[ILUG] OT: Open Source Postcode

[Paul Scollon]

This looks good. But I bet the government still go with closed source, 
unfortunately. When considering tenders they tend to go with companies 
that have 24 hour support lines, in case there is an issue. Something 
like the postal system is not going to use a standard where their is no 
"support".

Now if the project was to be proposed by a company rather than an 
individual.....

On 10/07/11 21:59, Ian Spillane wrote:
> Folks,
>
> I realise that it is not strictly Linux related - more Open Source -
> but I'm hopeful Linux people are just as much concerned about open
> source.
>
> As you probably know, there's talk of a postcode for Ireland; however
> it's a bit of a worry that the main proposals are proprietary,
> closed-source, randomised, license-fee based codes.
>
> I've proposed an open source postcode (well actually, calling these
> postcodes is just shorthand - they are all more precisely compressed
> positioning coordinates) at http://tinyurl.com/openpostcode and have
> put together the maths and proof of concept tests. However, I lack the
> skills to easily create a javascript interface with a Google Map - to
> really open up the concept. I hope for advice from those that know
> about how to get such an open source project to build a community and
> to grow in awareness.
>
> It will be an awful shame if the government opt for a closed-source
> proprietary code that open source programmers and database people
> can't freely handle themselves to generate their own location data.
>
> http://tinyurl.com/openpostcode
>
> Ian

-- 


/Paul Scollon,
Computer Services,
Dundalk Institute of Technology /