Complete UK Postcode Database on Wikileaks

[centurian]

Is that an argument? If so I wonder when can I have my fire engine?

The point being is that taxpayers paid for the data to be collated, but also have to pay to actually use the data.

In the context of a fire engine, you would have to pay for it every time you needed one - in addition to paying for it anyway through your taxes.

It's not just Royal Mail. Ordnance Survey are just as bad with mapping data, if not worse.

[Spacecadet]

Have fun converting the "grid reference" fields to something useful
I've worked with this data before (legitimately) and the geographical data needs a bit of conversion before applying to any other software.

Any entries without gridreference fields are non-geographically bound postcodes.

The data is only acurate to 100m, so in urban areas you can pretty much forget about linking a postcode to an actual street.
If you want to do that then you'll need the other 6 (approx) files which comprise the full postal data set and contain all 32 million address points.

For instance the outward and inward postcode parts are sometimes space separated

The outcode is always 4 characters including a space padding if required

[OwlHoot]

Is that an argument? If so I wonder when can I have my fire engine?

Yeah, that might come in handy, but where would you park it?

[Spacecadet]

Yeah, that might come in handy, but where would you park it?

at the fire station, which is also paid for at the tax payers expense.

Tell you what, how about we both take them and then we can share.
Anyone else want in?

[AtW]

The point being is that taxpayers paid for the data to be collated, but also have to pay to actually use the data.

Their arguement is that without that extra fee total cost to taxpayer will be even higher, ie: if Ordnance Survey gives away free mapping info to anyone without charging license then overall cost of this necessary work will be higher.

In the context of a fire engine, you would have to pay for it every time you needed one - in addition to paying for it anyway through your taxes.

Bad analogy - unlike electronic stuff (databases) fire engines can't be copied at zero cost, which means anyone who'd want to get fire engines will have to pay the same fee - there is no "free ride" here.

[TimberWolf]

I've plotted all 1.8 million postcodes in that file on a map. Very pretty.

http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/2605/postcodes.jpg

[Spacecadet]

I've plotted all 1.8 million postcodes in that file on a map. Very pretty.

http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/2605/postcodes.jpg

How long did that take you?

[TimberWolf]

How long did that take you?

The program itself takes a about 30 seconds to run. A bit of poncing about learning VB.net and reacquainting myself with map projections and Access, etc (I'm ring rusty) took most of the time.

[thunderlizard]

I've plotted all 1.8 million postcodes in that file on a map. Very pretty.

http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/2605/postcodes.jpg

Out of interest, what are the ones that are in the sea (1 off SW coast of Ireland, one SW of Scilly)?

[Spacecadet]

Out of interest, what are the ones that are in the sea (1 off SW coast of Ireland, one SW of Scilly)?

those look like they correspond to the 0,0 point in the coordinate systems used in the PZone file