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Please do not write below the line

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312 points dcminter | 4 comments | 21 Oct 24 18:42 UTC | HN request time: 0.408s | source
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jvanderbot ◴[21 Oct 24 19:30 UTC] No.41907580[source]▶
Because a returned letter must be associated with an account / account holder to be processed.

Though they knew this information when they sent it to the author, presumably it would be laborious to manually associate the same information with each returned letter (one would have to look it up anyway), so they probably print the data on the letter that may someday be returned, to allow quick lookup in the event it is returned.

It's equivalent to a conversation ID and interface crafted to avoid lookups, making this letter exchange idempotent, which I very much appreciate.

Why it was not requested to be returned is beyond me, but likely all such letters contain this.

replies(1): >>41907616 #
1. stavros ◴[21 Oct 24 19:33 UTC] No.41907616[source]▶
> Because a returned letter must be associated with an account / account holder to be processed.

But they didn't ask for the letter to be returned at all.

replies(2): >>41907655 #>>41907732 #
2. froddd ◴[21 Oct 24 19:36 UTC] No.41907655[source]▶
Undelivered letters could be returned to sender.

In which case… there would definitely be no need to instruct to not write anything below the line, as nobody would have opened the letter.

replies(1): >>41907738 #
3. jvanderbot ◴[21 Oct 24 19:43 UTC] No.41907732[source]▶
Of course not, but they could have and that explains the use of data to associate a returned letter.

It's a form letter. In the event it's returned you want the data, regardless.

4. jvanderbot ◴[21 Oct 24 19:43 UTC] No.41907738[source]▶
If only they knew the fate of the letter before sending, then