Modern mail Mail

1 modern mail

1.1 organization
1.2 payment
1.3 privacy , censorship
1.4 rise of electronic correspondence
1.5 collecting
1.6 deregulation

modern mail

modern mail organized national , privatized services, reciprocally interconnected international regulations, organizations , international agreements. paper letters , parcels can sent country in world relatively , cheaply. internet has made process of sending letter-like messages instantaneous, , in many cases , situations correspondents use electronic mail have used letters. volume of paper mail sent through u.s. postal service has declined more 15% since peak @ 213 billion pieces per annum in 2006.

organization

in united states, private companies, such fedex , ups, compete federal government s united states postal service, particularly in package delivery. different mailboxes provided local , express service. (the usps has legal monopoly on first class , standard mail delivery.)



postal truck in brazil



canada post van in toronto



a usps mail truck in united states.



zabrze (poland) - post office.



students receive mail in american university



delivery bicycle in germany

some countries have organized mail services public limited liability corporations without legal monopoly.

the worldwide postal system comprising individual national postal systems of world s self-governing states co-ordinated universal postal union, among other things sets international postage rates, defines standards postage stamps , operates system of international reply coupons.

in countries system of codes has been created (referred zip codes in united states, postcodes in united kingdom , australia, , postal codes in other countries), in order facilitate automation of operations. includes placing additional marks on address portion of letter or mailed object, called bar coding. bar coding of mail delivery expressed either series of vertical bars, called postnet coding, or block of dots two-dimensional barcode. block of dots method allows encoding of proof of payment of postage, exact routing delivery, , other features.

the ordinary mail service improved in 20th century use of planes quicker delivery. world s first scheduled airmail post service took place in united kingdom between london suburbs of hendon , windsor, berkshire, on 9 september 1911. methods of airmail proved ineffective, however, including united states postal service s experiment rocket mail.

receipt services made available in order grant sender confirmation of effective delivery.

payment

worldwide, common method of prepaying postage buying adhesive postage stamp applied envelope before mailing; less common method use postage-prepaid envelope. franking method of creating postage-prepaid envelopes under licence using special machine. used companies large mail programs, such banks , direct mail companies.

in 1998, u.s. postal service authorised first tests of secure system of sending digital franks via internet printed out on pc printer, obviating necessity license dedicated franking machine , allowing companies smaller mail programs make use of option; later expanded test use of personalised postage. service provided u.s. postal service in 2003 allows franks printed out on special adhesive-backed labels.

the penny black, world s first postage stamp

in 2004 royal mail in united kingdom introduced smartstamp internet-based system, allowing printing on ordinary adhesive labels or envelopes. similar systems being considered postal administrations around world.

when pre-paid envelope or package accepted mail agent of postal service, agent indicates means of cancellation no longer valid pre-payment of postage. exceptions when agent forgets or neglects cancel mailpiece, stamps pre-cancelled , not require cancellation , for, in cases, metered mail. (the personalised stamps authorized usps , manufactured zazzle , other companies in fact form of meter label , not need cancelled.)

privacy , censorship

steamboat - mobile steaming equipment used czech stb unsticking of envelopes during correspondence surveillance

documents should not read other addressee; example, in united states of america violation of federal law other addressee , government open mail. there exceptions however: executives assign secretaries or assistants task of handling mail; , postcards not require opening , can read anyone. mail contained within envelope, there legal provisions in jurisdictions allowing recording of identities of sender , recipient.

the privacy of correspondence guaranteed constitutions of mexico, colombia , brazil, , alluded in european convention on human rights , universal declaration of human rights. control of contents inside private citizens mail censorship , concerns social, political, , legal aspects of civil rights. international mail , packages subject customs control, mail , packages surveyed , contents edited out (or in).

there have been cases on millennia of governments opening , copying or photographing contents of private mail. subject laws in relevant jurisdiction, correspondence may openly or covertly opened, or contents determined via other method, police or other authorities in cases relating suspected criminal conspiracy, although black chambers (largely in past, though there apparently continuance of use today) opened , open letters extralegally.

the mail service may allowed open mail if neither addressee nor sender can located, in order attempt locate either. mail service may open mail inspect if contains materials hazardous transport or violates local laws.

while in cases mail censorship exceptional, military mail , soldiers on active deployment subject surveillance. in active fighting, censorship may strict hide tactical secrets, prevent low morale bad news, etc.

rise of electronic correspondence

modern alternatives, such telegraph, telephone, telex, facsimile, , email, have reduced attractiveness of paper mail many applications. these modern alternatives have advantages: in addition speed, may more secure, e.g., because general public can not learn address of sender or recipient envelope, , traditional items of mail may fail arrive, e.g. due vandalism mailboxes, unfriendly pets, , adverse weather conditions. mail carriers due perceived hazards or inconveniences, may refuse, officially or otherwise, deliver mail particular address (for instance, if there no clear path door or mailbox). on other hand, traditional mail avoids possibility of computer malfunctions , malware, , recipient not need print out if wish have paper copy, though scanning required make digital copy.

physical mail still used in business , personal communications such reasons legal requirements signatures, requirements of etiquette, , requirement enclose small physical objects.

since advent of email, faster, postal system has come referred in internet slang retronym snail mail . occasionally, term white mail or papernet has been used neutral term postal mail.

mainly during 20th century, experimentation hybrid mail has combined electronic , paper delivery. electronic mechanisms include telegram, telex, facsimile (fax), email, , short message service (sms). there have been methods have combined mail , of these newer methods, such intelpost, combined facsimile transmission overnight delivery. these vehicles commonly use mechanical or electro-mechanical standardised writing (typing), on 1 hand makes more efficient communication, while on other hand makes impossible characteristics , practices traditionally in conventional mail, such calligraphy.

this epoch undoubtedly dominated mechanical writing, general use of no more of half dozen standard typographic fonts standard keyboards. however, increased use of typewritten or computer-printed letters personal communication , advent of email have sparked renewed interest in calligraphy, letter has become more of special event . long before e-mail , computer-printed letters, however, decorated envelopes, rubber stamps , artistamps formed part of medium of mail art.

in 2000s (decade) advent of ebay , other online auction sites , online stores, postal services in industrialized nations have seen major shift item shipping. has been seen boost system s usage in wake of lower paper mail volume due accessibility of e-mail.

online post offices have emerged give recipients means of receiving traditional correspondence mail in scanned electronic format.

collecting

le philateliste françois barraud (1929).

postage stamps object of particular form of collecting. stamp collecting has been popular hobby. in cases, when demand exceeds supply, commercial value on specific market may become enormously greater face value, after use. postal services sale of stamps collectors never use them significant source of revenue; example, stamps tokelau, south georgia & south sandwich islands, tristan da cunha, niuafo´ou , many others. stamp collecting commonly known philately, although strictly latter term refers study of stamps.

another form of collecting regards postcards, document written on single robust sheet of paper, decorated photographic pictures or artistic drawings on 1 of sides, , short messages on small part of other side, contained space address. in strict philatelic usage, postcard distinguished postal card, has pre-printed postage on card. fact communication visible other receiver causes messages written in jargon.

letters studied example of literature, , in biography in case of famous person. portion of new testament of bible composed of apostle paul s epistles christian congregations in various parts of roman empire. see below list of famous letters.

a style of writing, called epistolary, tells fictional story in form of correspondence between 2 or more characters.

a makeshift mail method after stranding on deserted island message in bottle.

deregulation

numerous countries, including sweden (1 january 1993), new zealand (1998 , 2003), germany (2005 , 2007), argentina , chile opened postal services market new entrants. in case of new zealand post limited, included (from 2003) right sole new zealand postal administration member of universal postal union, ending of monopoly on stamps bearing name new zealand.