National Postcodes to be introduced

MBSnr

^^^
I know what you mean - People have short memories. You see it and hear it everywhere - blame someone else - mostly FG and Labour. Conveniently forgetting how FF (Bertie then Brian, ohhhh and the Greens rem. them - hmm bankers, developers, builders, carbon tax, etc anyone??!) managed the country so well whilst in power....(ie they kicked the can down the road not doing anything when the country was awash with money ).

/Anyhow back on topic...

Aimead

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

Right now it's fashionable to jump up and down about FG and how rubbish they are and how everything is sh*te because of them.

Rabbitte and White were, as far I can see, the ones who were in charge of developing Eircode. Not defending FG, just point this out.

Let's look at Eircode's list of problems. Well, it's not sequential and with that not intuitive and, erm, let's see, hhhmmhh, no, that's about it.

It is disappointing to have explained, in some considerable depth across many posts now, just how problematic not being based on a geocode is.

But yeah, there can’t be any substance to any of that. It must be because I have anti-government feelings, I need an excuse to rabble, I’m a lefty loony, I’m soapboxing and just throwing shoite until something sticks.

oscarBravo

Aimead wrote: »

Personally, Eircode will probably make my life less easy.

How? Genuine question. If it is of no benefit, and would be an effort to implement, just ignore it completely and you're in exactly the same place you were before it launched.

We could have easily worked with any geocode (in fact we already do), but the way Eircode has been designed means we’ll have to do an extra step converting it we didn’t have to do previously. At present we can do a lot of our work without needing recourse to a computer, which is handy for of the more remote loading locations we operate from – that won’t be possible with Eircode.

Another genuine question: how do you convert a Loc8 code to an actual location without looking it up online?

Bayberry

oscarBravo wrote: »

Another genuine question: how do you convert a Loc8 code to an actual location without looking it up online?

My Garmin is able to convert a Loc8 code to an actual location without looking it up online.

plodder

Aimead wrote: »

It is disappointing to have explained, in some considerable depth across many posts now, just how problematic not being based on a geocode is.

But yeah, there can’t be any substance to any of that. It must be because I have anti-government feelings, I need an excuse to rabble, I’m a lefty loony, I’m soapboxing and just throwing shoite until something sticks.

Unfortunately, that's been the nature of this "discussion". For years, there has been debate on this thread about the merits of different kinds of postcode systems. Then, only after a system was designed in secret, have various people emerged to defend that system to the last. It'd be naive to think there would be honest discussion in that context.

Having said that, I don't think the case for a geocode is as clear as you make out. There are pros and cons. A geocode is simpler, and better for navigation devices, but its structure is less meaningful than a hierarchical code with defined areas. Though it is clearly more meaningful than Eircode. So, I suppose what I am saying is that loc8* (with a database of official codes for those applications that need it) would have been better than Eircode, but perhaps not the best system of all.

* actually I really mean a geocode similar to loc8. loc8 itself can't encode multiple identifiers at the same location.

bluesteel

Bayberry wrote: »

My Garmin is able to convert a Loc8 code to an actual location without looking it up online.

My Sat Nav isn't. <snip>

bluesteel

Kevin Myers had a right go at Eircodes in the Sunday Times this weekend. As usual it was very removed from reality and lon gon hyperbole


I'd encourage people to explain it to him

kevin.myers@sunday-times.ie

Trouwe Ier

My "expertise" in this matter derives from my training as a GPS Instructor and my experience derives from having to earn a crust finding my way to non-unique addresses.

On both accounts, I am better informed that Mr. Myers.

54and56

All this would've should've could've venting is hilarious. Eircode won out, it's here to stay. It's the VHS of post codes vs LOC8's BetaMax but 99% of people don't care. Eircode gives us a modern functional postcode which will make postal and package/courier deliveries more accurate and efficient and can be used for navigational directions right to the individual address.

Game set and match.

No one remembers who came 2nd, 3rd or 4th in this years Eurovision song contest and no one will remember what the alternative postcode runners and riders were either, bar a few who will continue to rerun an already lost battle again and again in the futile hope that one day the outcome will be different.

Bayberry

Je_suis_Jean wrote: »

No one remembers who came 2nd, 3rd or 4th in this years Eurovision song contest

Does anyone remember who came first either?

The process that lead to eircode was flawed. We could have had the dogs bollocks of a 21st Century postcode, but we ended up with a dogs dinner of a system, that even it's most persistent supporters can't actually give a convincing argument in favour of.

It's worthwhile complaining about it on the slim chance that the next such national infrastructure project might actually be world class. Even if the "feck it, it'll do" brigade would prefer that everyone just give over and stop pointing out how we have, yet again, been sold a pig in a poke!

dr.fuzzenstein

Je_suis_Jean wrote: »

All this would've should've could've venting is hilarious. Eircode won out, it's here to stay. It's the VHS of post codes vs LOC8's BetaMax but 99% of people don't care. Eircode gives us a modern functional postcode which will make postal and package/courier deliveries more accurate and efficient and can be used for navigational directions right to the individual address.

Game set and match.

No one remembers who came 2nd, 3rd or 4th in this years Eurovision song contest and no one will remember what the alternative postcode runners and riders were either, bar a few who will continue to rerun an already lost battle again and again in the futile hope that one day the outcome will be different.

For Loc8 to be Betamax people would have to have heard of it. I think it's more Video 2000.

OU812

I really don't get the love for Loc8. It's really clumsy & can be full of errors with everyone creating their own code. With another layer(s) of codes which I'm sure someone will create through google maps, it's going to be easy to have codes for everywhere that doesn't receive post as well as the ones that we currently have. Once someone has mapped out the routing keys, that's it.

Bayberry

OU812 wrote: »

I really don't get the love for Loc8.

What love for Loc8? Just because the eircode supporters constantly attack Loc8 everytime someone refers to geocodes doesn't mean that Loc8 is the only possible geocode solution, or that any time someone suggests that a geo-code based solution would have served Ireland better than the bodge that is eircode, they are referencing loc8.

Ironically, the eircode ads on the radio emphasis the use of eircodes for visiting someone down the country - a function that loc8 is perfect for.

Sam Russell

Bayberry wrote: »

Ironically, the eircode ads on the radio emphasis the use of eircodes for visiting someone down the country - a function that loc8 is perfect for.

... and I know of no way that Eircode can help find an address. It is not implemented (afaik) on any satnav, it is not on Google maps, and there is no way of knowing when you get there.

OU812

Sam Russell wrote: »

... and I know of no way that Eircode can help find an address. It is not implemented (afaik) on any satnav, it is not on Google maps, and there is no way of knowing when you get there.

go to eircode.ie, search for address, click "get directions" it opens up your preferred mapping app & guides you there. Extremely simple.

Sam Russell

OU812 wrote: »

go to eircode.ie, search for address, click "get directions" it opens up your preferred mapping app & guides you there. Extremely simple.

There is no 'Get Directions' on my screen.

TheChizler

Sam Russell wrote: »

There is no 'Get Directions' on my screen.

Resize the window to make it on par with a mobile screen, or use an actual mobile.

OU812

Sam Russell wrote: »

There is no 'Get Directions' on my screen.

On mobile. When you click get directions it opens whichever mapping solution you've set as default.

dr.fuzzenstein

Sam Russell wrote: »

There is no 'Get Directions' on my screen.

What phone do you have?

Sam Russell

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

What phone do you have?

Nokia 6310i

Best phone ever made!

plodder

Sam Russell wrote: »

Nokia 6310i

Best phone ever made!

You need to get yourself a laptop with a four inch screen. Then the directions button will always be visible ..


:pac:

JohnC.

I didn't get the start, but I just heard Kevin Myers talking to Pat Kenny. He claims to have spend days researching eircode, but admitted he knew nothing and learned more from the short conversation on air than all his research. Says a lot about his research.

He also complained about it not being on Google Maps or other GPS systems, oblivious to it being added to those.

He complained about it not telling you what entrance to take into an industrial estate! I'm not sure what postcode in the world does that.

There was a great idea about using the codes on ESB poles for free (would the ESB allow that for free?). But they won't tell you what entrance to take into an industrial estate either. Or which house you are looking for near a pole. There could be several as each house and business in the country doesn't have an ESB pole outside the door.

Sam Russell

OU812 wrote: »

On mobile. When you click get directions it opens whichever mapping solution you've set as default.

Why do they not explain this on the Eircode website? Why is everything about Eircode shrouded in mystery? I]Just like Irish Water[/I

So I have to buy a new mobile computer to use Eircode. Another improvement.

JohnC.

You want them to explain to you how to use a 13 year old phone (and discontinued 10 years ago) which doesn't even have GPS to work with GPS mapping features? Is this for real?

OU812

Sam Russell wrote: »

Why do they not explain this on the Eircode website? Why is everything about Eircode shrouded in mystery? I]Just like Irish Water[/I

So I have to buy a new mobile computer to use Eircode. Another improvement.

They didn't have to explain it to me. Why do you think it should be explained? Can you not understand & make your own assumptions as to how things work?

You don't have to buy a "new mobile computer" whatever that is. If you have a smartphone of any type it'll work, if you don't, nobody is forcing you to buy anything.

When you bought your gps unit, what was your process? Just go and buy one off the shelf and hope it works or get a garmin specifically so you could use Loc8?

dr.fuzzenstein

Sam Russell wrote: »

Why do they not explain this on the Eircode website? Why is everything about Eircode shrouded in mystery? I]Just like Irish Water[/I

So I have to buy a new mobile computer to use Eircode. Another improvement.

A mobile computer? You must live in 1989!

Sam Russell

Kahless wrote: »

You want them to explain to you how to use a 13 year old phone (and discontinued 10 years ago) which doesn't even have GPS to work with GPS mapping features? Is this for real?

I do not use my phone for GPS, but as a phone I do not even like sending TXT messages but that is a personal choice. I get the impression that I should go and live under a rock if I am unwilling to accept all the nonsense that masquerades as technological advances, such as broadcasting to the world what I had for breakfast, or having me find out what others have had for theirs. Too much of this technology is used for bullying others and that is not good.

However, back to Eircode. No, I expect Eircode to describe the availability of all features and particularly a direction button as it does not appear on my computer screen nor in their FAQs, but is available if I resize my screen to be unusually small. That is not intuitive, unless you start with an unusually small screen.

Maybe one of Eircodes fan-boys might ask them to expand their FAQs to include it - they appear to have a direct line.

GJG

Sam Russell wrote: »

Why do they not explain this on the Eircode website? Why is everything about Eircode shrouded in mystery? I]Just like Irish Water[/I

So I have to buy a new mobile computer to use Eircode. Another improvement.

Maybe that mobile computer will allow you to send a fax or buy something from a cash machine..

OU812

Oh Man... AT&T visions of the future...

Although to their credit, they got some them bang on...

irishfeen

Just waiting on a delivery from Nightline ... Looks from the tracking ID looking at the address that they have removed the Eircode which I put in while ordering with Lifestyle Sports.

Strange one really which will make it awkward for drivers if they wanted to use their phones.