[ILUG] OT: Open Source Postcode

[Gareth Eason]

On 07/11/2011 06:42 PM, Keith Gaughan wrote:
[snip]
> My main reservation is that it doesn't help An Post much. There's a reason
> why UK postcodes are structured the way they are: to make mail routing
> fast: somebody looking at the postcode can tell exactly where it's meant to
> be routed to. Geographic co-ordinates get you half-way there, but An Post
> would still have to using some kind of mapping from post prefixes to sorting
> offices, which would get in the way of manual sorting (which is still
> necessary, even today).
> 
> Aside from that, the system looks good!
[snip]

	Hi,

	I posted the same issue on Google+ yesterday and suggested the bones of
a solution - however, if you're hoping to win hearts, minds and tenders,
it might be an idea to try and provide as complete a solution as possible.

	To whit, the geographic based post codes solve location finding issues.
They do not solve electional district, mail routing and 'building
estate' based issues - however, another system could. As an example,
postcodes in any form do not solve A-to-B routing, but a generation of
GPS products with maps and routing algorithms neatly fills the gap in a
flexible, extensible and importantly a postcode independent fashion.

	Consider not only the postcode system as you've proposed - which looks
good, btw, subject to consideration of the removal of the most amusing
expletives - but also the system that might sit atop such a postcode
system and enable electioneers, postmasters and others to see what
postcodes are in a housing estate.

	Just my 2c worth.

	Best regards,
	-->Gar