Google maps already provides point-to-point postal codes. Wikipedia gives a list of all the postal codes.
Is OSM trying to copy this feature? Immanuel On Dec 30, 2014 1:16 PM, "James Ewen" <[email protected]> wrote: > On Tue, Dec 30, 2014 at 7:37 AM, Adam Martin <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > I was reading over the previous discussions held here regarding the > issue of > > obtaining postal codes for use with civic addresses in Canada. I > understand > > that, unless specific permission is obtained, there is no way to utilize > the > > information stored in the Canada Post database, even if that information > is > > manually acquired from the database during a lookup. > > > > Anyway, it would appear that obtaining the information from Canada Post > is, > > basically, a dead end. Might I suggest an alternative? Why not a > volunteer > > effort? I can't look up a code and reproduce it on the map, but I can > surely > > put my own postal code and those of my previous addresses into the map. > That > > knowledge has nothing to do with looking it up on their website. > > Here's where I have a hard time understanding how postal code > information can ever be used in OSM. > > Who created the postal code information? The information can't be > traced back to farmer Brown who lived on this lane in 1642, hence the > road name "Brown Lane". > > I believe Canada Post created the database, and defines which areas > are within the bounds of a particular forward sortation area, local > delivery unit. They can change these bounds as necessary. > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postal_codes_in_Canada > > Since OSM can't use any restricted information sources, and must rely > on non-encumbered information, how can Canada Post postal code > information ever be considered "common knowledge" or "open data"? > > If you look up my postal code, and put it on an envelope, when I > receive that letter, and see my postal code, does it suddenly become > public knowledge, and Canada Post loses the right to maintain control? > > If I print out a Google Map, and hand you that copy, does the Google > Map data become non-encumbered? > > The only way to know the postal code for any specific location is to > have at one point referenced the Canada Post database, either > directly, or indirectly. > > Road names, town names etc. can be argued to precede the map databases > in a number of cases, and have a legal right to be used. In current > towns and cities, when the planners make up road names, it could be > thought of that the designers hold the copyright on the road name > database (if asserted). > > I don't see where a completely contrived database of information that > is created and controlled by an entity which asserts copyright will > ever be able to be used in an unencumbered manner, no matter how many > times removed from accessing the database the data is derived. > > The idea of each person in Canada providing their specific postal code > to an OSM database does not remove the hold which Canada Post asserts. > It would be illegal for one person to copy the database as a whole, so > why would it be legal for >30 million people to copy one piece of the > database and pool that information? > > I love the idea of OSM and would like to see all data available and in > use in the OSM database, but I've always had a hard time figuring out > the line of distinction between encumbered and unencumbered > information sources. > > James > VE6SRV > > _______________________________________________ > Talk-ca mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.openstreetmap.org/listinfo/talk-ca >
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