Reply to: Postcode data to be free in 2010

[Muttley08]

But the issue is either the people who want to use it pay - or we all pay (via taxes)...

The idea of the latest opening up of free data is that there's a greater public good from small scale developers having access to it is one I agree with - it just means places like OS need to be funded by taxpayer money for this public good.

At the moment though, the detailed datasets, mastermap and addresspoint don't look likely to be included in the freebies...

[NickFitz]

It is our data, we paid for it to be collected in the first place: so why on earth should we ever have had to pay again to use it?

These people forget who employs them.

Agreed. The idea of making organisations like the GPO and OS charge for use of their data was one of the worst legacies of the Tory administration of 1979 - 1997. It's a shame Labour didn't get rid of that Tory bulltulip years ago, but that's what happens when people are stupid enough to think Tory ideas are worth copying.

[NickFitz]

Yahoo's GeoPlanet data includes broad-scale postcodes (e.g. SW1A 3) mapped to WOEIDs, which are mappable to lat-lon via free web services and can be serviceable enough for many applications. Download it and see if it serves; it's free as in both speech and beer.

Alternatively you can get the data that will be freed next year right now from WikiLeaks

[AtW]

It is our data, we paid for it to be collected in the first place: so why on earth should we ever have had to pay again to use it?

In theory the cost of collecting data can be offset by commercial usage of such data, ie: let's say it costs £500 mln to collect data, then it is given away for free: cost to taxpayer is £500 mln, while some private companies make a fortune from that free to them data. You can also try to sell this data, this may make (for example) £250 mln - this reduces cost to taxpayer by 50%.

HTH

[Tarquin Farquhar]

It is our data, we paid for it to be collected in the first place: so why on earth should we ever have had to pay again to use it?

These people forget who employs them.

[Muttley08]

Super Gordon is talking about postcode data only at the moment - not the full address list that's included with AddressPoint - PAF originally didnt have this (think PAF+) did from memory.

It's out for consultation - so might change...here's some info on it..

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology...ps-free-online

[Spacecadet]

I would expect them to have to provide the coordinates of the postcode's centroid in some form. If they use lat/lon, it's free. If they use Ordnance Survey grid references, then we have a new problem... they're not free either.

So the Royal Mail might still be able to wriggle out of this by charging a licence fee for the OS component.

The PAF file uses Northings and Eastings accurate to 100 meters (they used to do it more accurately but AFAIK have discontinued that service)

With a bit of mathematical trickery it's possible to convert to Lat Long

[RichardCranium]

Thats in the PAF, so unlikely

I would expect them to have to provide the coordinates of the postcode's centroid in some form. If they use lat/lon, it's free. If they use Ordnance Survey grid references, then we have a new problem... they're not free either.

So the Royal Mail might still be able to wriggle out of this by charging a licence fee for the OS component.

[AtW]

If everyone can get it for free then it would make it harder to get paying Plan B - cost of a product is a good deterrent to competitors who'd otherwise might nick your idea very quickly once they see it working.

[Spacecadet]

I'll take it if it includes lat/long coords with +/- 1 meter error for my Plan D...

Thats in the PAF, so unlikely

[Sysman]

Beauty!!! I desperately need a 'proper' updated postcode/lat long list for one of my Plan B's. Have not been willing to pay the silly price up to now though as this Plan B is currently more hobby than money maker. If it includes that, i'll be a very happy chap.

I looked into the cost in the mid-90s and was astonished how high it was. If you consider that a Plan B should have low start up costs, this definitely wasn't suitable.

[RichardCranium]

Right, that's it, I'm on an anal spelling quest. Sir Richard of Unmerkinness.

I'll take it if it includes lat/long coords with +/- 1 meter error for my Plan D...

metre.

[AtW]

I'll take it if it includes lat/long coords with +/- 1 meter error for my Plan D...

[Durbs]

Beauty!!! I desperately need a 'proper' updated postcode/lat long list for one of my Plan B's. Have not been willing to pay the silly price up to now though as this Plan B is currently more hobby than money maker. If it includes that, i'll be a very happy chap.

[NickFitz]

Unfortunately we still won't get free access to the PAF, but its still a major step forward - Tim Berners-Lee even tweeted about it the other day