5 ms·

> Addresses are complicated too so you might as well just have a country field + the rest and then use an API to standardize, which also makes future queries ea

by tynorf 8y ago

> Addresses are complicated too so you might as well just have a country field + the rest and then use an API to standardize, which also makes future queries easy. This, big time. I worked on an ecommerce site that had to ship to Nigeria. No zip codes, often no street name or number. "Two doors north of the post office on the east side of Lagos." The couriers could find it.

manigandham 8y ago
There is a system called Plus Codes: https://plus.codes/ https://plus.codes/ Designed as a way to address any location segment with a unique code, based on lat/long, and it's a great way to provide addressing for many areas that don't have formal systems.
- craftyguy 8y ago
  Those, in a way, seem even worse compared to a system based on reference points. Where is G2HR+GW2 in relation to G2HR+GWD? Couriers in locations that use this system would need access to decode that into something that they can use to find a location, and people at locations would need a way to encode their current location. The current zip code system in the US is similar, with the exception of having been in use for about 50 years, and the number being relatively easier to remember.
  - manigandham 8y ago
    The whole point of an addressing system is that it is structured. You current home address has nothing to do with reference points either, but it makes it easy to catalog and transfer in a standard format. This is to help transition areas that are still based on local knowledge to a standard system, without the expense of official street names and building numbers.
    - craftyguy 8y ago
      > You current home address has nothing to do with reference points either, But it does. Based on my address, you would know what city and state I am in, and in many cases even which direction in that city my street is (e.g. NW Whatever St). Then you'd know where on the street I am because 3350 is one block over from 2428. You'd also know which side of the street I am because 3350 is across the street from 3347.
      - rakoo 8y ago
        But you don't know whether you need to turn left or right to go from your street to Church street. The comparison can only be done on one dimension.
      - manigandham 8y ago
        Given a complete lack of an address system in rural areas, any structure is better than nothing. If you're comparing address systems by how well local proximity can be inferred from a given address, then Lat/Long is the best system because it's global without language, national or political barriers, doesn't require formal naming, and has no arbitrary designations. Open Location Codes are based on lat/long, but designed to use alphanumerics to make it easier to remember while also working interchangeably with lat/long and country designations. Perhaps the developer page will help: https://plus.codes/developers https://plus.codes/developers
        strken 8y ago
        Using normal lat/long to read a map doesn't require you to do a base20 -> base10 conversion, where the characters are 23456789CFGHJMPQRVWX instead of 0123456789ABCDEFGHIJ, and where latitude and longitude are interleaved character by character, in your head.
        manigandham 8y ago
        Again, that's not the point of an address system. You do not use this to navigate (even with proximity built-in), but to transfer location data in a compact format. I don't see why this keeps getting misunderstood. If you need to mark an area in a reliable, deterministic and politically neutral way, especially in the absence of any existing system, then this is a good option. If you need to drive your jeep to get somewhere, then continue using the lat/long that your GPS or map provides. If you need to translate between the two, then place codes make it easy because they require nothing but simple math.

by tynorf 8y ago

manigandham 8y ago

There is a system called Plus Codes: https://plus.codes/ https://plus.codes/ Designed as a way to address any location segment with a unique code, based on lat/long, and it's a great way to provide addressing for many areas that don't have formal systems.

craftyguy 8y ago
Those, in a way, seem even worse compared to a system based on reference points. Where is G2HR+GW2 in relation to G2HR+GWD? Couriers in locations that use this system would need access to decode that into something that they can use to find a location, and people at locations would need a way to encode their current location. The current zip code system in the US is similar, with the exception of having been in use for about 50 years, and the number being relatively easier to remember.
- manigandham 8y ago
  The whole point of an addressing system is that it is structured. You current home address has nothing to do with reference points either, but it makes it easy to catalog and transfer in a standard format. This is to help transition areas that are still based on local knowledge to a standard system, without the expense of official street names and building numbers.
  - craftyguy 8y ago
    > You current home address has nothing to do with reference points either, But it does. Based on my address, you would know what city and state I am in, and in many cases even which direction in that city my street is (e.g. NW Whatever St). Then you'd know where on the street I am because 3350 is one block over from 2428. You'd also know which side of the street I am because 3350 is across the street from 3347.
    - rakoo 8y ago
      But you don't know whether you need to turn left or right to go from your street to Church street. The comparison can only be done on one dimension.
    - manigandham 8y ago
      Given a complete lack of an address system in rural areas, any structure is better than nothing. If you're comparing address systems by how well local proximity can be inferred from a given address, then Lat/Long is the best system because it's global without language, national or political barriers, doesn't require formal naming, and has no arbitrary designations. Open Location Codes are based on lat/long, but designed to use alphanumerics to make it easier to remember while also working interchangeably with lat/long and country designations. Perhaps the developer page will help: https://plus.codes/developers https://plus.codes/developers
      - strken 8y ago
        Using normal lat/long to read a map doesn't require you to do a base20 -> base10 conversion, where the characters are 23456789CFGHJMPQRVWX instead of 0123456789ABCDEFGHIJ, and where latitude and longitude are interleaved character by character, in your head.
        manigandham 8y ago
        Again, that's not the point of an address system. You do not use this to navigate (even with proximity built-in), but to transfer location data in a compact format. I don't see why this keeps getting misunderstood. If you need to mark an area in a reliable, deterministic and politically neutral way, especially in the absence of any existing system, then this is a good option. If you need to drive your jeep to get somewhere, then continue using the lat/long that your GPS or map provides. If you need to translate between the two, then place codes make it easy because they require nothing but simple math.