I wrote to the address in the GPLv2 license notice (2022)

Decline of Postal Mail in Daily Life

• Many commenters are struck that mailing a letter and using a pen felt alien to the author, but then realize they themselves send almost no letters anymore (often <1 per year).
• Several note they don’t own printers, rarely have stamps, and would treat sending a letter as a special project (or do it at work).
• Others still mail things regularly (bills in some countries, parcels, postcards) and find the author’s struggle exaggerated or partly satirical.

Generational, Cultural, and Regional Differences

• Some argue it’s not only generational: in parts of South America and Africa, unreliable postal systems mean people rely on banks, couriers, or utility agents instead of mail for bills and cards.
• Northern and Western Europeans describe strong postal infrastructure but rapid digitalization: utilities and taxes via online banking, email, apps, SEPA, and digital ID.
• UK commenters say they almost never send letters now, though government processes still occasionally require post.

Pens, Handwriting, and Everyday Practice

• A large subthread covers how rarely people now use pens: some go years without handwriting more than a signature; others still write daily notes, diagrams, or journal on paper.
• There’s debate over whether not owning a pen is “wild” or simply a normal outcome of digital workflows.
• Several mention research or personal experience that handwriting improves memory and organization; others prefer text editors and note apps for searchability and syncing.

International Postage and Reply Mechanisms

• The author’s choice to buy US stamps on eBay for a self-addressed envelope is deemed unusual but reasonable given the end goal.
• International Reply Coupons are discussed: discontinued by many postal services, but still available via some (e.g., Swiss Post) and used by ham radio operators for QSL cards.
• People note how obscure and fragile these mechanisms have become, especially compared to modern online payments and communication.

FSF, GPL Addresses, and Compliance

• Ex‑FSF staff explain the FSF has moved offices multiple times; physical GPL notices still carry old street addresses, but only a handful of paper requests came in per year.
• Some projects and distros actively lint for outdated FSF addresses, preferring to link to gnu.org/licenses instead of embedding a physical address.
• There’s discussion of GPLv2 vs v3: FSF sending GPLv3 when the requester didn’t specify a version is seen by some as reasonable (latest by default), others as ambiguous given v2-only code.
• Corporate commenters describe treating the postal “offer” address as a compliance surface: one story recounts a GPL source request bouncing and triggering a costly product recall.
• Debate continues over whether physical-mail offers are now mainly a way to discourage source requests versus simply legacy wording of GPLv2.

Paper Size Standards: US Letter vs A4

• Long side-discussion on US Letter/Legal vs ISO A-series: non‑US readers often have never seen Letter; Americans often don’t realize they’re on a minority standard.
• People highlight ISO 216’s mathematical properties (same aspect ratio across sizes, easy scaling) and compare it to the more ad‑hoc US sizes.
• “PC LOAD LETTER” and printer misconfigurations are cited as real-world friction when formats cross borders.

Accessibility vs Convenience

• One thread reframes the FSF’s continued postal address as an accessibility choice: physical mail works (in principle) almost everywhere without specific vendors, apps, or accounts.
• Others counter that for blind users, homeless people, or those far from post offices, online access via public libraries may be more accessible in practice.
• Overall, commenters distinguish between universal reachability (postal systems exist nearly everywhere) and everyday usability (which now favors digital channels).