On Wed, Oct 7, 2009 at 11:12 AM, Tim Morley <[email protected]> wrote:
> On 7 Oct 2009, at 10:07, paul perrin wrote: > > > The problem with free the post code is that it is never going to be > > complete/accurate enough to rely on... and worse, you have > > absolutely no idea of how accurate/complete/incomplete it is... a > > good idea but fundamentally flawed. > > Ditto OpenStreetMap. Ditto Wikipedia. People have been saying they > can't possibly be any use for years, but that hasn't stopped them > evolving into really useful, free resources. > > > The strength of the post code system is that it is complete and > > reliable > > Clearly you've never lived on a new development, where three years > after my house was built, an ambulance couldn't find it based on its > postcode; and two years after the Cambridge postcodes were updated, > my Virgin Media bill still comes with the old postcode on it. > > > It does cost money to maintain post codes - (and other freeable > > data - like ordinance survey maps) - if the data is freed then > > where does the money come from? > > Again, it's a discussion that's been had many times, not least on > this list if IIRC, but the gist of it is that the cost of creating > and maintaining the postcodes was and is born by the taxpayer. The > current model for recouping some of that cost is to charge for the > data. A different and arguably better model is to make the data > freely available and to rake in more tax from the increased economic > activity that results. > > Am I wrong in thinking that the post code system was devised as a way of *saving* money for the post office. Any cost in setting it up and maintaining it must be more than offset by a more efficient sorting and delivery system otherwise they wouldn't continue to use it. The fact that it is used as a revenue stream is just plain exploitation. Etienne
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