Re: [History] USPS tried to monopolize email? (c. 1981)

[jim bell <jimbell@pacifier.com>]

At 09:51 AM 5/2/96 -6, Peter Trei wrote:
> I've been trying to recall a nasty little episode from about 15 years ago.
>   Paul was adamant that the USPS would never seek a monopoly 
>position on any e-service. 
>
>   However, back in the early 80's (It had to be in the 1980-83 range, 
>I suspect  1981) I clearly remember a proposal that the USPS be 
>granted the monopoly status as email carrier that it then and 
>still enjoys for first class mail. As I recall, the proposal would 
>require email to be routed to the nearest post office to the 
>destination, and there printed and delivered as paper mail.
>
>   Needless to say, this did not happen. 

There was a service of this kind, that was implemented about that time frame (1982?).  Don't recall the name.  However, I don't think they got any kind of explicit monopoly.  It wasn't particularly successful, as I recall, probably because of the low penetration of computers into business during that time frame.  But it was probably intended as a way around the "chicken-and-egg" problem that you can't use email unless the the recipient does, etc.

Recall that the use of faxes "exploded" in about 1985:  Before this, faxes were rare and they were probably primarily used for inter-office communication. (If only 10% of the businesses own faxes, then only (10%x10%=1% of communications can be completed by fax;  If 90% have faxes, 90%x90%=81% can be.)  After this, and by about 1986 or so, just about every ad in industry-type magazines listed a fax number for communications. 
 We're seeing an echo of this for e-mail, 10 years later.  Within a year, it'll be rare to see an ad that _doesn't_ list an email address.  Jim Bell
jimbell@pacifier.com