[133935] in North American Network Operators' Group
Re: Some truth about Comcast - WikiLeaks style
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Owen DeLong)
Mon Dec 20 13:03:00 2010
From: Owen DeLong <owen@delong.com>
In-Reply-To: <201012201502.oBKF2Ka9029196@mail.r-bonomi.com>
Date: Mon, 20 Dec 2010 09:58:29 -0800
To: Robert Bonomi <bonomi@mail.r-bonomi.com>
Cc: nanog@nanog.org
Errors-To: nanog-bounces+nanog.discuss=bloom-picayune.mit.edu@nanog.org
On Dec 20, 2010, at 7:02 AM, Robert Bonomi wrote:
>> =46rom nanog-bounces+bonomi=3Dmail.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
>>=20
>> On 19/12/10 8:44 PM, Owen DeLong wrote:
>>> You can send letters
>>=20
>> Technically, this is illegal. You can send "documents" via FedEx and =
UPS.
>>=20
>>> just as well as packages via the other carriers.
>>>=20
>>> 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.
>>=20
>> No, they can't.
>>=20
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_Express_Statutes
>>=20
>>> They could not call it mail. They could call it "first class =
document delivery."
>>>=20
>>> However, the reality is that they probably couldn't sustain their =
business
>>> at that price point.
>>>=20
>>> The USPS doesn't have an actual monopoly so much as ownership of
>>> the term Mail almost like a trademark.
>>=20
>>=20
>> It's not just a trademark, it's the class of service. Just try =
starting=20
>> up a regular mail service, and see how far you get before they SHUT =
YOU=20
>> DOWN.
>=20
> 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.
>=20
> Aside: put a 'personal' sealed envelope communication inside a =
FedEx/UPS/
> whatever shimpent, and you are _supposed_ to (a) 'declare' it on the=20=
> outside of the package, and (b) put the appropriate postage stamps on
> the package.
>=20
> 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.
>=20
>=20
Like I said... Once you untangle all the regulations, the net effect is =
not
a monopoly so much as a byzantine set of laws and regulations designed
to make it look like you have to pay USPS no matter what when in
reality that's not the case.
For all practical purposes, the post office faces what competition is
practical.
Owen
