[Talk-GB] Postcode finder updates - postal addresses, house maps and error maps

Steve Doerr steve.doerr at blueyonder.co.uk
Sun Mar 20 22:16:00 GMT 2011


On 20/03/2011 21:34, Matt Williams wrote:
> On 20 March 2011 21:08, Ed Avis<eda at waniasset.com>  wrote:
>

> 'Postcode W9 is badly formed' - many streets are tagged with just the first
> part of the postcode (the outbound code).  This is signed on the ground, and
> is useful to disambiguate street names, so it ought not to be an error.
> I think you are already allowing it on ways, but there are a few odd nodes
> that have it, usually road junctions.  I wouldn't tag it on the junction node
> myself, but if it's there then it is not wrong.

> Yes, you're right that it's an overly harsh error message and it's by
> far the most common 'error' in my database. I do however want to flag
> these as, while they are certainly useful, they are not 'true
> postcodes'.

I agree with the last point: 'postcode' is a misnomer in these cases. 
This form of addressing existed for decades before 'postcodes' were 
invented. 'W9' (or 'W.9') would have been referred to as a 'postal 
district', not a 'postcode' or 'postal code'. Of course, if you go back 
far enough,  even the numbers didn't exist, e.g.'10 Downing Street, S.W.'.

-- 
Steve




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