20/2008, -0/+4I honestly like getting junk mail, it sounds weird but I do. I use the prepaid envelopes they send me and I mail junk back to them. That way the post office is getting postage money from them and if everyone did that maybe we could save the post office.
- RodgerE1, on 03/20/2008, -1/+5They are increasing rates, again!
http://www.postalreporter.com/news/2007/11/15/post ... - swr1ght, on 03/20/2008, -2/+6Yes.
- fuhcough, on 03/20/2008, -2/+6"...junk mail, has become the lifeblood of the U.S. Postal Service and that jobs depend on it." Well hell yeah I bet it has. Most any LEGITIMATE mail people could possibly receive is available electronically as well.
God forbid the Postal System (which keep in mind operates like a business - they even have an advertising budget and produce/air commercials) be forced to adapt to changing times like every other business entity in America.
That said, any organization that employs a business model where prices INCREASE when demand DECREASES (ie stamps) deserves to fail. - crapmatic, on 03/20/2008, -0/+4I live in a large town (20,000 people) and the postal clerks are like extended family to us, even though we've lived here 3 years, and the mail carrier always brings boxes to the door and is super friendly. On the other hand my experience in all cities (50,000+ people) I've lived in has been pissy service from the carriers and stinky attitude by the postal clerks. It really does depend on what part of the organization you're talking about.
- theutopian, on 03/20/2008, -1/+5It's not Socialist. The USPS operates quasi-independently of the government and is completely self-funding. It receives no subsidies of any kind from the taxpayer. They are also not allowed to turn a profit, only break even.
- morguth, on 03/20/2008, -1/+5WTF? Credit card # required to get off the dma list? Rat bastards...
- theutopian, on 03/20/2008, -0/+4At the expense of stopping afternoon delivery, some weekend delivery services, closing thousands of local post offices and on and on. Royal Mail is a travesty.
- inactive, on 03/20/2008, -0/+4You miss the point on service. Think of all the rural areas where people may live 5 or 10 miles from their nearest neighbor. How do you ensure they're receiving the same level of service? What private enterprise is in the game for profit, not ensuring complete and equal coverage.
It would be interesting to see what the ripple effect of suddenly eliminating "junk" mail would be. Both positive and negative. Sure we'd reduce paper consumption, but what would be the impact on the paper industry. Would we realize savings in fuel cost with less weight? What would be the overall people impacts across the economy.
This issue is much more than a simple stamp. - TSCheredar, on 03/20/2008, -0/+4WRONG: "Like it or not, junk mail subsidizes the cost of mailing for the rest of us.If registries like this become popular, the cost of mailing a letter will go up."
If it costs us more money to send a letter than its MORE likely that the government will shut the post office down and allow businesses like Fed-Ex and UPS to start sending single letters...cheaper and without that ***** bitch of a mail lady who doesn't deliver your mail for 5 days because the car is parked too close to the damn mail box. - davidlow, on 03/20/2008, -0/+4Since I moved into a house with a fireplace a few months ago I see junk mail in a whole new "light".
- inactive, on 03/20/2008, -0/+3Then perhaps the solution is to increase the cost of junk mailing. Let them pay a more proportional cost, I mean a piece of mail is a piece of mail.
I'm sure in the face of rising costs, the junk mailers will cease their carpet bombing tactics and move towards a more targeted scenario. -
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