Derek,
I fully agree that the accuracy of some of the commercially available data
is pretty awful when viewed in any great detail. However, you must ask
yourself if you or the client would be willing to pay the exponentially
greater fees for more accurate data. I do agree though that suppliers
should quote an accuracy rating in the sales literature, rather than leaving
it for you to find out yourself about such short-comings, possibly after
considrable embarrasment with clients.
Andrew Hayes
GIS Analyst/Programmer
Wakefield MDC
> Web: http://www.wakefield.gov.uk/
* : [EMAIL PROTECTED]
* : 01924-(30)5440
Fax: 01924-(30)5424
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Derek Wilson [SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> Sent: 12 February 1999 03:43
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: MI Re: Just how accurate is that data we spend our money on?
>
> Hi, does anyone have any warnings, comments or concerns regarding data
> purchased from a vendor. The last postal code point file I purchased had
> numerous duplications of lat and long values and a number of points were
> simply not in the right location. When I contacted the vendor to complain,
> they tried to downplay the inaccuracies. HOWEVER, if someone in our office
> who had local knowledge of the area had not discovered the errors our
> client would have considered us at fault. Try explaining to a client "oh,
> you don't understand. You see there were errors in the data we used to
> geocode your customers. That's why the locations are off by 3 or 4 blocks,
> or that's why a number of customers with different postal codes appear on
> top of each other." AND the thing that really kills me, is that the data
> vendor made no mention that there data is not 100% accurate. I do know to
> expect a 100% accuracy is to expect too much, but when you achieve an
> error rate exceeding 10% then some type of warning should be included with
> the data you sell.
> �
> Please let me know your thoughts on my rants,
> Derek
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