Collectors list

From: Jerome Fine <jhfine_at_idirect.com>
Date: Wed Mar 31 14:14:18 1999

>Zane H. Healy wrote:

> > >I think a list with only a zip code, name, which computer/other stuff you
> > >collect should do it.
> > Please, zip/postal code, and country!
> Actually I think it should be zip/postal code, state/province, and country.
> City could be optional, actually any location info should be optional.

Jerome Fine replies:

Maybe the readers of this list don't realize it (it you looked closely
it would be obvious), the zip/postal code of each country is basically
different.

In the US: a 5 digit number of which the first 2 digits identify the state
                 (some states have more than 1 combination of the 100
                 possibilities of 00 -> 99)

In Canada: ANA NAN (alpha/numeric/alpha[space]numeric/alpha/numeric)
                  with the first A the province identifier (some provinces and
                  territories have more than 1 letter of the 26 possibilities)

In the UK: Possibly AAA NNN (I don't really know)

Some of the details may be (probably are) incorrect, but overall that
is the system. Consequently, just the zip/postal code is enough to
identify the Country - State/Province/???? - City/Town/Villiage
Any additional location information is for the reader. For example,
my postal code of M2R 3G3 is for a group of 2 residential homes
of which mine is 1 of them - a fairly explicit location.

So, if you are willing to give your zip/postal code, in effect that is
an almost exact location of, at the most, a few hundred buildings
and often only a few dozen. My example is because my street
is so short, it has only 7 homes and on my side of the street
(the postal code is specific as to which side of the street) there
are only 2 houses. Some streets are many blocks long and
could include a few hundred homes. The streets that are
many miles long would have many postal codes.

So if you don't want anyone to know where you live, don't
include your zip/postal code, just your country.

Sincerely yours,

Jerome Fine
Received on Wed Mar 31 1999 - 14:14:18 BST