Re: state names

[Vincent Reh <VincentR -at- SC -dot- HARRIS -dot- COM>]

Another bit of trivia, the zip in zip code is actually an acronym.  It
stands for "Zoning Improvement Plan."  This is why it is often typeset in
upper case in official USPO and USPS documents..

Vince Reh
 ----------
>From: TECHWR-L -at- VM1 -dot- ucc -dot- okstate -dot- edu
To: Multiple recipients of list TECHWR-L
Subject: Re: state names
Date: Monday, January 23, 1995 3:07PM

Jan said

>  Ok, I can't stand it anymore.  This is not a matter of opinion.

>  Let us, as the sophomores say, define our terms: the zip code set up
>  by the postal service is a 7-character code of 2 alpha and 5 numeric
>  characters. The alpha characters are mnemonics.

>    No, repeat no, abbreviations involved.

>  So, boys and girls, the abbreviations of state names are as they
>  always were, Mich., Wis., N.Y., Calif., Ore., Ariz. ....

>  Therefore, ergo, and to wit, a proper address goes like this:

>         Name
>         [Number Street; box number; building ... appropriate identifier]
>         San Jose, California
>         CA 95125

>  True, the postal service did not do zip codes to benefit people
>  (except indirectly by handling mail faster), nor did they claim so.

>  It is also true that after spending our money ballyhooing the system,
>  they promptly ignored it and required us to use the full address
>  anyway (at least, the snippy postal service around here returns mail
>  that does not have the full address.  They do not offer a reason.)
>  If they really wanted to be efficient, they would change the order of the
>  address to be read from the top down:

>         zip code
>         number and street, or box number, or ...
>         person

Has anybody else ever heard of this? I've been hearing for years that the
most
efficient way to address a letter (using my address as an example) is as
follows

Nora Merhar
200 South Cass Ave #2
Westmont IL 60559

No periods. No commas (easier to read electronically). And if you know the
4-
code (as in 60559-1963) you should use it.

I've NEVER heard of the stuff Jan is talking about as making any difference.

Sorry this isn't too relevant, but I'm curious.

Nora
merhar -at- alena -dot- switch -dot- rockwell -dot- com