Poll of the Day > A millennial co-worker ask me how to address and send an envelope.

(+) Yeah! (+)

I was so amazed I just stared at her, speechless. She literally had never done it before, and did not know how to do it. I showed her, and told her how to mail it.

The mind bottles.
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Yesterday was the first time anyone at my work had bibimbap (boomer, millennial, and maybe Gen Z or super young millennial, not sure how old the intern is).

I only had it 4 times before, but they were asking me all about it (spiciness, how to eat it, which one to pick). I'm not even Korean.
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ive never even heard of bibimbap
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It's like rice, meat, veggies, and a fried egg usually, with a spicy sauce. Some places serve it in a hot stone bowl, and you mix it (as you would for a burrito bowl, poki, etc.).
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Oh no, someone didn't know how to do something that's rarely done anymore! What a surprising thing! That person must've been a moron!
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SpeedDemon20 posted...

It's like rice, meat, veggies, and a fried egg usually, with a spicy sauce. Some places serve it in a hot stone bowl, and you mix it (as you would for a burrito bowl, poki, etc.).

So fried rice with a sauce?

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SunWuKung420 posted...

SpeedDemon20 posted...

It's like rice, meat, veggies, and a fried egg usually, with a spicy sauce. Some places serve it in a hot stone bowl, and you mix it (as you would for a burrito bowl, poki, etc.).

So fried rice with a sauce?

No, bibimbap is made with white, sticky rice.
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SunWuKung420 posted...

So fried rice with a sauce?

No. Bibimbap

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SpeedDemon20 posted...

Yesterday was the first time anyone at my work had bibimbap (boomer, millennial, and maybe Gen Z or super young millennial, not sure how old the intern is).

I only had it 4 times before, but they were asking me all about it (spiciness, how to eat it, which one to pick). I'm not even Korean.

I think thats different, though. Its a specific type of food. Many people have not heard of certain foods. And may not have tried it, either. Sometimes, its because of types of food they had in the house as a child, or what they grew up eating. Mailing a letter is different. While its not used very much anymore, it is still used sometimes.

GarbageApe posted...

I was so amazed I just stared at her, speechless. She literally had never done it before, and did not know how to do it. I showed her, and told her how to mail it.

The mind bottles.

It is a little weird. But its possible they never had to ever mail anything depending on their lives. Ive mailed plenty of stuff as a child, and wrote letters at the age of 20 when I was in BMT. What I think is a little weird is that some younger folks dont know how to use cash at a gas station. Especially since theres a building...
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Younger people are unfamiliar with obsolete technology. News at 11.
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GarbageApe posted...

The mind bottles.

Speaking of not possessing common knowledge from prior generations, the word you're looking for would be "boggles."
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EvilMegas posted...

Younger people are unfamiliar with obsolete technology. News at 11.

Hardly obsolete if the person in question was being forced to use it for something in spite of not knowing how.

It's one thing to assume people under 20 shouldn't know what VHS tapes are or floppy discs or 8-tracks or whatever, but physical mail is still a thing no matter how often people are texting or e-mailing or whatever instead.
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It should be taught but people forget it.
I usually find a piece of mail so someone can see properly how it's done instead of me just telling them so they can forget it.

Using cash though, that's scary. Young kids really take security for granted. It scares me when someone can't pay cause all they have is apple pay on their phone. They are mostly adults, but that to me is a child/teen. An adult isn't reliant on so many things.

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ParanoidObsessive posted...

EvilMegas posted...

Younger people are unfamiliar with obsolete technology. News at 11.

Hardly obsolete if the person in question was being forced to use it for something in spite of not knowing how.

It's one thing to assume people under 20 shouldn't know what VHS tapes are or floppy discs or 8-tracks or whatever, but physical mail is still a thing no matter how often people are texting or e-mailing or whatever instead.

The only reason we have physical mail anymore is because people don't know how to let it go .

Anything you can or have to mail can be done 100 times more efficiently via email. Doing any business with physical mail or fax fir thst matter is dumb.

Edit: I have yet to receive a piece of mail in the last decade that couldn't have got via email. Court summons, security clearance documents, social replacement, child's insurance all of it coulda been scanned and sent faster and safer.
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Yesterday, my wife got what looked like a handwritten envelope (no return address) with a pre-approved loan letter. Sad and hilarious.

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LinkPizza posted...

I think thats different, though. Its a specific type of food. Many people have not heard of certain foods. And may not have tried it, either. Sometimes, its because of types of food they had in the house as a child, or what they grew up eating.

That's fair. I was just surprised because there's such a variety of food in the area. But I watch a lot of food videos and actively search for new places to try. I'm really into trying new foods, but I have met some people who refuse to try anything they've never had before (met one guy who never had eggplant!).

Everyone liked the bibimbap yesterday. Next time, I'm taking them out for Japanese curry. Or bun bo hue. Not sure. I should make a list.
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This happened.
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EvilMegas posted...

The only reason we have physical mail anymore is because people don't know how to let it go.

The main reason we still have physical mail is because we have yet to develop a teleporter.

Regardless of whether or not you personally believe that all documentation and paperwork should be exclusively digital (and like it or not, there ARE reasons why physical copies of things are still useful or important), we still need an infrastructure for shipping things. Granted, you could argue that people should use FedEx or UPS or whatever instead of the US Post Office, but it all really falls under the same umbrella (and you're still going to need to know how to fill out addresses for FedEx or UPS unless you're letting the cashier at the shipping depot fill one out for you... but you can do that at the post office as well).

Until we figure out a means of delivering tangible product that doesn't involve physically shipping it from one place to another, there'll always be at least some need for the infrastructure to do so.

And regardless of whether or not you believe that no one should ever need to send paperwork of any kind through the mail, the fact remains that you don't actually live in that world. There WILL still be instances when you need to send something, even if you do all of your messaging, banking, and bill-paying online.
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i still send my grandkids checks in the mail for their birthdays and they love it
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EvilMegas posted...

ParanoidObsessive posted...

Hardly obsolete if the person in question was being forced to use it for something in spite of not knowing how.

It's one thing to assume people under 20 shouldn't know what VHS tapes are or floppy discs or 8-tracks or whatever, but physical mail is still a thing no matter how often people are texting or e-mailing or whatever instead.

The only reason we have physical mail anymore is because people don't know how to let it go .

Anything you can or have to mail can be done 100 times more efficiently via email. Doing any business with physical mail or fax fir thst matter is dumb.

Edit: I have yet to receive a piece of mail in the last decade that couldn't have got via email. Court summons, security clearance documents, social replacement, child's insurance all of it coulda been scanned and sent faster and safer.

That depends on certain things. For example, I had to sign something for my car loan. The original thing they sent through physical mail. After signing it, I would have to either send it back snail mail or fax. And most people dont have fax machines. So, regular mail it was. There was no way to email it back. Thats what they said, at least. And then, they tried to send it to me through email. But I dont have a printer. And I couldnt use my work computer because it wouldnt load it up for whatever reason. And if it did, I would have still had to mail it back, apparently.

Then, there are things like BMT. It has changed some, but I know people were still mailing letters from there some years ago. We really didnt get to have cell phones and laptops while in BMT. Though, they do now, from what I hear...

There are also people without cell phones or computers. And it may cost to much, or not be worth it to them. So, it works for them...

Oh. Also, I think they do it for you last pay stub from places... And your last tax info...

Holiday and birthday cards, as well. My grandma sends them out all the time.

SpeedDemon20 posted...

LinkPizza posted...

I think thats different, though. Its a specific type of food. Many people have not heard of certain foods. And may not have tried it, either. Sometimes, its because of types of food they had in the house as a child, or what they grew up eating.

That's fair. I was just surprised because there's such a variety of food in the area. But I watch a lot of food videos and actively search for new places to try. I'm really into trying new foods, but I have met some people who refuse to try anything they've never had before (met one guy who never had eggplant!).

Everyone liked the bibimbap yesterday. Next time, I'm taking them out for Japanese curry. Or bun bo hue. Not sure. I should make a list.

Yeah. A lot of people dont like to change it up. Im not usually surprised when someone hasnt had something. Even common things. Like I know many people who havent had eggplant. Its all about what you like and stuff. And some people even avoid certain things. Other times, its food that arent in a lot of stuff. For example, I dont really see that many restaurants serving eggplant dishes, or dishes with eggplant. Some places do, but not many around here. Many people dont even like common things like onions and tomatoes...
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I think the only snail mail I've sent in the past year that I didn't print a label or use an SASE but had to write out the address by hand was for a rebate from Menards.

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captpackrat posted...

Menards

"What a pirate says when he's been kicked in the groin"

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Mead posted...

This happened.

I just realized it didn't.

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USER INFO: GARBAGEAPE

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don't noobshame
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EvilMegas posted...

The only reason we have physical mail anymore is because people don't know how to let it go .

There are still people who don't have regular access to the internet out there. They'd still need physical mail.
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PMarth2002 posted...

EvilMegas posted...

The only reason we have physical mail anymore is because people don't know how to let it go .

There are still people who don't have regular access to the internet out there. They'd still need physical mail.

Who even likes those people
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Any millenial would have googled it, topic is fake.
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GarbageApe posted...

I was so amazed I just stared at her, speechless. She literally had never done it before, and did not know how to do it. I showed her, and told her how to mail it.

The mind bottles.

Should've told her to google it and laugh at her...
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Blighboy posted...

Any millenial would have googled it, topic is fake.

Actually a good point

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Blighboy posted...

Any millenial would have googled it, topic is fake.

I do this every time I mail a package just to be safe

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So? For a long time I didnt know how to properly do it either, since I had done it so seldom.

You shouldnt give people shit for asking how to do something they dont know. Its better to ask and get help than to fuck it up.

Just because something might seem easy to you, dont take for granted that not everyone knows everything that you do.
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EvilMegas posted...

Younger people are unfamiliar with obsolete technology. News at 11.

It's... not really obsolete though. It's still used as the primary method of sending physical documents and stuff. It's unlikely to ever be really obsolete so long as physical letters/bills/other stuff need to be delivered either. Less relevant, sure, but unlikely to be obsolete. Plus it's something that's, well, all over the place. Plenty of envelopes either have the lines right on the box/front or show an outright completed letter and there's still tons of physical letters and whatnot. Plus a lot of people are really familiar with things like letters to Santa and whatnot. So... yea.

TBH, this is less a 'millennial' problem and more something specific to this one person.
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everyone has to learn somewhere.

at least you helped her with it.
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I doubt I have mailed 5 things in the last decade, and I can't remember any specifically. It's highly likely that even someone who is 30 at this point might not ever have mailed a letter.
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wolfy42 posted...

I doubt I have mailed 5 things in the last decade, and I can't remember any specifically. It's highly likely that even someone who is 30 at this point might not ever have mailed a letter.

30 a little high. Maybe like mid 20s...
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Maybe next she'll ask you how to send a telegram

imagine these fucking millenials
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lihlih posted...

Oh no, someone didn't know how to do something that's rarely done anymore! What a surprising thing! That person must be a moron!

Yeah ive actually forgotton how to do it before and needed a reminder cause of how little ive done it in life
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I hope the mail system never dies.
I can put important letters and information in plain site without it getting in the way; it's a great reminder of car insurance being due, etc.
Idk how many times I've forgotten about saved/starred emails...

I also prefer physical media than digital. It's much easier to browse for myself with all the colors, manuals, etc.

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pedro45 posted...

manuals

I wish

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I have recieved mail from other people, but honestly before my wife passed, I had her write out any mail (her handwriting was better then mine) and since I just have not needed to.

It's probably been 15+ years since I mailed anything, maybe even all the way back when I got married 20 years ago.

So yeah, I could totally see someone in their early 30's who never actually mailed something, since the internet and email has been around their entire adult life.
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wolfy42 posted...

I have recieved mail from other people, but honestly before my wife passed, I had her write out any mail (her handwriting was better then mine) and since I just have not needed to.

It's probably been 15+ years since I mailed anything, maybe even all the way back when I got married 20 years ago.

So yeah, I could totally see someone in their early 30's who never actually mailed something, since the internet and email has been around their entire adult life.

Sure. But I'm 30. And I know people in my age group were around during the times of mailing. I use to receive letters from friends in camp all the time. And smart phones weren't really a thing until maybe a little after high school. Even during early high school, not many people would even text. I was one of the few. I don't really see anyone in their early 30s, or older than me (again, I'm 30) who never mailed anything. Or were around during those times and know how to mail. Maybe some years younger, but no early 30s. That one is hard to see. There are probably a few because there are always a few. But I don't think it's anywhere near a majority...

For my age group, other than calling, people didn't really have many other ways of communicating long distance... Letters were good for when you don't have much time to talk on the phones. And I think people around my age were usually encouraged to get pen pals and stuff...
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LinkPizza posted...

wolfy42 posted...

I have recieved mail from other people, but honestly before my wife passed, I had her write out any mail (her handwriting was better then mine) and since I just have not needed to.

It's probably been 15+ years since I mailed anything, maybe even all the way back when I got married 20 years ago.

So yeah, I could totally see someone in their early 30's who never actually mailed something, since the internet and email has been around their entire adult life.

Sure. But I'm 30. And I know people in my age group were around during the times of mailing. I use to receive letters from friends in camp all the time. And smart phones weren't really a thing until maybe a little after high school. Even during early high school, not many people would even text. I was one of the few. I don't really see anyone in their early 30s, or older than me (again, I'm 30) who never mailed anything. Or were around during those times and know how to mail. Maybe some years younger, but no early 30s. That one is hard to see. There are probably a few because there are always a few. But I don't think it's anywhere near a majority...

For my age group, other than calling, people didn't really have many other ways of communicating long distance... Letters were good for when you don't have much time to talk on the phones. And I think people around my age were usually encouraged to get pen pals and stuff...

Im a about the same age and dont recall smart phones at all in highschool but everyone and their brother was texting. BlackBerry and those phones that slid upon to reveal a keyboard where all the rage when I was in school.
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The BlackBerry was a smartphone

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Metalsonic66 posted...

The BlackBerry was a smartphone

It was? Never owned one. Used a friends to make a phone call once and hated the thing

When I think smary phone i think touch screen
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Yeah, after the iPhone came out, the industry shifted in that direction.

But the BlackBerry at the time was popular with people who needed to send emails and stuff like that on the go.

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mooreandrew58 posted...

LinkPizza posted...

wolfy42 posted...

I have recieved mail from other people, but honestly before my wife passed, I had her write out any mail (her handwriting was better then mine) and since I just have not needed to.

It's probably been 15+ years since I mailed anything, maybe even all the way back when I got married 20 years ago.

So yeah, I could totally see someone in their early 30's who never actually mailed something, since the internet and email has been around their entire adult life.

Sure. But I'm 30. And I know people in my age group were around during the times of mailing. I use to receive letters from friends in camp all the time. And smart phones weren't really a thing until maybe a little after high school. Even during early high school, not many people would even text. I was one of the few. I don't really see anyone in their early 30s, or older than me (again, I'm 30) who never mailed anything. Or were around during those times and know how to mail. Maybe some years younger, but no early 30s. That one is hard to see. There are probably a few because there are always a few. But I don't think it's anywhere near a majority...

For my age group, other than calling, people didn't really have many other ways of communicating long distance... Letters were good for when you don't have much time to talk on the phones. And I think people around my age were usually encouraged to get pen pals and stuff...

Im a about the same age and dont recall smart phones at all in highschool but everyone and their brother was texting. BlackBerry and those phones that slid upon to reveal a keyboard where all the rage when I was in school.

Yeah. Smartphone with touch screens weren't really a thing until some years after high school. I didn't really see them until like I was in the military. Though, some people did have blackberry phones. Not many. For texting, I mean the first couple of years. I use to text, but not many did at first. But during y junior and senior year, it became a bigger thing...
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lihlih posted...

Oh no, someone didn't know how to do something that's rarely done anymore! What a surprising thing! That person must be a moron!

It's certainly something that should be basic knowledge regardless. Still we live and learn so eh.

mooreandrew58 posted...

Yeah ive actually forgotton how to do it before and needed a reminder cause of how little ive done it in life

Sometimes I need a memory refresh on things like this too. That's what google is for though. If I don't have internet access then asking someone isn't a issue.
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So much discussion about a fictional event.

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wwinterj25 posted...

lihlih posted...

Oh no, someone didn't know how to do something that's rarely done anymore! What a surprising thing! That person must be a moron!

It's certainly something that should be basic knowledge regardless. Still we live and learn so eh.

mooreandrew58 posted...

Yeah ive actually forgotton how to do it before and needed a reminder cause of how little ive done it in life

Sometimes I need a memory refresh on things like this too. That's what google is for though. If I don't have internet access then asking someone isn't a issue.

It's something that is almost never done anymore. Though oddly had to help my 9 year old niece with it cause she wanted to send fanmail to youtuber she liked.
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