2008/6/12 Jim Allan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > Dave Craven wrote: >> >> I dunno about Canadian, but for US address correction right from USPS, >> all you need is the ability to send and receive/parse XML. I've done it >> in other languages, but should be quite doable in something cross >> platform like perl. You need an account, which is free to set up, and >> are limited to 5 addresses at a time. > > A mailing list of 5 addresses isn't what I am talking about. > > Mail houses across the world use software to try to correct addresses in > files containing thousands or even millions of addresses at one shot for > mailings. At least in the US and in Canada the software is provided by > private companies whose correction software has been approved by the Postal > Services of the respective country. > > Usually the same company also provides approved postal sortation software. > This allows the mailer to sort the mail just as the post office would sort > it, and then drop the mail directly to the post office at a lower rate than > would otherwise apply. And the software also works out the cost of the > mailing. Generally speaking, for each mailing you must have at least a > thousand pieces. (You can also pay as though you had a thousand but mail > less, which is sometimes worth while.) > > The software along with upgrade files for correction and for postal sort > mailing approximately on a monthly basis from the post office is expensive > enough that even big companies often prefer to have a separate mailing house > do address correction and mail sortation for them. (Also the mailing house > is likely to have envelope stuffing equipment and printing abilities beyond > the company that it services.) > > Another service supplied is NCOA, which updates mailing lists by changing > address of people who have moved and either registered their address change > with the post office or registered that they do not wish their new address > to be recorded. See http://rescignos.com/NCOA.htm for information on US > NCOA. > > I believe there is no private company yet in Canada or in the US who > provides a Linux version of this software. There may not even be a Macintosh > version. I could be wrong, of course. I am sure that there will eventually > be such software available for Linux systems. > > Jim Allan >
Which company produces the mailing address correction software that you use? I will gladly write to them. I suggest that you do the same. Dotan Cohen http://what-is-what.com http://gibberish.co.il א-ב-ג-ד-ה-ו-ז-ח-ט-י-ך-כ-ל-ם-מ-ן-נ-ס-ע-ף-פ-ץ-צ-ק-ר-ש-ת A: Because it messes up the order in which people normally read text. Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing?
