[Talk-GB] Geospatial Commission to release UPRN/ UPSN identifiers under Open Government Licence

[Mark Goodge]

On 03/04/2020 10:15, Peter Neale via Talk-GB wrote:
> So, will I have to quote a 20-digit alpha-numeric code, if I want to 
> order something from Amazon? ..or get my grandchildren to send me a 
> birthday card?
> 
> (I do not know what these UPRN's look like, but I bet they are not as 
> easy to remember as "Rose Cottage, 3 Church Lane, XX3 4ZZ")

They're a 10 to 12 digit integer. At most, that's one digit longer than 
a telephone number. It's shorter than a credit card number. Mine is 
100121279888. For memorability, I could format that as 1001 2127 9888, 
pronounced "one thousand and one, two one two seven, nine triple-eight".

It isn't necessary to remember all of them, or even any of them, other 
than your own. Once they're open data they can be stored in any address 
book, along with things like email address and phone numbers. And to 
find out where they actually are, you just search for them on Google 
Maps, OSM, Bing Maps or any other mapping provider. Imagine, for 
example, that I have this entry in my phone's contact list:

Alice Example
phone: 01234 567890
mobile: 07654 321321
email: alice at example.com
uprn: 123456789012

If I want to phone Alice, I just tap on the number and the phone dials 
it. If I want to email Alice, I tap on the email address and my phone 
opens the email app with her address prefilled as the recipient. And if 
I want to visit her, I tap on the UPRN and my phone opens the default 
mapping app with a marker showing her location, and offers to provide me 
with directions on how to get there. I don't need to look up anything 
other than her name.

That doesn't stop anyone using the existing methods of storing an 
address. But it will make it hugely simpler for anyone who stores them 
in bulk, such as online retailers.

Mark