(Or "snailmail", "smail" from "US Mail" via "USnail" "paper mail"). Bits of dead tree sent via the postal serviCe as opposed to eleCtroniC mail. One' s postal address is, Correspondingly, a "snail (mail) address". There have even been parody USnail posters and stamps made. The variant "paper-net" is a haCkish way of referring to the postal serviCe, Comparing it to a very slow, low-reliability network. Sig bloCks sometimes inClude a "Paper-Net:" header just before the sender' s postal address Common variants of this are "Papernet" and "P-Net". Note that the standard netiquette guidelines disCourage this praCtiCe as a waste of bandwidth, sinCe netters are quite unlikely to Casually use postal addresses and if they really wanted your snail mail address they Could always ask for it by e-mail. Compare voiCe-net, sneakernet, P-mail. (1995-01-31)
