From: anton@analsyn.gts.org (Anton J Aylward)
Subject: Re: locality abbreviations (was Re: What is this group for?)
Reply-To: anton@lethe.gts.org
Organization: ASCI: UNIX Database and Communications
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL8]
Distribution: can
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 12:43:55 GMT

In the article (<C0Cnut.6Fn@wimsey.bc.ca>) Stuart Lynne (sl@wimsey.bc.ca) posted to can.domain:
: 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.

Yes theywould,
I have put queries in to CPC along with questions abaout the semantics,
but nothing has been forthcoming.
The 'redundancy' is not errors.  If I stare long enough I can think up
justifications.  I suspect it has to do with 'history' of usage.
Remeber this was designed for use in the field, not as an accademic
excercise in database design.  Real world will beat out theory!

: 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).

In this example, perhaps.  However in general it is not the case.
It could get bounced to the postmaster of the machine handling the
domain.  It would depend on the mailer and its strategies.  

: >One of my clients has four sets of postalcode for mail which is
: >ultimately delivered to the same building.

: So pick one. 

Taking your suggestion of reading from the business card or letter
heading cold result in picking the wrong one - that is not the one
that is recognized by the mailer.

: >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 call it DNS, I call it a table.  Its still a 'database'.
Postal codes still multiply the size in a manner that is unwarrented.
The load on the sysadmin grows, the likelyhood of error at that level
grow.

---------

I once heard X.400 described as a scheme designed by post offices in
ignornace of electonic networks and connectivity as it is really
practiced.  Having worked with CPC's postal code database, I can assert
that what we have had as E-mail addresses is a LOT easier to handle from
an admin and organization point of view than working with postal codes.

--
Anton J Aylward
	"The body politic is swerving from left to right and right to
	 left looking for quick fixes for systemic problems."
	   - Paul Palango, Journalist, ex The Globe and Mail
Newsgroups: can.domain