OT. New online postage stamps?

[Mark Goodge]

Why not? All it takes is an Internet connection at each office.

They don't need to catch it every time. They just need to catch it enough times to make it not worth the risk.

Mark

[bof]

I don't know, it seems just the same to me.

[tinnews]

Plus a lot of software and databases to be able to match things appearing on opposite sides of the country quickly.

[Mark Goodge]

Any client-server application with a central database can do that. As a coding exercise, it's trivial. The only problem is what happens when the connection goes down. But that's solvable by various means, so it's not a major issue.

Mark

[Roland Perry]

In message , at

10:30:06 on Wed, 20 Sep 2006, Mark Goodge remarked:

The main element of the solution at the sending end was that the franking machine only produced one "stamp" for each transaction. If you messed it up (for example, franked the print roller rather than a letter, it was just tough luck.

[Mark Goodge]

That's only the case with a traditional, pre-paid franking machine. Other systems allow multiple prints, and then validate after posting.

Mark

[Roland Perry]

In message , at 00:47:27 on Thu, 21 Sep 2006, Andy Hall remarked:

How come you haven't switched to an accountant who will accept scans of your invoices by email? That would be a logical part of this crusade you appear to be indulging in.

[manatbandq]

No friends to send birthday and xmas cards to?

MBQ

[Andy Hall]

My choice. It would take longer to put them all through the scanner.

[Andy Hall]

Absolutely, but they get emailed greetings and flowers or packs of booze as appropriate.

They are happy and it's vastly quicker.

I am surprised that greetings card companies are still in business.

[Ed Sirett]

Agreed. It could be even easier to track fraudsters down with this system, if the stamp included the sender's address.