There's Inadvertence, and Then There's Postal Inadvertence

Postal officials seem to have developed a new meaning for inadvertent, the subject of today's Publishing Word of the Day. Last month the U.S. Postal Service published a notice that it was expanding the service area for the Flats Sequencing System (FSS). But hours after Dead Tree Edition revealed that the obscure posting would inch up postal rates for publications and other flat mail, the USPS issued a statement entitled "Inadvertent Addition of New FSS Zones" that withdrew the change.

Some mailers were dubious, noting postal officials' come-hell-or-high-water approach to rolling out the Flats Screwing System regardless of the costs to the Postal Service or its customers.