nanog mailing list archives
Re: Some truth about Comcast - WikiLeaks style
From: Robert Bonomi <bonomi () mail r-bonomi com>
Date: Mon, 20 Dec 2010 09:02:20 -0600 (CST)
From nanog-bounces+bonomi=mail.r-bonomi.com () nanog org Sun Dec 19 23:31:25 2010 Date: Sun, 19 Dec 2010 21:30:45 -0800 From: JC Dill <jcdill.lists () gmail com> To: NANOG list <nanog () nanog org> Subject: Re: Some truth about Comcast - WikiLeaks style On 19/12/10 8:44 PM, Owen DeLong wrote:You can send lettersTechnically, this is illegal. You can send "documents" via FedEx and UPS.just as well as packages via the other carriers. The "USPS monopoly" on first class mail is absurd. In fact, FedEx, UPS, et. al could offer a $0.44 letter product if they wanted to.No, they can't. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_Express_StatutesThey could not call it mail. They could call it "first class document delivery." However, the reality is that they probably couldn't sustain their business at that price point. The USPS doesn't have an actual monopoly so much as ownership of the term Mail almost like a trademark.It's not just a trademark, it's the class of service. Just try starting up a regular mail service, and see how far you get before they SHUT YOU DOWN.
Actually, the gov't -won't- shut you down in that situation. They *WILL*, however make you pay -them- the statutory "first-class" postage rate for each such piece you carry. Aside: put a 'personal' sealed envelope communication inside a FedEx/UPS/ whatever shimpent, and you are _supposed_ to (a) 'declare' it on the outside of the package, and (b) put the appropriate postage stamps on the package. The "FedEx' 'overnight letter' (and other carrier equivalents) is a really cute case of threading the needle between what does and does not require first-class postage. It makes _interesting_ reading to review the actual tariffs and express service 'rules' on what you can send via that service.
Current thread:
- Re: Some truth about Comcast - WikiLeaks style, (continued)
- Re: Some truth about Comcast - WikiLeaks style Pete Carah (Dec 21)
- Re: Some truth about Comcast - WikiLeaks style Michael DeMan (Dec 20)
- Re: Some truth about Comcast - WikiLeaks style Leo Bicknell (Dec 19)
- Re: Some truth about Comcast - WikiLeaks style Richard A Steenbergen (Dec 19)
- Re: Some truth about Comcast - WikiLeaks style Owen DeLong (Dec 19)
- RE: Some truth about Comcast - WikiLeaks style George Bonser (Dec 19)
- Re: Some truth about Comcast - WikiLeaks style Matthew Petach (Dec 19)
- Re: Some truth about Comcast - WikiLeaks style Jay Ashworth (Dec 23)
- RE: Some truth about Comcast - WikiLeaks style George Bonser (Dec 19)
- Re: Some truth about Comcast - WikiLeaks style Steve Schultze (Dec 17)
- Re: Some truth about Comcast - WikiLeaks style Owen DeLong (Dec 20)
- Re: Some truth about Comcast - WikiLeaks style Jay Ashworth (Dec 23)
- Re: Some truth about Comcast - WikiLeaks style Joel Jaeggli (Dec 23)
- Re: Some truth about Comcast - WikiLeaks style John Osmon (Dec 23)
- Re: Some truth about Comcast - WikiLeaks style Jay Ashworth (Dec 23)
- Re: Some truth about Comcast - WikiLeaks style William Allen Simpson (Dec 24)
- Re: Some truth about Comcast - WikiLeaks style JC Dill (Dec 24)