@pesnta.UUCP (10/15/83)
I am not associated in any way with the U.S Postal Service, none of my relatives are so associated, in fact I don't know *anyone* associated with the postal service. BUT, I am getting weary of seeing the US Mail System referred to as some antiquated, unreliable system which pales into insignificance next to the incredible powers of UUCP, et al. I have sent a number of letters during my lifetime, and have not had a single one lost, or even insufferably delayed, even when I was using an APO in Korea. Yes, I know, there are a million horror stories out there, and I would never imply that the system is perfect, or even as good as it could be. I use electronic mail a lot, and probably enjoy using it more than the more traditional mail service. But the fact remains that the vast (*vast*, *VAST*) majority of mail gets delivered to the right place in a reasonable time. I don't need a $200,000 (or even a $1,000) piece of hardware to use it, and I can send mail to anyone, regardless of whether or not they have some corresponding piece of hardware. So let's not be chauvanistic about the mail system we use. It's great, but until there's a terminal in every home (and hotel room, etc), and maybe even then, we're going to need the paper version, at least to some extent. If this be electronic heresy, I plead guilty. Make the most of it. Comments, counter-flames, agreements welcome. Rick Wise ucbvax!decvax!harpo!seismo!rlgvax!cal-unix!wise