It's really just another approach to data entry. Instead of ensuring that the data is good before submit, by using dropdowns and such, you accept the data and

It's really just another approach to data entry. Instead of ensuring that the data is good before submit, by using dropdowns and such, you accept the data and then verify it. I've seen e-commerce sites do this with address. They let you enter three free form lines, then send it to their address verifier and give it back to you to confirm. You can either accept it (which then saves the company money because it has ZIP+4) or keep your input as-is.