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Post

Austin Richard Post (born July 4, 1995), known professionally as , is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer whose music fuses , , and influences. Born in , and raised in , he rose to prominence with his 2015 debut single "," which peaked at number 14 on the and marked his entry into mainstream success through viral distribution. His debut album Stoney (2016) achieved multi-platinum status, followed by (2018) and (2019), both debuting at number one on the and propelled by hit singles like "Rockstar" (featuring ), which topped the Hot 100 for eight consecutive weeks. Malone's commercial dominance is evidenced by over 80 million RIAA-certified units in the United States, including multiple diamond-certified tracks, alongside eleven , five , and six ; he holds eighteen Grammy nominations, with recent nods in country categories for his 2024 album F-1 Trillion. His genre versatility, including a pivot toward country collaborations like "I Had Some Help" with , has expanded his audience but sparked debate over artistic authenticity. Throughout his career, Malone has encountered controversies, particularly accusations of cultural appropriation from hip-hop purists and media outlets—often aligned with progressive viewpoints that scrutinize white artists' engagement with black-originated genres—labeling him a "culture vulture" despite his broad musical experimentation and lack of explicit racial posturing in his work. Earlier criticisms stemmed from 2017 interview remarks perceived as downplaying hip-hop's emotional depth, though he clarified intent amid backlash, and personal struggles with substance use have periodically drawn public scrutiny. These episodes highlight tensions in multicultural music industries where empirical success metrics, such as streaming records and sales, contrast with narrative-driven critiques from ideologically inclined sources.

Etymology

Structural and positional origins

The noun "post" denoting an upright originates from Latin postis, referring to a doorpost or pillar set firmly in place. This term entered before 1000 CE as post, signifying a piece of timber or pillar used for support in buildings or as a fixed point of attachment, as evidenced in early textual records of construction elements. The Latin postis itself traces to Proto-Indo-European roots implying "standing forth," combining notions of projection (pró) and standing (steh₂-), which underscore the inherent stability of such vertical elements. Parallel to this structural lineage, the positional sense of "post"—as a stationed location or assigned duty—derives from the past participle positum of Latin ponere, meaning "to place" or "to set." Ponere conveyed the act of positioning something firmly, extending semantically to military stations or fixed roles by , with positum evolving into concepts of placement in usage. In English adoption via Old French post (pillar or beam) during the Middle English period (circa 1100–1500 ), these meanings converged to emphasize enduring placement, distinguishing "post" from transient supports like stakes. Medieval English texts reflect this dual emphasis on physical uprightness and locational fixity, with "post" appearing in descriptions of architectural frameworks and boundary markers by the 13th century, reinforcing causal links between material stability and conceptual positioning without overlap into relay or temporal connotations.

Postal and relay origins

The postal connotation of "post" entered English via borrowings from Italian posta, signifying a stopping place or station for coaches and couriers, and Middle French poste, both derived from Latin positum, the past participle of ponere ("to place" or "to position"), evoking stations methodically placed along routes for relay purposes. This sense, distinct from static structural supports by its focus on sequential, functional stations enabling chained horse or rider changes, first appeared in English records around the 1520s to describe mail relays and post-horses stationed at inns for couriers. The underlying Vulgar Latin form, akin to postum or posta, emphasized placement in service of conveyance rather than permanence. Such relay systems trace to ancient precedents, notably the Roman , instituted under around 27 BCE as an imperial courier network with mutationes (horse-change stations) every 10-15 Roman miles (about 9-14 modern miles) and mansiones (lodging posts) at longer intervals, facilitating dispatches at speeds up to 50-100 miles per day via fresh mounts and vehicles. This state-mandated service, reserved primarily for official use and policed to prevent abuse, exemplified causal efficiency in communication through distributed, replaceable resources—horses and riders—positioned for handover. Medieval continuations, including Byzantine adaptations of the dromos as pony-express relays with stations every 5-8 Roman miles stocked with up to 40 horses, sustained the model into the for administrative and military messaging. In , empirical institutionalization occurred in 1516 when appointed Brian Tuke as Master of the Posts, granting authority to organize relay posts along major roads for dispatches, with riders changing horses at designated stations to expedite delivery—marking a shift toward formalized, sequential networks over couriering. This establishment, predating public access, relied on posted horses and stations to achieve reliable traversal, underscoring the term's relay essence in causal chains of motion and exchange rather than isolated fixtures.

Temporal and sequential origins

The prefix post- in its temporal sense derives from Latin post, an adverb and preposition meaning "after" or "behind," which conveys succession or posteriority in time or order. This element entered English in the early , initially in loanwords and compounds to indicate events or elements following others chronologically, as opposed to simultaneous or antecedent occurrences. A prominent early example is "," from Latin post scriptum ("written after"), referring to an addition made to a or document after its primary composition, with the term attested in English by 1546. This usage underscores the prefix's role in marking verifiable appendage in sequence, preserving the original content's integrity while extending it temporally. In scientific and emerging in the 19th century, post- denoted phases succeeding defined physiological or developmental stages, such as "post-climacteric," describing the period after the critical years of bodily transition associated with aging and reproductive cessation. Such applications highlight the prefix's utility in delineating empirical timelines, where temporal precedence supports in observed sequences of events, as in post-event physiological states following climacteric changes.

Postal Services

Historical foundations

The earliest organized postal systems emerged in ancient Persia during the around the 6th century BCE, utilizing a relay network of mounted couriers known as the Angarium. This system featured stations spaced approximately 15 to 30 miles apart, allowing riders to exchange fresh horses and minimize fatigue, thereby sustaining average speeds suitable for long-distance transmission across the empire's vast territories, such as the Royal Road from to spanning about 1,700 miles. documented its efficiency, noting that neither snow, rain, heat, nor night prevented delivery, reflecting an empirical optimization for reliability in diverse terrains. The Romans adapted and expanded similar relay principles with the , instituted by Emperor Augustus circa 20 BCE to facilitate imperial administration, military dispatches, and tax collection. Relay stations, or mutationes, were positioned every 8 to 10 kilometers for horse changes, enabling couriers to cover roughly 50 Roman miles (about 74 kilometers) per day under normal conditions, with mansiones providing rest stops every 25 to 30 miles. This state-controlled network prioritized official use, enforcing strict warrants for access to curb abuse and ensure causal efficiency in message propagation across provinces. In medieval , the House of formalized a hereditary postal monopoly starting in 1490, when Franz von Taxis secured a contract from Maximilian I to operate routes between and , employing staged relays that reduced transit times through coordinated couriers and waystations. By the 16th century, their network spanned much of the and beyond, innovating fixed schedules and fees to enhance predictability. In , the Royal Mail was codified via an in 1660 under , establishing the General Post Office with cross-post services and uniform rates for public letters, building on earlier relays to streamline domestic delivery. The 19th century saw standardization accelerate with Rowland Hill's uniform postage reform in the , implemented on January 10, 1840, which imposed a prepaid of one penny per half-ounce letter regardless of distance, leveraging to boost accessibility. This first-principles approach—treating postage as a volume-driven rather than distance-based—drove volume from 76 million letters in 1839 to nearly 350 million by 1850, demonstrating empirical growth from lowered barriers. Internationally, the Universal Postal Union was founded via the Treaty of Bern on October 9, 1874, by 22 nations to harmonize rates, routing, and standards, effectively creating a single territorial framework that reduced customs delays and fragmentation in cross-border exchanges.

Contemporary operations and adaptations

In the United States, the (USPS) maintains a central role in last-mile , processing approximately 307 million pieces daily as of 2024, including a surge in parcels driven by demands. To enhance efficiency amid rising costs, USPS implemented price adjustments in 2025, such as a roughly 3.5% increase for Priority Mail services effective July 13, alongside temporary holiday-season hikes for Priority Mail Express and Parcel Select to cover peak volumes exceeding 77 million packages per day. These measures, combined with facility modernizations like expanded sorting hubs, aim to sustain operational capacity despite infrastructure strains from volume variability. First-Class Mail volumes have declined by about 57% since peaking at 103 billion pieces in 2001, attributable primarily to the shift toward digital communication and , reducing traditional letter mail from over half of total volume to roughly 39% by 2025. This downturn, which saw First-Class volumes drop to 44 billion pieces in fiscal year 2024, has been partially offset by parcel growth exceeding 135% since 2010, with competitive products like packages reaching over 7 billion units annually by 2020 and continuing to expand via partnerships. Revenue data confirms heavy reliance on platforms like , which contribute to USPS's $32 billion in shipping income for fiscal year 2024, though this exposes vulnerabilities to fluctuations in online retail traffic. Internationally, postal operators adapt through Universal Postal Union (UPU) reforms, including 2025 updates limiting insured services to priority items and introducing digital tools for customs compliance amid U.S. suspension of duty-free thresholds, which halted much inbound traffic from 88 countries starting August 29. These changes facilitate diversification into broader logistics, with operators enhancing tracking and e-government integrations to counter volume disruptions. Empirical evidence from privatized systems, such as Germany's Deutsche Post DHL—which reported €84.2 billion in revenue for 2024 with strong profitability in express segments post-1990s liberalization—demonstrates that reduced regulatory constraints enable sustained growth and innovation, contrasting USPS's $9.5 billion loss in 2024 despite parcel gains. Such models underscore causal links between operational flexibility and financial resilience in adapting to e-commerce dominance.

Positions and Appointments

Employment and professional roles

In the context of , "post" denotes a fixed or within an organizational , often implying a contractual assignment with defined and tenure, distinct from transient or freelance work. This usage traces to the Latin postus, the past participle of ponere ("to place"), evoking the notion of being stationed or emplaced in a specific duty, as seen in historical administrative where individuals were "posted" to maintain continuity and accountability. Such posts emphasize verifiable responsibility and permanence, exemplified by positions established through merit-based selection rather than , contrasting with casual labor lacking institutional safeguards or long-term obligations. The modern conceptualization of employment posts gained formal structure through reforms like the 1854 Northcote-Trevelyan Report in the , which advocated open competitive examinations for recruitment into permanent roles to ensure competence and impartiality, leading to the establishment of the in 1855. These reforms institutionalized hierarchical progression, with entry-level posts feeding into senior appointments based on performance and seniority, providing empirical stability—such as resistance to arbitrary dismissal—while imposing bureaucratic layers that prioritize procedural adherence over rapid adaptation. Job announcements, or "postings," evolved from printed notices to digital formats, with the first online job boards emerging in 1992 via the Online Career Center, followed by widespread adoption in the mid-1990s through platforms like (launched 1994), dramatically increasing posting volumes and accessibility. Empirical trends underscore the scale of post-based hiring: U.S. data from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) reported approximately 7.2 million job openings in August 2025, reflecting persistent demand amid economic fluctuations, though online platforms have amplified competition and shortened hiring cycles compared to pre-digital eras. Advantages of such posts include enhanced and benefits, with roles offering predictable tenure and pensions that buffer against market volatility, fostering long-term workforce retention. However, hierarchical rigidity can engender bureaucratic inertia, where overregulation—manifest in multi-tiered approvals and rule-bound processes—impedes merit-driven innovation and responsiveness, as critiqued in analyses of merit systems that, while selecting qualified personnel, often entrench inefficiency by subordinating outcomes to compliance. This tension highlights a causal : secures but risks stifling adaptability in dynamic environments.

Military and strategic assignments

In military contexts, a post denotes a fortified station or detached from the main force, primarily established to provide early warning, secure frontiers, and deter surprise attacks through concentrated defensive positions. These installations leverage fixed geography to minimize exposure by enabling rapid response from garrisoned troops, as seen in frontier deployments where outposts interrupted enemy mobility and protected supply lines. Historically, such posts proved tactically useful in colonial expansions; for instance, Fort Laramie began as a fur-trading in 1834 but was purchased by the U.S. Army in 1849 to safeguard emigrants along the , hosting up to 1,000 soldiers by the 1860s for patrols and treaty enforcement amid Native American conflicts. Contemporary military assignments often involve personnel being "posted" to specific bases or stations via orders, rotating troops to maintain operational readiness and distribute expertise across theaters. This practice, rooted in logistical efficiency, assigns soldiers to domestic posts—distinct from overseas bases—for training and sustainment, with the U.S. Army formalizing such relocations through programs like the Homebase Advanced Assignment Program to align manning needs. In expeditionary roles, posts function as anchored nodes for force projection, reducing logistical vulnerabilities by centralizing ammunition and command; during the , bases exemplified this, with over 800 established between 1965 and 1973 to deliver barrages supporting airmobile , enabling operations that covered up to 30 kilometers of radius and correlating with higher success rates in secured zones. Despite these advantages, static posts exhibit inherent vulnerabilities in , where adversaries exploit immobility through and ambushes, avoiding decisive engagements to erode defender morale and resources. Empirical analyses from reveal firebases endured hundreds of assaults—often prefaced by 82mm mortars—resulting in significant casualties, as fixed sites became predictable targets that diverted forces from mobile pursuits and inflated without proportionally degrading enemy cohesion. , emphasizing intelligence superiority and , underscores how such posts compel defenders into reactive postures, favoring fluid strategies that prioritize maneuver over entrenchment for superior causal control in asymmetric conflicts.

Academic and institutional offices

Academic chairs, or endowed professorships, emerged in medieval European universities as permanent appointments for scholars to deliver lectures on specific disciplines, with early examples at the around 1088 and the by the 13th century, where masters were assigned to teach , , and . At , structured teaching posts predated formal professorships, which proliferated from the onward, often funded by royal or patronage to ensure continuity in knowledge transmission. Parallel ecclesiastical posts, such as appointments, trace to early medieval diocesan structures, where priests were assigned to administer sacraments and governance over local faithful, as codified in by the 12th century. In modern systems, particularly in the United States, tenure-track positions leading to permanent appointments require candidates to demonstrate research productivity, typically through 4-8 peer-reviewed publications in top journals during a probationary period of 6-7 years, alongside teaching and service contributions. European variants, such as permanent lectureships in the UK, emphasize similar metrics but vary by institution, with empirical analyses showing post-tenure publication rates often declining by 16% or more within a decade due to shifted incentives toward administrative duties. These criteria aim to filter for sustained intellectual output, though critiques highlight credentialism's disconnect from real-world impact, where formal degrees and citation counts proxy competence without guaranteeing practical or innovative contributions. Such offices enable focused scholarship and mentorship, fostering advancements in fields like physics and through specialized dissemination of findings, as evidenced by higher citation impacts from tenured networks. However, hiring processes exhibit ideological skews, with self-identifying as liberal or far-left at rates exceeding 60% in and social sciences, correlating with underrepresentation of conservative scholars and potential self-reinforcing biases in and appointments. This imbalance, documented in surveys across disciplines, raises causal concerns for viewpoint , as departments dominated by one perspective may prioritize over empirical rigor in evaluating candidates' work.

Structural and Functional Elements

Architectural and engineering supports

In and , posts, columns, and pillars function as vertical load-bearing elements that transmit axial compressive forces from superstructures to foundations, primarily resisting downward loads while minimizing through and . These supports distribute concentrated loads over their cross-sectional area, with effectiveness determined by the material's and the post's , which influences stability against lateral deflection. Historically, structural posts evolved from timber, valued for its availability and up to approximately 30-50 MPa in hardwoods, to industrialized materials post-1800s. The introduced columns around 1800 for mills and early frames by the mid-, enabling taller structures due to steel's superior yield strength exceeding 250 MPa and ductility. emerged in the late , combining concrete's high compressive capacity (typically 20-40 MPa) with reinforcement to handle tensile stresses, as patented by François Hennebique in 1892. Modern applications include steel H-posts in bridge engineering, where wide-flange sections provide high for compressive loads up to thousands of kilonewtons, supported by empirical data from ASTM A709 specifications showing yield strengths from 345 for Grade 50 to over 690 for high-performance variants. Lampposts, as engineered poles, similarly employ tubing designed to AASHTO standards for wind-induced bending and fixture weights, often with base plates anchored in footings to prevent overturning. Composite columns, integrating and , further optimize load capacity by leveraging concrete's confinement effects on . Safety standards, such as those in the International Building Code (IBC), mandate protections for wood posts or columns on footings in contact with earth, requiring pressure-preservative treatment or encasement to resist decay and ensure long-term compressive integrity. Engineering failures underscore causal risks: the 1981 in Kansas City, where design modifications doubled hanger rod loads without adequate reanalysis, resulted in 114 deaths and demonstrated how overlooked and failures in suspended supports can propagate from primary vertical elements.

Boundary, utility, and signaling posts

Boundary posts, such as wooden stakes driven into the ground, have served as markers for land demarcation since at least 3500 BCE in ancient , where they enclosed livestock and protected against predators. In around 600 BC, archaeological evidence indicates the initial recorded application of wooden fencing for similar territorial purposes, evolving from simple stakes to woven structures like wattle fences constructed by interlacing branches between upright posts. These early posts functioned causally to enforce property boundaries by physically obstructing intrusion and visually signaling ownership claims, a practice that persisted into colonial with palisade fences made from tree trunks or stakes for defensive delimitation. Utility posts, exemplified by telephone poles, emerged in the 1880s as part of the Bell Telephone Company's expansion, with initial installations in urban areas like to support overhead wiring for expanding telephone networks. By the early 20th century, the had deployed nearly two million miles of wire on such poles, facilitating reliable communication infrastructure despite initial resistance to overhead lines due to aesthetic concerns. Signposts, as directional or boundary indicators, trace back to ancient mile markers along roads, which denoted distances and territorial divisions, later influencing medieval guideposts for navigation and claim assertion. Empirical assessments of post durability highlight trade-offs: pressure-treated wooden posts, common for fences, resist rot through chemical preservatives but degrade faster in moist soils compared to galvanized posts, which withstand for over 50 years when properly coated, as shown in field exposure tests. Metal posts, however, can suffer accelerated when in contact with certain treated woods due to salts, per long-term studies comparing in various preservatives. In property rights enforcement, posts like those enabling fences in the late 19th-century Midwest causally secured individual holdings against open-range , boosting agricultural investment by clarifying ownership and reducing disputes, as evidenced by economic analyses of post-fencing productivity gains. Contemporary evaluations balance necessity against visual impacts: utility poles remain essential for cost-effective distribution of and in sprawling networks, yet they contribute to urban "street clutter" alongside signs and lamps, prompting critiques of aesthetic degradation in dense cities where overhead lines obscure skylines. Despite calls for underground alternatives, poles' practicality—lower costs and easier —prevails in most upgrades, underscoring their role in enabling reliable service over purely visual priorities.

Sports and recreational fixtures

In , goalposts demarcate the precise boundary for scoring, with dimensions standardized in the Football Association's 1863 rules at eight yards (7.32 meters) apart and no crossbar, allowing balls to be scored if passing between posts up to any height. A crossbar was added in subsequent revisions, with the full frame fixed at eight yards wide and eight feet (2.44 meters) high by 1866, dimensions unchanged in regulations to ensure consistent play across professional and amateur levels. These fixtures, initially wooden and prone to warping, transitioned to in the early for stability, followed by aluminum alloys post-1950s for reduced weight while maintaining rigidity against impacts from balls or players. Safety enhancements emerged after documented injuries and fatalities from collapsing portable goals, prompting the British Standards Institution's in 2005, which mandates freestanding designs with padded uprights, secure anchoring, and collapse-resistant frames to mitigate risks during non-match use. Empirical data from youth leagues post-adoption showed a decline in goal-related accidents, though professional fixtures prioritize durability over padding to avoid altering ball trajectories. In , starting posts function as fixed stalls aligned along the track's inner , numbering positions from one (innermost) outward to define launch points and minimize at the break. These positions, drawn randomly pre-race, exhibit track-specific biases; for instance, inner posts (1-4) yield higher win rates on tight turns due to shorter paths, as evidenced by historical data from venues like where post 1 horses won 8 of 148 Kentucky Derbies through 2023. Debates over augmenting physical posts with technology, such as in for goal-line verification, highlight tensions between tradition and precision; while has overturned 15-20% of reviewed goal decisions since 2018 by confirming ball crossings via chip sensors, critics cite inconsistent offside calls and delays disrupting flow, arguing that verifiable frame data alone suffices without overriding on-field . In , electronic gate sensors ensure fair starts but rarely spark equivalent disputes, underscoring posts' role in rule-enforced equity over interpretive tech.

Media and Publications

Newspapers and news outlets

The , founded on December 15, 1877, by as a Democratic-leaning daily serving the capital, evolved into a major national outlet known for , most notably its role in uncovering the through reporting by and , which contributed to President Richard Nixon's resignation in 1974. Circulation peaked in the mid-20th century but has declined sharply in the 2020s amid a shift to digital subscriptions; paid print and digital daily circulation fell to approximately 97,000 by 2025, down from over 500,000 in 2016, with total losses exceeding $77 million in 2023 and web traffic dropping from 114 million monthly unique visitors in November 2020. Critics, including conservative analysts, have highlighted of left-leaning in the Post's coverage, such as asymmetrical scrutiny of Republican figures compared to Democrats; a study of major outlets found it exhibited a slant in story selection and framing, predicting a 54% Democratic endorsement probability, while broader analyses document systemic underreporting of stories unfavorable to progressive narratives. Independent raters classify its as skewing left, with reliability mixed due to occasional fact-check failures on politically charged topics. The , established in 1801 by as the New-York Evening Post with a perspective, is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the United States and operates as a tabloid emphasizing , opinion, and investigative pieces from a right-leaning viewpoint under ownership since 1976. It has earned recognition for enterprise reporting, including first-place awards in 2018 for exposés on financier Jeffrey Epstein's network and in 2025 for war coverage by correspondent Caitlin Doornbos. Like other dailies, it faced circulation erosion in the 2020s due to digital disruption, though it maintains a top position among U.S. papers by readership metrics. Bias assessments rate the as leaning right, reflecting its editorial emphasis on conservative critiques of government overreach and cultural issues, contrasting with mainstream outlets' tendencies; this stance has drawn accusations of but also praise for amplifying undercovered stories, such as early on Hunter Biden's laptop in 2020 that faced initial suppression by competitors. Empirical studies of media ecosystems underscore such outlets' role in countering perceived left-wing dominance in legacy journalism, where coverage asymmetries—e.g., disproportionate focus on right-wing scandals—persist across institutions.

Periodicals and serials

The Saturday Evening Post, established on August 4, 1821, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, emerged as a prominent general-interest magazine covering topics from business and science to fiction and etiquette, achieving widespread readership through serialized stories and illustrations by artists like Norman Rockwell. Its circulation grew from 2,000 copies per issue in the early 1890s to over 3 million by the 1920s, peaking at 6.5 million weekly copies in 1960, supported by advertising revenue that exceeded $50 million annually by 1927. However, post-1950s competition from television eroded ad dollars, as broadcasters captured audience attention and marketer budgets, causing circulation to decline sharply and prompting a brief cessation of publication in 1969 after financial losses mounted despite a subscriber base that had sustained it through earlier decades. The magazine resumed under new ownership later that year and persists as a bimonthly publication with a focus on health, history, and lifestyle content. In the , Post Magazine, a trade periodical for the sector, debuted on July 25, 1840, coinciding with the Penny Post system's rollout, which enabled affordable nationwide distribution and marked it as one of the earliest magazines leveraging postal reforms for circulation. Originally broad in scope but evolving into a specialist on risks, regulations, and industry trends, it maintained relevance through from insurers, though exact historical subscriber figures remain sparse; by its 180th anniversary in 2020, it had adapted to digital formats while retaining print editions for professional readers. Such trade serials demonstrate via niche utility over , contrasting general magazines' vulnerability to shifts like television's rise, where empirical data show ad diversification failed to offset 50-70% drops in print periodical from 1950 to 1970 across the industry. Another specialized serial, Post Magazine dedicated to , , , and post-production, operates as a monthly resource since the late , providing technical reviews, analyses, and equipment spotlights for industry professionals. Its endurance stems from subscription models tied to verifiable professional needs rather than volatile consumer ads, underscoring causal factors in periodical viability: depth-oriented content fosters loyal, paying audiences in B2B contexts, even as broader serials grapple with echo-chamber risks evidenced by content audits showing 60-80% alignment with reader demographics in sampled U.S. magazines from 2000-2020.

Arts, Entertainment, and Media

Musical works and albums

Post is the second solo studio album by Icelandic musician , released on June 13, 1995, by One Little Indian Records. Blending , , and alternative pop elements, it expands on the eclectic style of her debut Debut (1993), incorporating orchestral arrangements, rhythms, and brass sections on tracks like the cover "." Produced primarily by alongside collaborators including , , and Graham Massey, the album reflects her experiences in during the mid-1990s, drawing from diverse influences such as , , and emerging electronic genres rather than direct post-punk lineage, though her prior work with informed its edge. Commercially, peaked at number 32 on the and number 2 on the , with singles such as and "Isobel" achieving moderate radio play and video acclaim for their innovative visuals. It sold over 1 million copies in the UK alone, earning platinum certification there, alongside status in (50,000 units) and similar accolades elsewhere, demonstrating crossover appeal beyond niche audiences despite its experimental structures limiting broader mainstream penetration. Critically, received praise for its bold sonic innovation and Björk's vocal versatility, influencing subsequent and artists, though some reviewers noted its fragmented coherence as a barrier to wider , evidenced by streaming data showing sustained rather than mass-market dominance in later years. No other major-label albums simply titled have achieved comparable prominence, with lesser-known releases like Godflesh's (2017)—an exploration of mortality and machinery—representing tangential naming but distinct thematic and stylistic territory.

Films, literature, and other creative outputs

"The Post" (2017), directed by Steven Spielberg, dramatizes the Washington Post's role in publishing the Pentagon Papers in 1971, focusing on publisher Katharine Graham (Meryl Streep) and editor Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks) amid legal challenges from the Nixon administration. The film earned $179.8 million worldwide at the box office. It received an 88% approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, with praise for its performances and advocacy of press freedom, though some reviewers criticized its portrayal of journalistic heroism as overly simplistic and reflective of establishment media self-aggrandizement during a period of perceived institutional bias against political outsiders. "Post Office" (1971), Charles Bukowski's debut novel, semi-autobiographically chronicles protagonist Henry Chinaski's experiences as a postal clerk and carrier in , emphasizing the monotony of bureaucratic labor, personal vices like and , and eventual resignation to pursue writing. The work, the first featuring Bukowski's recurring Chinaski, has garnered a 3.9/5 average rating from over 137,000 users, establishing it as a favorite for its unvarnished depiction of working-class alienation and resilience without romanticization. "Mr Bates vs The Post Office" (2024), a four-part ITV miniseries written by Gwyneth Hughes and starring as , recounts the real where faulty Horizon accounting software from 1999–2015 led to over 700 wrongful prosecutions of sub-postmasters for theft and . The series achieved a 95% score, lauded for exposing corporate and governmental malfeasance through victim testimonies and legal battles that culminated in a 2024 compensation scheme and public inquiries. Its broadcast prompted widespread outrage, influencing Prime Minister to announce emergency legislation for exonerations, highlighting media's role in amplifying empirical evidence of systemic injustice over institutional denials.

Computing and Digital Contexts

Hardware and system initialization

The (POST) constitutes the initial firmware-executed diagnostic sequence in computing , activated upon power application to empirically validate essential components' integrity before proceeding to invocation or operating system loading. This process systematically probes for faults in processors, , controllers, and peripherals, leveraging predefined test patterns and read-write cycles to confirm operational causality from power delivery to functional output. Introduced in the IBM Personal Computer on August 12, 1981, the routine resided in the system's 40 KB , initiating at F000:E016 to initialize and test the microprocessor's flags and registers, integrity across 16 KB blocks (configurable from 16 KB to 64 KB via DIP switches), channels, the 8253 programmable interval timer, 8259 programmable interrupt controller, 6845 video controller with associated , keyboard microcomputer via checks for stuck keys, and overall checksum. Memory sizing occurred at address F841, incorporating planar switches and I/O channel checks to establish baseline configuration empirically. Error detection during these checks triggers audible or visual indicators for fault ; a single short beep signifies successful traversal, whereas multiple beeps—such as a 3-second long tone followed by a 1-second short tone—or displayed codes denote failures, exemplified by errors in prompting non-maskable interrupts and address/pattern readout for defective modules. This sequential methodology, rooted in verifiable hardware responses, minimizes diagnostic ambiguity by halting at the first causal failure point, as seen in original configurations lacking advanced peripherals yet prioritizing core reliability. The transition to Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) from the mid-2000s onward preserved and extended POST principles through modular firmware phases, including Security (SEC), Pre-EFI Initialization (PEI), and Driver Execution Environment (DXE), which parallelize hardware enumeration and testing for CPUs, , GPUs, and interfaces while supporting larger address spaces and verification. These evolutions enable fault in diverse ecosystems, such as verifying via memory controllers or processor integrity, without introducing substantive controversies beyond implementation variances across vendors.

Network protocols and methods

The POST method of the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) enables clients to submit data to a server for processing, typically to create or modify resources identified by the request URI. Defined in HTTP/1.0 under RFC 1945, published in May 1996, POST requests enclose an entity in the message body that the server accepts as a new subordinate of the target resource, distinguishing it from retrieval-focused methods by allowing non-idempotent operations that alter server state. Unlike the GET method, which must be safe and idempotent—yielding the same result upon repetition without side effects—POST is designed for actions like form submissions that may produce variable outcomes or resource creation, ensuring browsers and proxies handle retries appropriately without unintended duplication. In practice, POST predominates in web applications for handling HTML forms that transmit user input, such as login credentials or order details, where data volume exceeds URI limits or security demands body transmission over query strings. The Content-Type header specifies the body's format, often application/x-www-form-urlencoded for key-value pairs or multipart/form-data for file uploads, with servers processing the payload to execute changes like database inserts. Security considerations arose prominently in the 2000s due to (CSRF) vulnerabilities, where attackers exploit authenticated sessions to forge POST requests; mitigations include synchronizer tokens—unique, unpredictable values generated per session and validated on submission—or same-site cookies with strict attributes to prevent cross-origin transmission. Subsequent HTTP evolutions, including HTTP/1.1 (RFC 7231, 2014), refined POST semantics for broader applicability, while RESTful API conventions, as outlined in architectural principles from Roy Fielding's 2000 dissertation, standardize for creating new resources within collections, where the server assigns identifiers and returns a 201 Created status with location headers. This non-idempotent nature supports complex payloads but necessitates idempotency keys in modern implementations for retry safety in distributed systems, ensuring repeated identical requests do not multiply effects. Empirical data from analyses indicate comprises a majority of state-changing interactions, though exact proportions vary by application; for instance, and endpoints rely on it for over 80% of submissions in observed traces.

Online content and social dissemination

In online contexts, a "post" refers to a digital message published to a , , or platform for public or group consumption. This usage originated with , a distributed discussion system launched in 1980 by Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis at , where users submitted messages known as "posts" or "articles" to topical newsgroups that propagated across servers worldwide. These early posts enabled threaded discussions on diverse subjects, from to , without centralized moderation, fostering decentralized information exchange. The concept evolved with the in the 1990s, migrating to web-based forums like those on and early sites such as , where posts formed the core of . By 2006, (now X) introduced short-form posts limited to 140 characters, initially termed "tweets," with the first sent by co-founder on March 21: "just setting up my twttr." The platform's character limit expanded to 280 in 2017, and under Elon Musk's ownership from 2022, "tweets" were rebranded as "posts" to generalize the term across media types, reflecting broader trends on platforms like and . Key features of online posts include timestamps recording publication dates and times, which enable chronological sorting and archival; sharing mechanisms like retweets or reposts that amplify reach; and metadata such as likes, comments, and views for user interaction. Engagement algorithms on platforms like X and prioritize content based on predicted user interactions—factoring in past likes, shares, and —to maximize retention, often boosting posts with high initial engagement regardless of veracity. Social dissemination of posts relies on network effects, where viral spread occurs through shares and algorithmic promotion, with studies showing false information diffusing faster than accurate content: a 2018 analysis of 126,000 cascades found falsehoods traveled six times quicker due to novelty-driven shares. However, such dynamics are exacerbated by a minority of prolific users—1% of accounts responsible for 80% of circulation—highlighting how incentives reward over substantiation. Controversies surrounding posts center on tensions between and free speech, particularly in the amid s like former Trump's Twitter suspension on January 8, 2021, following the Capitol riot, which reduced his direct reach but drove followers to alternative sites. The 2022 , internal documents released by owner , revealed federal agencies like the FBI pressured the platform to suppress stories (e.g., the laptop in 2020) and applied "visibility filtering" to limit post reach without formal bans, indicating coordinated influence over content rather than neutral enforcement. Empirical data from studies show reduced from targeted accounts but increased on fringe platforms, suggesting overreach risks fragmenting without addressing root causes like algorithmic biases favoring outrage. Regulatory pushes for stricter controls, often from governments citing harm, overlook evidence that heavy-handed amplifies echo chambers and erodes trust in platforms as open forums.

Temporal and Ideological Concepts

Chronological prefix usage

The prefix "post-" denotes a period immediately succeeding a specified historical event, era, or structural shift, emphasizing empirical succession rather than indeterminate progression. This usage traces to Latin post, meaning "after" or "behind" in time, as documented in historical linguistics, and applies to compounds identifying verifiable temporal boundaries, such as cessation of hostilities or quantifiable economic reallocations. One early prominent example is "," which emerged to describe the interval following the that concluded major fighting, ushering in phases of , treaty negotiations like Versailles in 1919, and societal readjustments amid economic dislocations. Usage proliferated in analyses of efforts, with Allied powers framing post-war frameworks to avert future conflicts, as articulated at the 1919 Paris Peace Conference. In economic contexts, "post-industrial" delineates the transition from dominance to knowledge- and service-oriented production, formalized by sociologist in his 1973 publication The Coming of Post-Industrial Society. Bell identified axial principles like theoretical knowledge as central, corroborated by data showing manufacturing's declining GDP share—falling below 25% in the U.S. by the —while services expanded to over 60%, reflecting causal shifts in from blue-collar to professional roles. Such markers, including automation-driven gains and tertiary sector growth, substantiate the prefix's role in signaling observable phase changes rather than abstract ideals.

Postmodern and post- ideologies: definitions and debates

Postmodernism emerged as an intellectual movement in the late 20th century, with defining it in his 1979 work The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge as "incredulity toward metanarratives," referring to skepticism regarding grand, universal explanations of history and society, such as progress or emancipatory ideologies. This stance rejected totalizing frameworks in favor of localized, pluralistic "language games" or narratives, influencing fields like through practices such as , which destabilizes assumed meanings in texts to reveal contingencies. Proponents, often situated in , argued that such approaches exposed underlying power dynamics obscured by modernist certainties, as seen in Michel Foucault's analyses of discourse and institutions published in works like (1975). Critics, however, contend that postmodernism's emphasis on undermines objective truth and empirical , fostering performative contradictions where claims of no universal truth are asserted universally. Linguist has dismissed much postmodern theory as pretentious obfuscation lacking novel insights or rigorous constructs, arguing it diverts attention from material power structures by prioritizing stylistic jargon over substantive critique, thereby inadvertently aiding oppression rather than challenging it. The 1996 exemplified these issues: physicist submitted a fabricated article laden with postmodern jargon and scientific nonsense to the journal , which accepted it without scrutiny, highlighting vulnerabilities to ideological conformity over evidentiary standards in certain academic circles. Debates extend to postmodernism's disregard for modernism's verifiable achievements, including scientific and technological advances driven by falsifiable hypotheses and causal experimentation, such as the development of antibiotics in the or semiconductor technology enabling computing revolutions post-1940s. While acknowledging exposures of elite narratives, empirical-oriented thinkers prioritize causal data—demonstrated through replicable experiments—over interpretive skepticism, noting that relativist epistemologies correlate with broader institutional distrust, as evidenced by longitudinal surveys showing U.S. interpersonal trust dropping from 46% in 1972 to 34% in amid cultural shifts questioning shared realities. This tension persists in "post-" ideologies like , where truth-seeking favors testable mechanisms over narrative dissolution, amid critiques of systemic biases in media and academia that amplify relativistic views despite their logical inconsistencies.

Specialized Uses

Medical and dental applications

In , posts are rigid or flexible components cemented into the prepared space of an endodontically treated to retain a buildup, enabling support for a final when coronal structure is inadequate for direct retention. This post-and-core system restores function and aesthetics while preserving the over and implant alternatives, though it necessitates further dentin removal beyond therapy. The technique traces origins to early 18th-century descriptions of metal tenons by in 1728, with widespread adoption of cast gold posts in the for pulpless teeth. Materials have evolved from early cast precious metals like gold alloys, which provided durability but rigidity, to prefabricated options including , , and non-metallic fiber-reinforced composites introduced in the late . Titanium posts, valued for and corrosion resistance akin to their use in implants since the 1960s, emerged in prefabricated forms for endodontic applications, offering lighter weight and modulus closer to than traditional metals. Fiber posts, first clinically available in 1989, prioritize flexibility to mimic root and reduce fracture risk. Clinical success varies by material, tooth type, and ferrule presence, with meta-analyses indicating 5-year tooth survival rates of 90-93% for post-retained restorations, though annual failure rates can reach 8% initially before stabilizing. Cast metal posts show 78-92% long-term survival, while fiber posts achieve up to 97% in some cohorts, outperforming rigid metals due to better distribution. Primary failures stem from vertical root fractures (7-20% of cases), as biomechanical studies via finite element modeling reveal posts create wedging forces and concentrations in radicular , exacerbating brittleness from prior endodontic access. Advantages include enhanced retention (e.g., via threaded or designs) and preservation of natural , with survival often exceeding 80% at 10-20 years when a 1.5-2 mm is feasible. Drawbacks encompass procedural invasiveness—requiring 4-7 mm post length and removal, risking or weakening—and higher debonding or incidence in non-ferruled teeth compared to post-free cores. Selection favors minimal post length and diameter (one-third root width) to preserve , guided by empirical data prioritizing over post type for .

Acoustic and organological components

The sound post, also known as the in Italian luthiery, is a slender wooden , typically of , positioned internally within bowed string instruments such as the , viola, and , directly beneath the treble-side foot of . It physically connects the instrument's top plate (soundboard) to the back plate, transmitting vibrational energy generated by the strings through the bridge to the back, thereby coupling the two plates to amplify and project sound more effectively across the resonant cavity. This causal mechanism introduces asymmetry in the vibration modes of the instrument's body, enhancing response and overall tonal balance without which the top plate would dominate inefficiently. Historical evidence traces the sound post's development to 16th-century Italian luthiers in , with early implementations appearing in violins crafted by makers like Andrea Amati around the 1550s, evolving from simpler constructions in viols that initially lacked such internal supports. By the late , it became a standard feature in instruments, as referenced indirectly in William Shakespeare's (c. 1597) via the character name "James Soundpost," suggesting contemporary familiarity with the component among English audiences. Refinements by subsequent Cremonese masters, including in the 17th and 18th centuries, optimized its diameter (typically 4-6 mm) and fit for specific tonal outcomes, with empirical adjustments based on auditory testing rather than standardized formulas. Luthiers adjust the sound post's position and height—usually via a specialized setter tool through the f-hole—to fine-tune , with verifiable effects confirmed through both practical experience and acoustic measurements: proximity to foot boosts higher frequencies and brilliance, while lateral shifts toward the side increase body stiffness and lower-string projection, as demonstrated in data showing improved low-end efficiency post-installation. Such modifications are niche to bowed strings, absent in plucked instruments like guitars, and rely on causal transfer rather than . Failures, such as collapse under string tension (often from humidity fluctuations or improper fit), mute the instrument's output and risk top-plate deformation, with repair records from luthiers documenting immediate resets using glue and clamps to avert cracks, underscoring the post's structural fragility despite its acoustic centrality.

Geographical and exploratory stations

Trading posts, often simply termed "posts," were remote geographical outposts established primarily for commercial exchange and exploratory purposes, serving as strategic hubs in uncharted or territories. In , these emerged prominently during the fur trade era, where chartered companies set up fortified stations to facilitate the of manufactured goods—such as firearms, cloth, and metal tools—for animal pelts from trappers. The (HBC), granted a by II on May 2, 1670, exemplifies this model, initially focusing on coastal posts along before expanding inland to secure fur supplies and map territories. By the late , the HBC operated dozens of such posts, with early examples including Rupert House (established 1668, formalized post-charter) and (1684), which handled annual fur exports exceeding 100,000 processed pelts during peak periods in the 1740s–1760s, underscoring their role in transatlantic commerce. These posts drove empirical frontier expansion by anchoring supply chains and incentivizing trappers to venture deeper into continental interiors, effectively extending economic influence westward and northward. For instance, the HBC's , founded in 1774 in present-day , marked the first permanent inland post and catalyzed further network development, with over 100 stations by the early supporting trade volumes that peaked around 1820–1840 amid competition from rivals like . Economically, they enabled resource extraction tailored to demand for luxury beaver hats, generating revenues that funded further while providing groups access to durable goods, though exchanges often favored company margins due to monopoly structures and asymmetries. This causal dynamic—mutual short-term gains amid long-term ecological strain—reflected resource realities in pre-industrial , where isolated posts minimized transport costs in vast, roadless expanses. Declines in traditional fur trade posts accelerated from the 1830s onward, driven by beaver population depletion from overhunting (e.g., annual harvests exceeding sustainable yields by factors of 2–3 in key regions) and shifts in global fashion toward silk alternatives, rendering many outposts economically unviable. Technological globalization—steamships, railroads, and telegraphs—integrated frontiers into broader markets by the mid-19th century, obviating the need for self-contained remote stations as settlers and industrial extraction scaled up; HBC posts increasingly repurposed for retail or abandoned, with fur exports dropping over 50% by 1870. Critiques of colonial exploitation, including disease transmission and land pressures, hold empirical weight in specific cases but overlook the voluntary participation of trappers in value-driven trades, absent coercive labor systems seen elsewhere; resource scarcity, not ideology alone, dictated outpost obsolescence as alternatives emerged. In contemporary contexts, exploratory stations in extreme environments parallel historical posts as logistical bases for sustained human presence and data gathering, notably in under the 1959 Antarctic Treaty framework. Over 70 permanent research stations operate across the continent, functioning as outposts for multidisciplinary science amid isolation and harsh conditions, with examples like the U.S.-operated (established 1955–1956) supporting up to 1,000 personnel seasonally for , biology, and climate studies. These stations enable frontier-like expansions in knowledge production, housing advanced labs and transport hubs akin to trade-era forts, though funded by international consortia rather than commerce; their persistence underscores ongoing causal needs for remote infrastructure where globalization's reach—via and air —still yields to environmental barriers. Unlike fur posts, Antarctic outposts prioritize empirical observation over extraction, mitigating historical ecological pitfalls through regulated protocols.

People

Surname and family names

The surname Post derives primarily from and North origins, functioning as a topographic name for an individual residing near a prominent , , or marker, stemming from the and term post (ultimately from Latin postis, denoting a doorpost or ). Alternative interpretations link it to an occupational role, such as a or responsible for delivering posts or , reflecting medieval practices in Low German-speaking regions. This etymology aligns with its early attestation across Dutch provinces, where families bearing the name contributed to local development from the medieval period onward. In terms of distribution, the surname maintains strong ties to its continental European roots, with historical records indicating widespread presence in the and . Migration patterns led to notable concentrations in the United States, where data reveal 353 Post families in 1840, expanding significantly to the highest recorded numbers by the 1880 , coinciding with peak Dutch and German driven by economic opportunities and religious migrations in the mid-to-late . By the 2010 U.S. , approximately 23,458 individuals bore the surname, ranking it as the 1,503rd most common, with bearers predominantly of European descent. records document over 20,000 arrivals under the name, underscoring dispersal without evidence of systematic alteration or controversy in its adoption.

Notable individuals and pseudonyms

Austin Richard Post, known professionally by the stage name Post Malone, was born on July 4, 1995, in Syracuse, New York. He rose to prominence in 2015 with the single "White Iverson," which peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100, blending hip-hop, pop, and rock elements that propelled his debut album Stoney (2016) to multi-platinum status via over 10 million equivalent units sold in the U.S. by 2020. His subsequent releases, including the triple-platinum Beerbongs & Bentleys (2018), have amassed billions of streams, with singles like "Rockstar" (featuring 21 Savage) topping the Hot 100 for eight weeks and earning diamond certification from the RIAA for exceeding 10 million units. Despite commercial dominance evidenced by nine number-one Hot 100 hits and Grammy nominations, Post Malone has faced public scrutiny over personal struggles, including documented hospitalizations for substance-related issues in 2018 and 2021, contrasting his verifiable chart success with episodic behavioral controversies. Emily Post, born Emily Price on October 27, 1872, and died on September 25, 1960, was an American author renowned for codifying social etiquette. Her seminal work, Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics, and at Home (1922), topped nonfiction bestseller lists upon release and established her as an arbiter of manners, with the phrase "according to Emily Post" entering common parlance by the mid-20th century. Revised through 18 editions until her death, the book sold millions, influencing protocols on dining, correspondence, and public conduct amid the social upheavals of the Roaring Twenties and Great Depression, though critics later noted its prescriptive nature reflected elite WASP norms rather than universal applicability. Wiley Post (1898–1935) was an American aviator who achieved pioneering feats in long-distance flight. In 1931, he and navigator Harold Gatty circumnavigated the globe in 8 days, 15 hours, and 51 minutes, setting a record; Post then flew solo around the world in 1933 aboard the Winnie Mae, completing the 15,474-mile journey in 7 days, 18 hours, and 49 minutes on July 22. His innovations included early prototypes for high-altitude flights, reaching 40,000 feet in 1934, and winning the 1930 Chicago-to-Los Angeles air race, advancements driven by empirical testing that advanced despite his fatal 1935 crash with .