4 ms·

[UK] Post code data to be free in 2010

16 points by davecardwell 17y ago

robin_reala 17y ago
This is great news! You could ask ”What’s taken so long?” but that would be sour grapes. Guess we no longer need http://freethepostcode.org/ http://freethepostcode.org/ now though.
- pierrefar 17y ago
  Multiple data sources are better as any given one is likely to contain errors.
- ZeroGravitas 17y ago
  Let's not count our chickens before they hatch: "Harry Metcalfe, who helped sites get at postcode data, said he was "cautiously optimistic" about the decision to open up the OS data sets. "The 'how' is terribly important, quite easily the difference between a fantastic data release and a waste of time," he said. He said it would "possibly" be enough to help websites that want to use postcode data. "Maybe probably." he said. "It will be if it's done right."
  - ZeroGravitas 17y ago
    And it looks like the Post Office has already clarified that the PAF data (the stuff that lets you go quickly from a postcode to a customer's address) will remain closed: http://www.freeourdata.org.uk/blog/2009/12/postcodes-to-be-free-but-which-ones/ http://www.freeourdata.org.uk/blog/2009/12/postcodes-to-be-f...
bdfh42 17y ago
news.ycombinator.com/item?id=981000 news.ycombinator.com/item?id=985599
- deleted 17y ago
  [deleted]
EnderMB 17y ago
I've always wondered how forms have managed to get my address through my post code. It will be great to play with this data once it is available.
nailer 17y ago
At FOWA a few months ago, the Ordanance Survey (a taxpayer funded organization that handles postcode and general surveying in the UK) had a stand asking people to pay the typical exhorbitant amount of money (a few hundred pounds a year) to access the data their taxes already paid for. Pretty much everyone at the conference doing anything in the geo space was using the 100MB file that gets uploaded to wikileaks every few weeks instead.
- rlpb 17y ago
  Taxpayers don't pay directly for the Ordnance Survey. "It is a separate government department that is now financed through data licensing rather than direct funding from the tax payer" http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/media/features/tradingfund.html http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/media/features/tra... Having said that, public sector organisations licence data like everyone else, and that money does come from the taxpayer. However, if the Ordnance Survey were a private company then this situation would be the same.

16 points by davecardwell 17y ago

This is great news! You could ask ”What’s taken so long?” but that would be sour grapes. Guess we no longer need http://freethepostcode.org/ http://freethepostcode.org/ now though.

pierrefar 17y ago
Multiple data sources are better as any given one is likely to contain errors.
ZeroGravitas 17y ago
Let's not count our chickens before they hatch: "Harry Metcalfe, who helped sites get at postcode data, said he was "cautiously optimistic" about the decision to open up the OS data sets. "The 'how' is terribly important, quite easily the difference between a fantastic data release and a waste of time," he said. He said it would "possibly" be enough to help websites that want to use postcode data. "Maybe probably." he said. "It will be if it's done right."
- ZeroGravitas 17y ago
  And it looks like the Post Office has already clarified that the PAF data (the stuff that lets you go quickly from a postcode to a customer's address) will remain closed: http://www.freeourdata.org.uk/blog/2009/12/postcodes-to-be-free-but-which-ones/ http://www.freeourdata.org.uk/blog/2009/12/postcodes-to-be-f...

bdfh42 17y ago

news.ycombinator.com/item?id=981000 news.ycombinator.com/item?id=985599

deleted 17y ago
[deleted]

EnderMB 17y ago

I've always wondered how forms have managed to get my address through my post code. It will be great to play with this data once it is available.

nailer 17y ago

At FOWA a few months ago, the Ordanance Survey (a taxpayer funded organization that handles postcode and general surveying in the UK) had a stand asking people to pay the typical exhorbitant amount of money (a few hundred pounds a year) to access the data their taxes already paid for. Pretty much everyone at the conference doing anything in the geo space was using the 100MB file that gets uploaded to wikileaks every few weeks instead.

rlpb 17y ago
Taxpayers don't pay directly for the Ordnance Survey. "It is a separate government department that is now financed through data licensing rather than direct funding from the tax payer" http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/media/features/tradingfund.html http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/media/features/tra... Having said that, public sector organisations licence data like everyone else, and that money does come from the taxpayer. However, if the Ordnance Survey were a private company then this situation would be the same.