3 ms·

> Not sure if it's being exaggerated for comedic purposes but it is interesting to me how alien the act of sending a letter by post is to the author. It was pr

> Not sure if it's being exaggerated for comedic purposes but it is interesting to me how alien the act of sending a letter by post is to the author. It was pretty recognizable as trolling--the very good and clever "old school Internet" style of trolling where it sounds plausible and sincere, but then you get done reading it and say, "Oh lawd, he got me! Good one!" The kind of writing that people used to spend a lot of time perfecting on Slashdot. I refuse to believe there are adults out there where things like using a pen to write and mailing a letter are alien concepts that need to be learned. It was very earnestly written though, bravo!

petesergeant 2y ago
> I refuse to believe there are adults out there where things like using a pen to write and mailing a letter are alien concepts that need to be learned. Some adults were born in 2007
- xmprt 2y ago
  Younger than Gmail, YouTube, and the iPhone.
  - layer8 2y ago
    The iPhone is not yet 18.
    - adastra22 2y ago
      By only two months.
- bigstrat2003 2y ago
  Anyone, even someone born in 2007, should know how to use pen and paper. This is a basic component of being an educated person, not knowing how to do that is as shocking as being illiterate.
  - petesergeant 2y ago
    Sure. But why are they mailing letters? I remember being 18 myself (a looong time ago), and having a helpful adult shocked that nobody had ever taught me how to write a check. I think I've written a total of 8 in my whole life now?
    - Symbiote 2y ago
      If a British 12 year old today were to need to write a cheque, I'd expect they would need to look up or be told how it's done. I wouldn't expect them to need to buy a pen first, or to need several attempts to write 10 words nearly.
      - adastra22 2y ago
        You messed up typing nearly though.
bongodongobob 2y ago
> I refuse to believe there are adults out there where things like using a pen to write and mailing a letter are alien concepts that need to be learned. Well, believe it. I'm in my 40s and haven't written a letter since I was a kid. Why would I ever have to? Ask someone who was born in 2003 if they've ever written and mailed a letter. 99% are going to say no.
- programjames 2y ago
  As someone born in 2003, I did this just last week when filing my tax returns.
  - Suppafly 2y ago
    >As someone born in 2003, I did this just last week when filing my tax returns. Why didn't you efile like a normal person? The only time you need to do it the hard way is if you are under 16 and filing for the first time.
    - tart-lemonade 2y ago
      I had to file by mail because I moved to a new state and got 2 W-2s for the same job, of which the W-2 for the former state left the federal fields (1-13) blank. This weird W-2 apparently makes me ineligible for e-file. Edit: In hindsight, I could have just waited until the start of 2025 to update my address in the HR system and gotten a single, normal W-2, but then I would be both violating the remote work rules (by not adding my new work location) and (probably) committing tax fraud.
    - adastra22 2y ago
      There is a lot of stuff that can make you ineligible for efiling.anything exceptional and not handled by the standard form requires efiling. They only just recently dropped the requirement for 83(b) elections to be sent in with your tax return, and until then I had to send in a paper return every time I did that.
  - pbhjpbhj 2y ago
dheera 2y ago
Once I had to send an international RMA that they wouldn't pay for the shipping. It went something like this: 0. Went to Fedex to check on the shipping cost for this tiny box. It was $120 so I passed 1. Went to USPS, found that they were closed, the only option was a 30 minute line to use the machine. Lined up for 30 minutes, found that it the goddamn UI on the machine did not support international shipments. 2. Went home to generate a USPS international shipping label. $25, much more acceptable. FedEx should be out of business. 3. I didn't have a 2D printer at home, tried to 3D print the shipping label with 1 layer of white and 1 layer of black but it wasn't high resolution enough in the X/Y direction for the label to be readable so I gave up 4. Went to FedEx to use their 2D printers but realized I forgot my USB drive at home 5. Went home to get my USB drive 6. Back to FedEx, realized I forgot my mask (this was COVID times, so no go) 7. Went home to get my mask 8. Back to FedEx, printed the 2D shipping label 9. Back to USPS, found out they had no tape 10. Back to FedEx to buy a roll of tape because I don't know where the hell else to buy tape same day, and all my tape at home are electrical tape, teflon tape, or Gorilla tape 11. Back to USPS and the stupid package drop box had a mechanical issue preventing it from opening more than a few cm, not enough to fit my package 12. Went to another USPS to drop the package
- processunknown 2y ago
  > 3. I didn't have a 2D printer at home, tried to 3D print the shipping label This sentence really captures the absurdity of this story.
  - genewitch 2y ago
    Could have 3D printed a pen holder for the 3D printer and then used the 3D printer as a plotter to write the address on a sticker or the envelope itself. Right?
    - genewitch 2y ago
      https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3712501 https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3712501
- 2y ago

petesergeant 2y ago

> I refuse to believe there are adults out there where things like using a pen to write and mailing a letter are alien concepts that need to be learned. Some adults were born in 2007

xmprt 2y ago
Younger than Gmail, YouTube, and the iPhone.
- layer8 2y ago
  The iPhone is not yet 18.
  - adastra22 2y ago
    By only two months.
bigstrat2003 2y ago
Anyone, even someone born in 2007, should know how to use pen and paper. This is a basic component of being an educated person, not knowing how to do that is as shocking as being illiterate.
- petesergeant 2y ago
  Sure. But why are they mailing letters? I remember being 18 myself (a looong time ago), and having a helpful adult shocked that nobody had ever taught me how to write a check. I think I've written a total of 8 in my whole life now?
  - Symbiote 2y ago
    If a British 12 year old today were to need to write a cheque, I'd expect they would need to look up or be told how it's done. I wouldn't expect them to need to buy a pen first, or to need several attempts to write 10 words nearly.
    - adastra22 2y ago
      You messed up typing nearly though.

bongodongobob 2y ago

> I refuse to believe there are adults out there where things like using a pen to write and mailing a letter are alien concepts that need to be learned. Well, believe it. I'm in my 40s and haven't written a letter since I was a kid. Why would I ever have to? Ask someone who was born in 2003 if they've ever written and mailed a letter. 99% are going to say no.

programjames 2y ago
As someone born in 2003, I did this just last week when filing my tax returns.
- Suppafly 2y ago
  >As someone born in 2003, I did this just last week when filing my tax returns. Why didn't you efile like a normal person? The only time you need to do it the hard way is if you are under 16 and filing for the first time.
  - tart-lemonade 2y ago
    I had to file by mail because I moved to a new state and got 2 W-2s for the same job, of which the W-2 for the former state left the federal fields (1-13) blank. This weird W-2 apparently makes me ineligible for e-file. Edit: In hindsight, I could have just waited until the start of 2025 to update my address in the HR system and gotten a single, normal W-2, but then I would be both violating the remote work rules (by not adding my new work location) and (probably) committing tax fraud.
  - adastra22 2y ago
    There is a lot of stuff that can make you ineligible for efiling.anything exceptional and not handled by the standard form requires efiling. They only just recently dropped the requirement for 83(b) elections to be sent in with your tax return, and until then I had to send in a paper return every time I did that.
- pbhjpbhj 2y ago

dheera 2y ago

Once I had to send an international RMA that they wouldn't pay for the shipping. It went something like this: 0. Went to Fedex to check on the shipping cost for this tiny box. It was $120 so I passed 1. Went to USPS, found that they were closed, the only option was a 30 minute line to use the machine. Lined up for 30 minutes, found that it the goddamn UI on the machine did not support international shipments. 2. Went home to generate a USPS international shipping label. $25, much more acceptable. FedEx should be out of business. 3. I didn't have a 2D printer at home, tried to 3D print the shipping label with 1 layer of white and 1 layer of black but it wasn't high resolution enough in the X/Y direction for the label to be readable so I gave up 4. Went to FedEx to use their 2D printers but realized I forgot my USB drive at home 5. Went home to get my USB drive 6. Back to FedEx, realized I forgot my mask (this was COVID times, so no go) 7. Went home to get my mask 8. Back to FedEx, printed the 2D shipping label 9. Back to USPS, found out they had no tape 10. Back to FedEx to buy a roll of tape because I don't know where the hell else to buy tape same day, and all my tape at home are electrical tape, teflon tape, or Gorilla tape 11. Back to USPS and the stupid package drop box had a mechanical issue preventing it from opening more than a few cm, not enough to fit my package 12. Went to another USPS to drop the package

processunknown 2y ago
> 3. I didn't have a 2D printer at home, tried to 3D print the shipping label This sentence really captures the absurdity of this story.
- genewitch 2y ago
  Could have 3D printed a pen holder for the 3D printer and then used the 3D printer as a plotter to write the address on a sticker or the envelope itself. Right?
  - genewitch 2y ago
    https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3712501 https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3712501
2y ago