googlemaps cross references long/lat with postcodes - are they using the protected data under license or are they using other means? can i suggest you make it a game
realbattleofbritain.com whack it into a javascript/flash widget that bloggers can put in their sidebars divide the country into regions 1. Use the game to get people to click on a map every location where they know the postcode 2. People are asked to insert their HOME postcode first, so we can identify what regional team they are in (if they want to play the game they can leave their email address which isn't a bad thing) 3. Do a single cross reference against a known API, googlemaps, royal mail etc every time someone enters a postcode so you can flag "dubious" entries for checking 4. Collect running totals per region for "home" and "away" (in-region and out-region) PC identifications. You publish who are the regions beating each other and where, plus you publish who within each region are the "Heroes", the individuals doing most to ID postcodes. 5. You build in the yahoo/googlmail/hotmail etc apis so people can invite their friends to take part. the number of "friend" signups and the work rate of those people are yet more means of "awarding" the "heroes" 6. You set up facebook groups for each region of the game and for the game as a whole 7. using email list, facebook and maybe some sexy graphics on a home page, you "remotivate" people 8. Individuals become "barons" of areas where they are the predominant deliverers of postcodes Hey, I'm having a bubbling of ideas about this 9. you allow group emails between "alliances" so teams can co-ordinate "attacks" on specific areas so they can get dominance of those locations for their alliance. 10. you punish individuals and teams when their members put in locations that are subsequently found to be duff. Guys, i reckon you could build this, make it work and get sponsorship/advertising to get an income off it, or cash prizes for the "winners" so where's my invite to advise the Tories on harnessing social media in a non partisan capacity? :) Alex Hilton On Wed, Oct 7, 2009 at 11:50 AM, Adam McGreggor <[email protected]> wrote: > On Wed, Oct 07, 2009 at 10:37:30AM +0100, Simon Roe wrote: > > How about sites like planning alerts put a map on the sign up page > > asking for the users postcode. They have to put a pin in the map > > where they are, and enter their postcode. > > That still doesn't address the issue of why isn't postcode data freely > available. > > I'd see absolutely no point in implementing that idea on, say > WriteToThem: "you can't send your message unless you show us on a map > where you are, and then enter your postcode." > > > Pros: A higher chance of good data, as people want accurate data (the > > self interest of getting planning alerts/[whatever] for themselves). > > Also, you are guaranteed to have the users location after they have > > signed up. > > If their location isn't on a map, or they don't know it, they're > fucked. > > > Cons: A slightly longer sign up process. This could be made quicker > > by some nice javascript that zooms the map to the 'outcode' (the IP22 > > of IP22 4DN), a database that I believe is free to use (I may be > > wrong). Also, having to enter the postcode/location on every site > > would become a pain, > > And nonsensical. We're fortunate to have licenced > postcode->constituency data. > > > In fact, mySociety should be brave: dump the PAF file and only use > > free post code data (and publicly say they are doing it in support of > > smaller sites). > > See above re "can't write to your MP" > > -- > ``Vote Labour -- Sleep Tory'' > (unofficial slogan of Oswald Mosley) > > _______________________________________________ > Mailing list [email protected] > Archive, settings, or unsubscribe: > https://secure.mysociety.org/admin/lists/mailman/listinfo/developers-public >
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