[OSM-dev] openstreetmap could start at user's approximate location using geo-ip

[Sam Watkins]

On Mon, 19 Jan 2009 15:11 +0000, "Tom Hughes" <tom at compton.nu> wrote:
> Is there a reason you've taken all this offline?

hi Tom,

sorry, my mistake, I'll repost it to the list.

Geo::IP is a perl interface to the free available version of maxmind's
geo-ip database. From the manpage:

> This free database is similar to the database contained in IP::Country,
> as well as many paid databases. It uses ARIN, RIPE, APNIC, and LACNIC
> whois to obtain the IP->Country mappings.

I assume there are similar things for ruby or such could be made easily.
In any case, I think an interface to a tiny program running locally in
another language (perl) would be better than an interface to another
program running remotely in another language!  and it would run probably
at least 100x faster.

> See my last paragraph above for something that could usefully be done if 
> you wanted.

ok great I'll have a go at doing that, and I'll try a local geo-ip
database. thanks!

regards,

Sam