From: sl@wimsey.bc.ca (Stuart Lynne)
Subject: Re: locality abbreviations (was Re: What is this group for?)
Organization: Wimsey Information Services
Distribution: can
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1993 22:01:40 GMT

In article <1993Jan4.135926.11173@analsyn.gts.org> anton@lethe.gts.org writes:
>In the article (<C0BGIv.A6L@wimsey.bc.ca>) Stuart Lynne (sl@wimsey.bc.ca) posted to can.domain in reply ro Ed Hew:
>
>I work with this database and have the current (December) copy which
>CPC ships on mag tape.  Postal codes are not as 'unique' as Staurt

Some details on why the first three digits are not unique would at
least be interesting.

>The argument that PCs are not mnemonic is the strongest one.  They
>don't have any kind of checksum.  If you post to fred@foo.m2j.on.ca
>and the 'm2j' is in error what can you do?  If you post to
>fred@foo.torotno.on.ca at least the postmaster can see the typo.

I'll agree. But if you make a typo it's more likely to bounce period. And
not get anywhere near the required site. For example if someone sends
email the above address:

      >fred@foo.torotno.on.ca at least the postmaster can see the typo.

It will get bounced to the postmaster of the site that can't resolve it.
That site could be anywhere in the world. And they are probably just
as unaware of how to spell toronto as the original sender was (let's
postulate it's coming from eastern europe or perhaps south america).

>shown that minimizing keystrokes at the cost of intelligibility leads to
>increased error rates.  "tor.on.ca" is more meaningful - to most of us

Well unless domain committe relents on abbrev's it will be toronto.on.ca.

>specific address.  Yes, it makes runing the database a real bummer!
>One of my clients has four sets of postalcode for mail which is
>ultimately delivered to the same building.

So pick one. 

>Yes, we could come up with enough tables to manage all this, but I don't
>think its worth the effort.

It's not a matter of tables. There is no implementation to be done.
These addresses are *all* (or should be at any rate, see previous posts)
be registered in the DNS (Domain Name System). You send in an application
form saying "I want wimsey.v3h.ca, please point it at 192.48.234.1". A 
short set of data is entered into the root servers saying that all references
to wimsey.v3h.ca should go to IP address 192.48.234.1. There is absolutely
NO DIFFERENCE in how it is handled compared to asking for wimsey.bc.ca
or wimsey.port-moody.bc.ca or wimsey.college-park.port-moody.bc.ca. They
would all be handled in exactly and precisely the same fashion. 

>or where I choose to live.  Changing E-Mail address every time I move
>house would prove inconvenient.

Yes. So let's change the discussion to where political geographic designations
are appropriate. Your arguement also applies to org.municp.prov.ca which
is where the current committee is taking us.

>Please Stuart, don't turn this issue into a crusade.  There are better
>things to have religious wars over.

Please remember this is a debate. We need to look at things from both sides.
I simply pointing out alternatives. See my signature to see where I sit.

-- 
Stuart Lynne <sl@wimsey.com> ......................... UNIX Facsimile Software
Wimsey Information Technologies ................... moderator biz.sco.binaries
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Newsgroups: can.domain