How to decode a package shipping label, from the jumbled letters to the sea of barcodes

If you know what to look for, the label can answer questions like, why did this package take so long to arrive, and who broke what's inside?
ZDNet

UPS delivers electronic labels

UPS delivers electronic labels UPS said Wednesday that e-mail will help make the return of merchandise easier. The Atlanta-based parcel shipper said businesses can use its online software to e-mail ...
Ars Technica

Dropped off a package with a pre-paid label at a UPS Store. It's vanished.

I dropped off two packages (both with pre-paid shipping labels) at a UPS Store on Monday. One needed to be packed (the one that vanished), so I paid around $11 to pack it. They didn't need any of my ...