Or MapCode: http://www.mapcode.com/ . It's already embedded in TomTom systems; however, it is open. Only the master grid database is controlled centrally by a foundation.
There's definitely a place for a non-coordinate-based place identifier, especially for the large proportion of the world's population without formal addresses. It'll be interesting to see what emerges. I've been thinking a mapcode plugin for QGIS would be a nice idea... On 29/10/2014 23:00, Barry Rowlingson wrote: > > > On Wed, Oct 29, 2014 at 8:34 PM, Daniel Morissette > <dmorisse...@mapgears.com <mailto:dmorisse...@mapgears.com>> wrote: > > This sounds very much like the Natural Area Coding (NAC) system: > > http://www.nacgeo.com/ > > Interesting idea in theory, but in practice this has been around for > over a decade and hasn't really taken off, quite likely because an > alphanumerical code is not of much more use than pure geographic > coordinates. > > Or maybe it's like the case of "rasters in a database" [1] and this > concept just needs a strong champion to sell us the idea and convince > the world that we need it? > > > Or possibly because of non-open licensing terms? > > http://www.nacgeo.com/nacsite/licensing/ > > I think I have seen some web services teaming up with What3Words > which does a similar thing except translates coords to a word triple > via a proprietary, secret, server-based algorithm. Its cutesy nature > ("I live at monkey sponge gearstick") seems to appeal to many since it > makes memorable locations. > > Anyhooo... > > > > > Daniel > > [1] > http://lists.osgeo.org/pipermail/postgis-users/2006-October/013569.html > > On 14-10-29 3:53 PM, Cameron Shorter wrote: > > Hi Doug, > > An interesting and potentially useful concept. > > It sounds like you are proposing a spatial standard. Have you > approached > > the Open Geospatial Consortium about getting the standard endorsed? > > > > With regards to any code which you wish to produce and open > source, I > > suggest considering bringing it under the umbrella of the Open > Source > > Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo). > > Details about OSGeo incubation here: > > http://www.osgeo.org/incubator > > > > > > On 30/10/2014 1:08 am, Doug Rinckes wrote: > >> I'm an engineer at Google, and I have just open sourced a geo > project > >> we've been working on for a while. > >> > >> I used to work on our maps, detecting missing road networks and > in my > >> spare time mapping roads in Papua New Guinea, Central and West > Africa > >> from the satellite imagery. But without street names or > addresses, a > >> road network isn't all that useful. People can't use it for > >> directions, because they can't express where they want > directions to. > >> After talking with colleagues from around the world, I discovered > >> that's it actually very common for streets to be unnamed. > >> > >> We thought that we should provide short codes that could be > used like > >> addresses, to give the location of homes, businesses, anything. > If we > >> made them usable from smartphones, we can make addresses for > anywhere > >> available to anyone with a smartphone pretty much immediately. > >> > >> We had some specific requirements, including that these address > codes > >> should work offline, they shouldn't spell words or include easily > >> confused characters. We wanted to be able to look at two codes and > >> tell if they are near each other, and estimate the direction > and even > >> the distance. The codes should not be generated by a single > provider, > >> because what do you do when they disappear? Finally, it had to > be open > >> sourced. > >> > >> Open sourcing the project was important. We wanted to allow > everyone > >> to evaluate it so that we don't go implementing something that > turns > >> out to not be useful. If it does turn out to be useful, everyone > >> (including other mapping providers) should be able to implement > it and > >> use the codes freely. > >> > >> I'm pre-announcing this to a couple of geo lists today, and I'll be > >> sticking around for comments and questions. The following links > >> provide more information: > >> > >> Github project: https://github.com/google/open-location-code > >> Demonstration website: http://plus.codes <http://plus.codes/> > >> Discussion list: > >> https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/open-location-code > <https://groups.google.com/forum/#%21forum/open-location-code> > >> <https://groups.google.com/forum/#%21forum/open-location-code> > >> > >> Enjoy! > >> > >> Doug > >> > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> Discuss mailing list > >> Discuss@lists.osgeo.org <mailto:Discuss@lists.osgeo.org> > >> http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss > > > > -- > > Cameron Shorter, > > Software and Data Solutions Manager > > LISAsoft > > Suite 112, Jones Bay Wharf, > > 26 - 32 Pirrama Rd, Pyrmont NSW 2009 > > > > P +61 2 9009 5000 <tel:%2B61%202%209009%205000>, > Wwww.lisasoft.com <http://Wwww.lisasoft.com>, F +61 2 9009 5099 > <tel:%2B61%202%209009%205099> > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Discuss mailing list > > Discuss@lists.osgeo.org <mailto:Discuss@lists.osgeo.org> > > http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss > > > > > -- > Daniel Morissette > T: +1 418-696-5056 #201 <tel:%2B1%20418-696-5056%20%23201> > http://www.mapgears.com/ > Provider of Professional MapServer Support since 2000 > _______________________________________________ > Discuss mailing list > Discuss@lists.osgeo.org <mailto:Discuss@lists.osgeo.org> > http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Discuss mailing list > Discuss@lists.osgeo.org > http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss -- Gavin Fleming t: 0218620670 w: 0218630660 c: 0845965680 f: 0866164820 Paarl South Africa 18°59'19.6"E 33°44'46.1"S
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