USPS Informed Delivery

[atgcpaul]

https://informeddelivery.usps.com/box/pages/intro/start.action

You guys see this? Saw this in my city's facebook feed that we can view incoming mail from USPS before it gets to my door.

I have loved getting mail since I was a kid. If I didn't want my parents to know about some piece of junk I bought from Popular Science (The 5 cent Sugar Rocket--basically told you how to make gunpowder from household items) or Highlights or from a Tang container (inflatable Space Shuttle kite), I'd ride my bike down to the post office and get a money order. 6-8 weeks later, I'd get something cool in the mail.

Of course, now it's only bills and junk mail. If I could use USPS Informed Delivery to tell the PO what NOT to deliver to my door, then I'm in. Otherwise, I don't want to see screen shots of junk mail clogging up my Inbox.

[tfischer]

I could see this as useful for proof of mail theft, but that's about it.

[twistsol]

What would really be nice is if I could specify WHEN to deliver stuff. All packages should be delivered on Friday when I'm home and my wife is at work so they can make it down to the shop before being seen.

The following conversation happens too often.

Julie: "What came in the mail today?"
Me: "A tool to cut wood" or "A tool to put wood togther." (I've learned to not be more specific.)
Julie "Ugh!"

The UPS guy is a woodworker and knows which boxes, McFeely's, FestoolProducts, Rockler, Woddcraft, etc to put in the shop and not bring to the house.

[capncarl]

I guess now big brother has us completely in his grips? Someone can track your every move by your phone records, anywhere you go and when and where you purchase anything using a credit card, all of a your banking records are tracked online, now they can see who you are corresponding to via mail? I've always been one to think.... who cares what anyone sees if you are doing nothing wrong, but this may be the final knot in the net.
It became obvious to me earlier that information gathering was way too big when we were traveling across country and messages kept popping up on the iPads for restaurants we haven't gotten to yet, Honda dealerships nearby and lodging nearby, all because of internet searches we had recently performed.

I thought the USPS was having financially problems? What happened to responsible money management? This feature has to cost a bundle to implement. What does it do to help USPS deliver the mail economically?

My biggest problem with the USPS mail carrier is them closing the mail box door. It's in nerving to me to think that all my mail is setting in the mailbox with the door wide open for anyone to see like skimpy underwear hanging on the clothesline,for the neighbors viewing pleasure! Now it seems that the crack heads that steal mail out of your mailbox can pick and choose which box and when to steal it.

[LCHIEN]

Now they can see your skimpy underwear in your mailbox, they don't have to look on your line anymore.

[LinuxRandal]

How about a service, where they put first class mail in the normal box, and third class mail in that plastic file 13 box, I threaten to duct tape to the mailbox pole, every April 1st?

I find several things they do strange, like trying to take Saturday's off, yet delivering on Sunday's for other companies, etc. If there is money to be made on those days for delivery, wouldn't FedUPS being doing so?

[atgcpaul]

I guess now big brother has us completely in his grips?

My understanding is that almost all mail has been going through camera scanning/OCR for years for sorting. I guess someone figured out that they could now share those images with us. More than 10 years ago, my wife's friend in Utah worked at a USPS facility where her job (and many more people like her) would be to sit in front of computer terminals looking at the front of envelopes and entering the correct address when the automated system couldn't decipher the handwriting.

My biggest problem with the USPS mail carrier is them closing the mail box door. It's in nerving to me to think that all my mail is setting in the mailbox with the door wide open for anyone to see like skimpy underwear hanging on the clothesline,for the neighbors viewing pleasure! Now it seems that the crack heads that steal mail out of your mailbox can pick and choose which box and when to steal it.

I would hope the USPS has some of way verifying that the person signing up for this is also the resident.

I think where this is going is that some mass marketing company will now be sending us ads through this virtual mail rather than through the USPS. I wonder how much junk mail actually gets opened and not tossed. I know most of my mail goes straight into the recycling bin. I also wonder if USPS will let the users decide which mail doesn't get delivered. This could be good and bad for USPS. Bad because companies will eventually stop sending junk and USPS won't get that revenue, but good because with less mail to deliver, they could reduce their workforce, save gas, etc.

[capncarl]

USPS has been floundering for many years and grasping for solutions. I fear that their outcome will be simular to Sears , Kmart and many other large businesses. They, like other failing businesses don't know the answer to their problem, if there really is an answer. I suppose this offering to pre-view mail before it is delivered is a post office attempt to move into the Internet world. I really can't see much use to this feature, unless you were dodging some creditor.

[LinuxRandal]

It would be interesting to see, what percentage of people here, still receive and pay their bills through the mail, verses things like online banking and email statements, rather then the mail just being a junk mail and packages sort of thing.
I still do my bills and banking via mailed statements. Seen enough issues, with peoples poor security with online stuff, and if you want to get big brothery, then having that stuff online, would mean they probably already have access to it, either an old record, or your password, etc. (one less warrant needed if they find it digitally)

[atgcpaul]

All of my bills are paid electronically even though all the companies don't send eBills. My electric and Internet providers send me bills through email and then I go online to my bank to pay them. Only our trash hauler has to send paper bills and that's only quarterly. I'd estimate everything else that I get is financial statements for my 401ks, just a smattering of flyers I'll actually flip through (like HF and Woodcraft), a Fine Woodworking mag, and the rest is junk like the endless parade of credit card apps, car warranty reminders, etc.

A few months ago I started to use an app called LastPass to manage all my online passwords. I was getting sloppy with my passwords and forgetting where I had accounts setup. It's kind of nuts how many different sites maintain passwords for us.

[cwsmith]

I suppose that I'm old fashioned in that I still do many things like paying bills via direct contact or via the USPS. I have one credit card for everyday purchases, a rarely used back-up card, and the checkbook for paying bills via the mail or in direct contact situations like paying the plumber. On those rare occasions when I make mail-order (internet or phone) I use a third and separate credit card or go through my new PayPal account. We keep all receipts and we scan those receipts for critical purchases.

My wife also logs (lists) every purchase that we make, and she does this immediately after returning home. Three years ago we went to use our primary credit card and it was rejected. I came home and called the credit card company and found that they locked it after someone used the card number in Ohio (we're in NY). Nice feature, but the crooks used the card to make more than $500 within just a few hours the night before. So right at the minute while I was on the phone, we pulled the log and told them every single purchase we had made in the last two days... there was no question as to the fraud and were issued a new card within the day and a few weeks later were fully cleared of any of those false expenses. Keeping track of your expenses is very important.

I think I'm pretty savvy when it comes to security matters, both physical and electronics. I keep my router off when it's not in use and I never use the same password on two different web sites. (One of those websites got hacked several years ago, and because I had used that particular password for both that site and my AOL account, it became an embarrassment as many on my top mailing list got a number of advertising e-mails through my AOL mailing list. So, not only do I ensure that all my passwords are different, I also categorize my mailing log so nothing is in the top list.

I do have a cell phone, but understanding how easy they can get hacked or traced, I only use it for those rare phone calls. So rare that it's sort of joke here in the family. You see I have a prepaid Galaxy 3. Nice for it's features, but I just don't feel the need to be in contact every minute in my life... so it's most always turned off, except when I'm expecting a contact or need a call. I pay $100 a year for a card (that way I only need to renew once a year). That time is coming up in another week or so, and my proplem is that ATT only allows me to have $500 in credit. So here I am with $435 in credit which I've got to use up at least $35 in order to add a $100... (if I buy a lesser amount, I have to renew it in a much shorter period of months). I go through this almost every year. A "smart phone" is nice for all it's marvelous features, but most of those I can do through internet links and not phone data.

My feeling is that I don't worry about "big brother" so much (well maybe a lot more in today's political climate), but there are so many other threats, that we need to be concerned with. I don't open up more paths than I need to and I go to some length to ensure whatever paths that are there, are fairly secure or at least monitored. The whole objective to security is to realize that you can't prevent them all... but you should know when that happens. (We used to say that you can't keep them from coming over the fence, but when they do, we need to know where and be ready to repel them.)

So, this USPS offering of previewing your mail envelopes is sort of neat, but I don't get what advantage it has to anyone. The stuff is going to show up in the box anyway... I think I would prefer the surprise.

CWS

[tfischer]

I haven't paid a recurring bill by hand in at least a decade, probably closer to 15 years. Our city water bill was the last one as they didn't have an epay option at first. I've always had direct deposit on my paycheck, and paid as many bills electronically as possible (without paying for a separate bank service to do it) since I was first out of college in 1992. It's really pretty rare that we mail anything at all.

[capncarl]

I'm not that worried about big brother as much as with other hackers. If my personal info is not available through someone's server they can't get it.
I came within a millimeter of NOT renewing my hunting/fishing license recently because they required my social security number. I argued with the clerk at the DNR that they didn't need my SS number to purchase a license becaus it was already on their file, and a field officer would never need it, I asked why they would ever need my SS? No one there knew! She asked if I still wanted a license? And if I did she needed my SS number. I asked, what if I gave you a random number, she said that their system would reject it and I would be guilty of giving false information...... so they do use your SS to verify something.
Way too much information sharing.

[tfischer]

I grew up in Iowa and back in the 80s your drivers license number was your SSN. People routinely had their SSN printed on their checks, because then if you wrote a check at an establishment, they didn't have to see your ID, they'd just circle the DL# on the check.

I moved to MN in 1995 and when I went to the bank to get an account set up I mentioned I wanted my SSN printed on my checks, and the lady looked at me as if I were entirely stupid and said "no you really don't want to do that".

[woodturner]

If my personal info is not available through someone's server they can't get it.

Way too late for that - all your information is already on "someone's server", it's all readily available if one is willing to pay a few dollars.

[cwsmith]

It seems to me that when I got my card way back when (born in 1944) and gotten when I was 12 or so, that my SS card said right on it, "Not to be used for Identification Purposes". Now wherever you go, they want your number... mostly medical and anything to do with the transfer of money, like credit, payments, etc.

When we had our amateur radio (Ham radio) FCC test team, the FCC Application for License form required the SS# of the applicant. The only way around that was to provide your Tax ID# instead. I don't recall whether that number was acquired from the FCC website or the IRS.

CWS

[atgcpaul]

It seems to me that when I got my card way back when (born in 1944) and gotten when I was 12 or so, that my SS card said right on it, "Not to be used for Identification Purposes". Now wherever you go, they want your number... mostly medical and anything to do with the transfer of money, like credit, payments, etc.

When we had our amateur radio (Ham radio) FCC test team, the FCC Application for License form required the SS# of the applicant. The only way around that was to provide your Tax ID# instead. I don't recall whether that number was acquired from the FCC website or the IRS.

CWS

I don't know what a good solution would be. We all have to be uniquely identified somehow. Even a Tax ID# is going to loop back to us somehow.

Recently I had to reset a password at my 401k's site. I forgot my login, too. To verify my information, I had to provide the last 4 digits on my SS# and then they asked me 3 "challenge questions" from my public records like "Which of these 3 addresses did you live at?" Some of those questions related to events nearly 20 years ago. Surprising (not really) how much is out there.