WEBPOINTERS : POSTAL, SHIPPING WEB SITES DELIVER.Byline: Kitty Williams The other day the instructor began class by handing out a list of students with their telephone numbers and addresses. I was mildly distressed to see that my address was the only one without a four-digit extension to the ZIP code zip code System of postal-zone codes (zip stands for “zone improvement plan”) introduced in the U.S. in 1963 to improve mail delivery and exploit electronic reading and sorting capabilities. . My distress was mild, I repeat, because the friendly mail carriers at our small rural post office have the time and the inclination to figure out inaccurate and incomplete addresses. Just before Christmas, for example, we received a letter from an old friend in England addressed to ``Hope Springs, VA 23103.'' Hope Springs is the name of our place in the country, not the name of a village or a street, but the letter got there. Still, I do know how to get my full ZIP code. A few weeks ago, getting the ZIP code for a letter I wanted to mail, I visited the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. Postal Service's Web site, and I was delighted by the experience. Getting the information on the Internet is a major improvement. Type the street address and state you're checking in the electronic form, and you get the ZIP code. The venerable old post office isn't the only shipper SHIPPER. One who ships or puts goods on board of a vessel, to be carried to another place during her voyage. In general, the shipper is bound to pay for the hire of the vessel, or the freight of the goods. 1 Bouv. Inst. n. 1030. to benefit from new technology. Indeed, shippers have enjoyed more positive impact and cost-cutting from the Net than most industries. The Federal Express site is terrific, with lots of on-line services, including downloadable software and package tracking. The United Parcel Service United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE: UPS), commonly referred to as UPS, is the world's largest package delivery company, delivering more than 15 million packages[1] a day to 6.1 million customers in over 200 countries and territories around the world. home page doesn't look quite as snazzy snaz·zy adj. snaz·zi·er, snaz·zi·est Slang Fashionable or flashy. [Origin unknown.] snaz as the FedEx page, but it's quite respectable. In fact, its simplicity may work in its favor. You'll find most of the same links found on the competition's site: drop-off locater, package tracking and downloadable software. Bookmark A stored location for quick retrieval at a later date. Web browsers provide bookmarks that contain the addresses (URLs) of favorite sites. Most electronic references, large text databases and help systems provide bookmarks that mark a location users want to revisit in the future. all three home pages and return whenever you need information or service, on a personal or business level. It sure beats waiting on hold on the telephone, punching through the interminable in·ter·mi·na·ble adj. 1. Being or seeming to be without an end; endless. See Synonyms at continual. 2. Tiresomely long; tedious. in·ter options of voice mail, or standing in the lobby waiting for the next available customer representative. Columns are archived at http://www.webpointers.com. Feedback is welcome. E-mail catbirdwebpointers.com. They are distributed by Hope Springs Press. ADDRESS BOOK USPS (1) (Uninterruptible Switching Power Supply) A power supply for a computer that contains its own battery and uninterruptible power supply (UPS) circuitry. See power supply and UPS. Home Page http://www.usps.gov/ International Rates and Fees http://www.usps.gov/consumer/95intlr.htm Movers Net http://www.usps.gov/moversnet FedEx http://www.fedex.com/ UPS Home Page http://www.ups.com CAPTION(S): Box Box: ADDRESS BOOK (see text) |
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