I wrote to the address in the GPLv2 license notice (2022) (code.mendhak.com)

Article summary

The author of the article decided to test the address listed in the GPLv2 license notice by sending a letter to the Free Software Foundation, curious about what would happen. After a few weeks, they received a reply with the full license text, but it was the GPLv3 instead of the GPLv2 they were expecting. The author notes that the GPLv2 was published in 1991, when most people were not online, and the address was likely included as a way for people to obtain a copy of the license. The experiment highlights the differences in communication methods between the past and present.

Main themes

• GPL license
• postal mail
• digital communication
• paper sizes
• cultural differences
• technological transition

What commenters say

• The act of sending a letter by post is becoming increasingly alien to younger people and those in tech, who are more accustomed to digital communication.
• The reliability of postal services varies greatly between countries, making it more or less common for people to use mail for various tasks.
• Some countries have largely transitioned to digital methods for tasks like banking and bill payments, reducing the need for physical mail.
• The use of physical mail is still necessary in certain situations, such as receiving official documents or notifications.
• The design of envelopes and address formats can differ significantly between countries, causing confusion for those who are not familiar with them.
• The awareness of different paper sizes, such as US Letter and ISO 216, can vary greatly between individuals and countries.
• The default settings of software and printing systems can sometimes lead to issues when printing documents on different paper sizes.