Why use lower case for typing a postcode?

[Graye]

I run a small internet sales business which involves orders being mailed to me from a central point. I then reassemble the information and pass it on to two others who actually hold the goods in storage and mail them out.

I'm noticing more and more that people only use lowercase when filling in their names and addresses. No real problem with that but then they do the same with their postcodes too - and miss out the gap. They also apparently manage to use a font where lower case L, number 1 and capital I all end up looking like l. Or perhaps they deliberately type it with a lower case L to make them all look alike? Who knows? So then I'm left in a quandary. Do I go to the bother of translating their postcode and typing it in properly or risk the PO not delivering the item on time (or at all) and risk the subsequent moan from the customer?

Here's an instance (not a proper postcode I hope) - ls2l3lg. Some thought suggests it's probably LS21 3LG. But it's a pain having to think it through when there are 20 or 30 to deal with. I know I will carry on doing the adjustment every time I remember because it 's better for business. But why do they do it when it must be obvious that it's confusing and their goods which will be delayed/lost?

There... rant over and I feel much better!

[Silver Ether]

Bone idle to bother with typing correctly. I always leave a gap between the last to letters because when it type it without the gap they come up as LJ so with a gap L J I think its clearer my way. Why the J has half a hat is beyond me

[Millymollymandy]

Is it possible to set up your website so that it doesn't allow lower case for postcode entries? Or failing that at least write instructions telling people to enter in upper case and with the appropriate space where it should be.

Most websites which need info such as name and address are usually set up in such a way that you type the least little thing wrong or miss out a line and they will remind you! (to the point of being very irritating when you just don't have another line of address, for example....... ) I seem to have a lot of computerised stuff sent to me addressed to France, France.

[Graye]

I know what you mean. We have no house name or number and no street name so our address is just our name, the name of the village and the postcode. Sometimes I have to fill up a lot of spaces with duplications. We have to rely on the postman knwoing who we are!

I can't alter the website unfortunately as it's controlled by another company altogether. I'm pretty sure that most orders are just sent out with whatever people type if what I've seen is anything to go by. Just the pedant in me I suppose but there is the added problem of the lost/delayed post...

[Millymollymandy]

I'm one up on you then Graye cos we have the name of the hamlet as well!

[Clara]

I've run mail order businesses and to be honest it's not a problem if you understand the format of postcodes: the example you gave really couldn't be anything else.

[Graye]

Perhaps I didn't pick a good example but even that one could be LS2 13LG (if such a place existed). But if the Post Office use electronics to read the postcodes then this would surely reject them and make it necessary for a sorter to check?

And really I should be able to take the name and address in the format sent to me and just attach it to the invoice with a cut and paste. With this extra checking and altering I have to mess around re-aligning things.

[Clara]

Well again, no it couldn't have been anything different.....but I'm not going to get into nerdery about it. Sure the reformatting is a problem, perhaps you could suggest to the originating site that postcodes ought to be entered in to two boxes, one for the first part and another for the bit after the gap (IYKWM), lots of sites have this and I'd think anyone literate enough to use a computer will understand that postcodes have a gap.

[hedgewitch]

Well again, no it couldn't have been anything different.....but I'm not going to get into nerdery about it.

But I will. All UK postcodes DO have a format - that being two letters followed by two numbers (or one in some cases) then a gap then a number then two letters.

BUT I'm not sure if that is set in stone so just ignore me.

I would definitely do what MMM suggested and contact the people who set up your web site and ask them to either alter the form so as it enters the data in upper case format OR create two boxes for the postcode entry.

It can be done so don't let them fob you off.

I agree with you - it wold be a right royal pain in the bum and it makes a simple job a nuisance so I do sympathise with you.

[StripyPixieSocks]

Peoples literacy and language skills today appal me I'm afraid. I'm not perfect myself and most of my mistakes are typos as my typing seems to be getting worse the more I type but I really can't abide text speak. I can understand it in Text Messages where there is a minimal length (although I don't use it) but anywhere else is unacceptable and some of the kids today... sheesh!

Things like "wot dat" really grind my gears, I mean is it really so hard to just type one more letter or in some cases just use the correct ones?

*Ahem*

</rant>

*Gets off soap box*

Sorry

Err... yes, postal codes it usually is down to literacy I'm afraid, or as someone said above bone idleness or lack of education... I could go on.

EDIT - It's a two minute job to add probably two lines of code in a form to make anything entered change automatically to upper case and to separate a box where the code goes in the first place.

[hedgewitch]

Stripy Socks - does that feel better now?!!

I do know what you mean (without meaning to hijack this thread) chat and text speak bugs me too.

Or should that be "bugz me 2"

[MKG]

No - redundant U

bgz me2

[Thomzo]

It is just laziness. Most people don't think about the consequencies of their actions.

Carry on ranting but point it at the web designers. It is reasonably easy for the website designers to add in an address checker so that the correct address is put in at the outset.

Zoe

[WilliamTheConker]

It is interesting to see your rants - based though on total ignorance.
When our (UK) postcode system was designed, both uppercase and lowercase forms of the postcode were (and still are) valid, believe it or not. And that situatuon obtains, EVEN THOUGH THE POST OFFICE ITSELF GIVES BACK OR GENERATES UPPERCASE POSTCODES ON MANY OF ITS WEBSITES!!!

As programmers checking the postcode against an (uppercase) table it is an easy matter whether in ASCII or EBCDIC format to 'OR' a series of blanks (either X'20' (ASCII) or X'40' (EBCDIC)) over the top, before doing the comparison...

Because many people like to see a lowercase postcode on say, their business cards for aesthetic purposes - and because it is valid!!!

William The Conker!

[boboff]

Boy I wished I read the date of a thread!

I was just going to reply!

William was spot on the money!