[OSM-talk] UK post box data

[Tom Taylor]

On 5 Jul 2008, at 15:29, Shaun McDonald wrote:
> The problem is that you are geocoding using Yahoo's geocoding  
> services. Which simply isn't compatible with the OSM licence. If you  
> were to use OSM or free the postcode data for doing the geocoding,  
> then you would be able to do it.

Agreed, but Free The Postcode simply doesn't contain the density of  
data required. Until the Postcode Address File is released, I don't  
see a better way of doing it.

> However postcodes are not very accurate, they get you to within a  
> quarter/half/full street.

Again, agreed, but Royal Mail themselves don't hold any more accurate  
information.

> All post boxes in OSM are done more accurate than that. It would be  
> far better to say, there should be a post box somewhere in this  
> area, and there isn't one yet. Presenting this in a status page  
> online would be more useful. Someone done this for the railway  
> stations.

Have you got a URL for this?

Out of interest, what is it about Yahoo's geocoding that make it  
incompatible with OSM? As I understand it, you cannot copyright facts.  
No doubt it's far more complex than that.

Cheers,

Tom