Slashdot Mirror
Universal Alphanumeric Postal Code Proposed
Meshach writes "An article in the Globe and Mail is discussing a possible change to the way postal codes are assigned over the world. NAC Geographic Products will be using Microsoft's MapPoint to power their Mobile Location-Based Services Network, which could change all postal codes in the world to a simpler, more universal format."
It will now be possible to have your snail mail crash on you. Imagine opening up your mailbox and getting a BSOD. And naturally Microsoft will sell your snail address to the spammers, so you'll get about 50 junk mails per day. And a robotic Spam Assassin is a lot more expensive than its free software counterpart. Who thought this was a good idea anyway - Bill Gates, or maybe some of the other spammers?
Cyde Weys Musings - Scrutinizing the inscrutable
With Microsoft in control of the system, Finland will mysteriously disappear from all the routing systems...
Moderation: Put your hand inside the puppet head!
Which means that as a New Jersey resident, my postal code would be:
5h1+h0l3
The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.
I suppose that will mean Santa Claus' Postal Code will change from the current form:
:(
H0H 0H0
And thats too bad
I can't wait for Universal Location Codes v6.
With 1.8e4806 possible locations, it will be worth everyone memorizing a simple 2Meg file.
I assert that my comment is only my opinion, not that of any employer, past, present or future.
download and install the western font from microsoft i suppose.
Stop at #9 IRQL_NOT_GREATER_OR_EQUAL Lane. Look for the blue mailbox.
Let's not forget to use an "E" prefix, so that when we move to Mars or the Moon, then we can start using "M" and... oh... wait a second.
Expect Microsoft to add hooks into your Address Book (so you can easily print envelopes with the correct zip code, of course). Then the next Outlook Macro virus with send junk paper mail to everyone in your address book. Once it is also integrated with eStamp, all hell will break loose. Your postal carrier will shoot you when he/she finds 1.3 million outgoing letters in your mailbox.
well... maybe some readers have never been to New Jersey, and now they've learned something!
Stop by my site where I write about ERP systems & more
1 - Will the zipcode format change every odd years each time M$ feels like doing an upgrade ? with the current "non-universal" postal system, there are people who get mails and postcards delivered sometimes decades after they've been sent. Will posters senders get "can't resolve address" return mails if their postcards isn't delivered in time ?
2 - How much dya bet you'd have to use those longish cryptic zipcodes as registration keys in future Microsoft products ?
"A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
...could change all postal codes in the world to a simpler, more universal format.
What's that sound?
It's the sound of millions of database application programmers screaming in agony.
The Normalization Monkey says, "Who's laughing now! Bwahahaha!"
Healthcare article at Kuro5hin
"This letter can only be opened in Microsoft Windows-enabled homes"
Based on latitude and longitude, the NAC system can represent an area the size of a province using two alphanumeric characters.
That's a bummer for gypsies. Maybe there should be a service equivalent to dyndns for them, so they can upgrade their own postcodes themselves on the move ?
"A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
Before we get completely bogged down by the ever-increasing number of often conflicting "standards", we need to adopt a "Standard Standard". That is to say, a standard which standardizes the standardization of standards. The first self-referential standard in this meta standard must say, of course, that "Standard Standard" is the standard standard standard. Anyone who implements this standard standard will immediately realize huge profits corresponding to the savings accrued by eliminating the standard duplication of standards which has become the standard.
--Lawrence Lessig for Congress!
Since 70% of the postal codes will be in the middle of the ocean, I can't wait to send out snail mail to random addresses. "Return to sender: no creature with opposable thumbs was available to sign for delivery. Try back in 3 billion years."
The article claims that these will be universal codes for all over the world, but what about for countries that don't use the standard western alphabet?
Isn't that what unicode is for? And what could be more simple than remembering the bit-equivalent of unicode kanji?
The ______ Agenda
For example, NAC Geographic Products' address in Toronto would be 8CNB5 Q8Z4R.
Ecnbs Qesar?
Sorry. I keep trying to decode that address code as 'leet speak. :)
How would you feel becoming obsolete?
Achille Talon
Hop!
What if your address is in a high-rise? Is it accurate to a cube meter? :-)
A friend of mine got a new phone number. For the longest time, I wondered why her new phone number struck me as strange. Finally, I decided to stop and figure it out.
XXX-1337
It took a while since the situation had nothing to do with computers, but I finally realized that some part of my mind was trying to read it as "LEET".
Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.