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Archiver > TMG > 2004-12 > 1104329678


From: "Karen McKellar" <>
Subject: Re: [TMG] State Names & Abbreviations
Date: Wed, 29 Dec 2004 09:14:38 -0500
References: <200412261735.iBQHZBIo030582@mail.rootsweb.com> <01c201c4ed51$13086e30$51b4b8a1@seanixxolmzp0y> <6.0.0.22.2.20041228234142.03e1ff68@mail.bellsouth.net> <BAY3-DAV91DB92FC961BF7CE19205CA9B0@phx.gbl>


When I started using a computer for my genealogy research -- nearly 30 years
ago, I used abbreviations due to limited space on disks and program
limitations.

I since have changed them all too the full state name. The following is
actually a true happening. Carol's post reminds me of our office
secretary. She was looking everywhere for the state abbreviation for New
England. Seriously, she really thought New England was a state -- the 51st
I guess or perhaps the 1st would be more appropriate. I didn't ask her what
city in the State of New England she was looking for.

Saddest of all was that this woman was making $45,000+ per year and our
skilled labourers were making much less.

If you promise to be, good I'll tell you about the printer always printing
addresses on envelopes up-side-down.

Cheers.

Karen







----- Original Message -----
From: "Carol Lucian" <>
To: <>
Sent: Wednesday, December 29, 2004 3:01 AM
Subject: Re: [TMG]


>A couple of years ago, I went into my local post office in a suburb of
>Louisville, KY and told the clerk I needed an international airmail stamp
>for a letter I was sending to Italy. She asked, "Is that in England?"
>
> Carol
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Lee Hoffman<mailto:>
> To: <mailto:>
> Sent: Tuesday, December 28, 2004 11:52 PM
> Subject: Re: [TMG]
>
>
> Peter & Doreen Neilley wrote:
> >Another example, I think, is AB - here in Canada it means Alberta. In
> the US
> >it stands for Alabama - or at least the US Post Office seems to think
> so - I
> >had something sent to AB Canada from the Internet and finally tracked it
> >down when it went to Alabama! So I NEVER abbreviate things in my family
> >history database. (Of course, there was also the time that my sea
> shipment
> >of household goods for Moura, Queensland, Australia, went via Moura,
> >Portugal first! And that was with nothing abbreviated, as far as I
> know.)
> >Sincerely, Doreen Neilley
>
>
> When the US Post Office sees any abbreviation, it seems to be very
> US-only
> oriented. So since they know that many people in the US do not know the
> proper postal abbreviations for states, they think no one does and thus
> interpret whatever abbreviation is there as a US state abbreviation. I
> sent a letter to South Australia with the address showing as:
> City, SA
> Australia
> The letter wound up in South Dakota before someone noted that they could
> not deliver the letter there. So they sent it back as "Undeliverable, no
> such address". Thjis even though I have placed the correct international
> postage on the letter. I don't know what they thought "Australia"
> meant. <AARGGHH>. I finally removed all abbreviations and the letter
> went
> properly.
>
>
> Lee Hoffman/KY
> TMG Tips: <http://www.tmgtips.com<http://www.tmgtips.com/>>;
> My website:
> <http://www.tmgtips.com/lhoffman<http://www.tmgtips.com/lhoffman>>;
> A user of the best genealogy program, The Master Genealogist (TMG)
>
>
>
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