Anybody else think this makes mail snooping a whole lot simpler? ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Sat, 3 Aug 1996 11:28:54 -0500 From: "Philatelic.Com Email Service" <post@philatelic.com> Subject: Future US Postal History -- Indicium to Replace Stamps To: post@philatelic.com Subject: Future US Postal History -- Indicium to Replace Stamps from: dreggen@accessnv.com Reference: Federal Computing Week Volume 10, No.l 29; July 29, 1996 Federal Computing Week (FCW) is a publication of FCW Government Technology Group 3110 Fairview Park Drive -- Suite 1040 Falls Church, VA 22042-4599 USA Tel: 703 - 876 - 5100 Fax: 703 - 876 - 5126 Page 19 USPS Proposed specifications would improve mail security by Colleen O'Hara The following is quote of one topic paragraph from the article: "Defining a Postmark One specification defines what a postmark, or evidence of postage, must look like. USPS has proposed that the new postmark contain a unique digital signature carried in a 2-D bar code. A new indicium substitutes for a postage stamp or postage meter impreint as evidence that postage was paid. Because of the information the indicium will contain, the agency will be better able to deter amil fraud as well as provide additional services, such as mail tracking and tracing, according to Roy Gordon, program manager for the agency's Information Based Indicia Program. 'USPS' inidtial strategy is to sample [letters] in the mail stream and scan on a random basis,' Gordon said. 'In the long term, it will scan 100 percent of the mail to deter fraud. The key is that it provides the USPS [with] the ability to provide additional services to carry that data with mail pieces.' " This whole article is probably a must read for anyone who is following or who is interested in what the postal history of the future will be like. Dale Eggen dreggen@accessnv.com ***************************************************************** People who do not give specific references are cowards who are trying to have an influence on peoples opinion by the manipulation of information to suit their own will. William Shakespear ***************************************************************** _____________________ PHILATELIC.COM-E-MAIL-SERVICE ____________________ * To reply in PRIVATE to the sender, you MUST use their email address. * Selecting REPLY will distribute a PUBLIC message. * Currently reaching over 300 Dealers and Collectors with your email post! __________________________________________________________________________ _/_/_/ _/_/_/ _/_/_/ http://www.philatelic.com _/_/_/ _/_/_/ _/_/_/