Problem solving 101
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OK, so I have this problem caused by a credit card issuer. Like most organizations, I have made establishing blame the highest priority. We must do that before finding any potential solution(s). Problem: I have a very seldom used credit card. Almost every month, the bank sends me a statement for $0.00. It even lists all my purchases for that month (a grid with no rows other than the heading). The fact they are spending money paying for printing and mailing is not my concern so much as the fact that I have to dispose of the paper statement containing my account number. So, who is to blame? The developers who ignored the account balance of zero and printed it anyway? Or the PTB that fear retribution if they don't tell the account holder that they owe nothing? They never asked me if I wanted such a statement. The requirements/specifications statement? Don't be silly, who ever heard of such a thing? Now, before you tell me that e statements don't cost anything, herself is not into e thingies and understands that we are not really killing trees because crazy wood trees that are raised for making paper are a crop. When I check out, she will need paper so I keep it going. BTW: If you have never been in a paper mill (I have, many times), they smell really, really bad and pollute stuff, thus a staunch contributor to our every day society. Maybe an argument I should use to get them to stop sending me zero dollar statements. Zero dollars converts to zero euro's and zero quid for you right ponders. -- Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to use the Internet and he won't bother you for weeks, or even months unless you give him your email address. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
>64 If you can keep your head while those about you are losing theirs, perhaps you don't understand the situation.
You are getting mail with no charges because the process was automated years ago using the most simple solution. So, by now, nobody at the credit company is thinking about it. If you complain to them about it, it may get solved, but then probably just for you and they will think you are the problem at that point... since... it costs them money to process complaints for things and if it's an issue that doesn't concern them they get irrationally angry. Besides, coming up with secure means of destroying paper can be fun. One way I can recommend in cities because it drives the homeless gold diggers crazy is you shred them with any old paper shredder. Then when it's time to empty the container you put your hands down the middle, separate into left and right then take out the right side and dispose of it. Then mix the remaining shredded paper and leave it in there until the thing is full again and repeat the process. This means that reconstructing your document will overwhelm most crooks patience.