mystery solved

yesterday i showed the two envelopes that arrived with JEAN on one and 420 on the other and a bar code. they were inspired by the ZIP + 4 + 420 that Smash sent. there was no return snail address...so i wasn't sure we would hear from the sender. below is the transcript of the comments in case readers don't go back and look at comments:

1. AnnieMay 18, 2013 at 11:12 AM

   So this means both postcards arrived to you by way of the barcode alone, pretty much?! You people are serious postal gamblers! lol

   ReplyDelete
2. 
   jean wilsonMay 18, 2013 at 2:05 PM

   yes... it must have been the bar code.
   now.....we have to figure out who the texan is.
   please drop us a *howdy* in the comment section :-)

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3. 
   SmashMay 18, 2013 at 10:46 PM

   IMb. Intelligent Mail Barcode. USPostal Service
   This is the smartest address ever...
   My guess is that this code was taken from a posted envelope to Jean
   Scanned into the computer and printed onto a new envelope and dropped into a mail box

   ReplyDelete
4. 
   SpammailgohereMay 19, 2013 at 12:20 AM

   I have been “pushing the envelope” of the post office for about 4 years now. Having sent out well over 100+ post cards with less than a 5% failure rate, I am very impressed with the ability of the Post Office and the carriers to deliver the mail. This particular test was to see if a post card with the least amount of information on it could be delivered. As you can see it did.
   
   The IMB (Intelligent Mail Barcode) was created using the USPS online encode/decode program. Jean’s address decodeed to:
   
   AFAATDDDFFTDFFAFFAFAATTATAAATFDDFDATATTAFFTFDATTDATDDAFTFDDDFTDDT
   
   After downloading the USPS IMB font, I just needed to print the IMB on the post card.
   
   How did it make it to Jean? The IMB was able to get the post card to the post office in Des Moines, then into the tray of the postal carrier, but if was up to the carrier to figure out the rest:)
   
   If you use a readable address, a zip+4, and either a POSTnet barcode or the IMB, you will have a 99.999% chance of that envelope being delivered. A readable address and Zip+4 might bump that percentage down to about 99%.

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   so...thank you SMGH - i need to let dave know that i appreciate his participation. it they had arrived on saturday, i'm not sure they would have made it to me.
   and...if you would like one of my old school thank you envelopes, just send me the old school info in an email to jmwilson411 (at) yahooDOTcom 
   
   
   the only other genius method i can think of would be carrier pigeon or perhaps a *fox* like the one they used in the Princess Bride. we do see a fox in our yard from time to time, but he doesn't seem to have any mail for me.