

USPS gets into the SPAM business - chrsstrm
https://www.usps.com/business/every-door-direct-mail.htm

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btown
If we didn't want them to do the most obvious thing they could to monetize
their business, then we shouldn't have practically cut them off from public
funding. Frankly, I'm on the USPS's side on this one.

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javert
I think we should just privatize it.

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techsupporter
We did. USPS doesn't receive any public funds, but it's still technically
owned by the United States government. It also has near-crushing prepaid
pension debt.

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anamax
> It also has near-crushing prepaid pension debt.

Prepaid is the only way to do pensions.

If you don't pay pension obligations as you incur them, you're going to run
into trouble if there's any biz contraction. And, if it's a long-lived
organization, you don't actually reduce your cash-outflow by not paying when
you incur.

Run a scenario where you under pay by X%. When folks start collecting, you
have to come up with the difference out of then-current revenues. Steady-state
with stable revenues, you end up paying exactly the same amount, but you've
got debt. Now cut the revenue (and current expenses) by 25% because the world
changed. Your revenue can't pay the debt.

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rhino42
That's funny, sounds familiar.

How do we finance social security again?

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danielamitay
If anything, this is healthier for people's personal information.

Companies seeking such a service typically resort to purchasing homeowner
information in bulk from other services. With such a USPS service, it
decreases the demand for such databases, and with it the incentive to create
such databases.

It is unlikely that the USPS will _overwhelm_ homeowners. Presumably the USPS
will limit received promotions to one per day. That can potentially give the
USPS an additional $60/year in revenue per household, at marginal cost.

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robk
This is a pretty good product actually for those that have small businesses.
Wouldn't you rather receive a flyer in the mail than have a dodgy flyer guy
putting it under your car windshield? Royal Mail (UK) has offered this for
years and it's certainly less irritating than the flyering of takeaway menus
and such I'd get all the time in SF.

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DanBC
The only problem with the UK system is that there are multiple routes for opt-
out.

Mail Preference Service deals with addressed mail.

Royal Mail deals with "Door to Door" unaddressed mail delivered by Royal Mail.

Nothing stops people just shoving junk mail through your door.

(<http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/mpsr/>)

(<http://www.royalmail.com/you-home/controlling-your-mail>)

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nullflux
Is there such thing as a "do not mail" list? If it is possible to opt-out of
private (tele)marketing and block spam, then logically it should be possible
to opt out of this service too.

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gst
There is: <https://www.dmachoice.org/>. It took quite a while (several months)
until I noticed any changes, but my (very subjective) impression is that the
(spam) mail volume decreased over time.

Another thing I'd suggest is <https://donotcall.gov/>. Registering there seems
to have had a positive impact on the number of spam calls I receive.

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gojomo
USPS has been in the spam business for decades.

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staunch
I already get tons of fliers from nearby restaurants stuck in my door every
week. Might as well be in my mailbox.

It should be a very effective marketing tool for local businesses and it helps
the USPS stay in business. If they would just add opt-out there would be
nothing to complain about IMHO.

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philwise
In the UK the Royal Mail works similarly:

<http://www.royalmail.com/marketing-services>

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vishaldpatel
This is just like receiving grocery store ads in the mail, is it?

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Maxious
Why not hire out us gov and DOD ip ranges to the highest bidder?

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mailbait
it's like mailbait round two.

