Back in Febuary the GAO gave the US Postal Service failing grades. But since then, there has been no news. Anyone know what's going on with these folks?

-- Watcher7 (anon@anon.com), September 04, 1999

Answers

Watcher,

Not sure, but the boys in "lite" blue could give new meaning to the phrase "going postal" in the near future.

-- Occupant / Current Resident (stamp lickin@good.com), September 04, 1999.

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Very good question, I have been wondering the same thing myself and haven't been able to find anything new. In mid-August I inquired at the local post office and they just said..(and you guessed it Mr. North) ..... "We're working on it." Those exact words.

-- Norm (Prez22@aol.com), September 04, 1999.

Watcher, the GAO put out a report on High Impact Federal programs or their lack thereof at http://www.house.gov/reform/gmit/y2k/HighImpact.pdf

No I first saw this chart about August 19th posted at North's site, I made some notes from it, including the fact that the Post Office is listed as completion date "UNKNOWN". The chart I saw is somewhat different than the one you will go to now, it previously had some notes at the bottom and it indicated that the date of the report had to be mid-June, 1999. Those footnotes are gone now, though the Post Office and its big list of outside dependencies are still listed as unknown! Better buy some ponies!!

-- rumdoodles (rumdoodles@yahoo.com), September 04, 1999.

Given the observed behavior of many government agencies in recent months, one would normally think that if the Postal Service WAS compliant, they would be bragging about it openly...

Uhhh... has anyone gone to their web site lately? I haven't.

Ed

-- Ed Yourdon (HumptyDumptyY2K@yourdon.com), September 04, 1999.

BigDog did an excellent treatise on the USPS -

essentially they are TOAST...

it's in the archives somewhere and well worth the read...

-- andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), September 04, 1999.

This is an e-mail from a friend, whom I trust, weighing in from the Washington D.C. area, and who prefers to remain anon.

This individual works for the U.S. Postal Service.

Subject: U.S. Postal Service Ready
Date: Sat, 4 Sep 1999 18:16:36 -0500

[snip]

Official line at the postal service: We are ready, everything is fine don't worry about it. Your POSTAL SERVICE is going to be there for you. Everything will work.

Reality: Postal Service is just now done with assessment of their facilities.

 Many things have been looked at but are not nearly completed.
 At the plant level people are still clueless.
 A great looking Year 2000 Video, in fancy packaging, has been send out to the plants and they have been surveyed. This data is now being analyzed. Yes, just now.
 Personal Computers have been checked nationwide for Y2K BIOS problems. However, a nationwide Y2K update on their Windows 95 platform has not been distributed.
 Facilities are pretty much on their own when it comes to all this.
 Main Items that are being looked at are Alarm Systems and Fire Safety Systems.

You may ask: Will the postal service be able to continue their mission after 01.01.00?

Answer: Most likely. But in a decreased fashion.

Bottom line: Don't believe all the things that are being spouted by their official line.

[snip]

###

Indicated a few other details, that were not for public consumption. Not great newz!

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), September 04, 1999.

The Post Office, who spent millions on a new telephone system designed to keep you from calling your local office (try calling sometime - if you are willing to give your mothers maiden name, your age, height, weight, and can name any Clinton appointee who has not been indicted, they will take your name and someone will call you back. I went to the PO and asked why they no longer had a local number and was told: Oh! we cant give out that number, were busy enough as it is!) Anyway... this arrogant pack of fools has equipped every PO with a countdown clock!

Dont worry about me, though, I have my checks electronically deposited at my bank. Yessireee, Im safe from the Post Office!

The Steam Man

-- Harvey Fartz (Steam_Man@Hotmail.com), September 04, 1999.

Bwaaaaahahahahahahaha. Enough said?

-- FLAME AWAY (BLehman202@aol.com), September 04, 1999.

As Ed suggests, the fact that the P.O. isn't "bragging", like the FAA and some of the others, is bad news for the good guys (us). This is critical U.S. infrastructure, laugh at them though we do. If business confidence in the current unreliable-reliability of the mail is lost, even a recession spirals downward quickly.

OTOH, if the Net stays up, entrepreneurs who can seize the opp'y will make colossal sums of money (or whatever passes for money) "delivering the mail".

-- BigDog (BigDog@duffer.com), September 04, 1999.

Heard that Wells Fargo was wanting to run ads that they were compliant - maybe they can bring back their Pony Express and Covered Wagons.

-- dw (y2k@outhere.com), September 05, 1999.

* * * 19990905 Sunday

Let's appoint Kevin Costner to "Post-Y2K-master General" of the USPS!

Regrds, Bob Mangus

* * *

-- Robert Mangus (rmangus@hotmail.com), September 05, 1999.

USPS may or may not be ready to handle and deliver the mail OK, but they're pushing hard to gather a national database of the actual physical residence on everyone on the country.

Started with P.O. Box holders, now PMBs at CMRAs, next those using office suites, next office mates, next roomates.
Proof of residence such as rent receipts, utility bills, etc., required or your mail will be "Returned to Sender."

One more reason I'm hoping for a 9 or a 10.

http://www.postalwatch.org
http://www.cato.org/pubs/briefs/bp-048es.html


-- A (A@AisA.com), September 05, 1999.

Nine Fingers used to post and respond, and I believe he works for the USPS. Any news Nine?

-- Vic (Roadrunner@compliant.com), September 05, 1999.

Here in NW OH the local countdown clock still works, but the PO employees ignore it, so every once in a while I'll remind them it's there with a rhyme, e.g.:

"133 days 'til New York is ablaze."

I suspect important mail will be given priority for extra $$ postage, but junk mail will be toast.

My local post office has implemented new restrictions on their back entrance and loading dock. No nonpostal worker can be admitted.

There are new, red warning signs above and on the doors. Real friendly, huh?

Time is running out!

-- Randolph (dinosaur@williams-net.com), September 05, 1999.

I'm a letter carrier for the USPS in a midwest town of about 60,000. About a month ago, I asked an employee in our office (who handles all personnel matters with headquarters in Minnesota, places all orders of supplies, a copy of every piece of paperwork pertaining to the operation of our office crosses his desk)....I asked him how we are doing with the Y2K problem. He said..."Oh, I haven't heard anything yet. I just thought they would send me new software". Knowing how the USPS upper-management has worked in the past with deadlines, I'm positive SWHTF come J

-- BParker (BParker201@aol.com), September 06, 1999.