I'd like to be able to search for stores within a specific range (ie 10km,
20km, 50km) from my postal code. Seeing that a seller is in a given province
(in my case) means they could be around the corner or 12 hours way in Thunder
Bay. Being able to search nearby stores would be a fantastic option. It would
be an option to opt into, whereby a store must enable the feature to show up
in nearby store searches. This would allow stores to disable the feature in
case they are uncomfortable with the feature.
I'd like to be able to search for stores within a specific range (ie 10km,
20km, 50km) from my postal code. Seeing that a seller is in a given province
(in my case) means they could be around the corner or 12 hours way in Thunder
Bay. Being able to search nearby stores would be a fantastic option. It would
be an option to opt into, whereby a store must enable the feature to show up
in nearby store searches. This would allow stores to disable the feature in
case they are uncomfortable with the feature.
Cool idea, but difficult to implement. And there are privacy issues.
The Canadian zip code database runs over 760,000 records; most of them geolocate
to stationary moose, uninhabited parts of the Yukon, and what have you. I don't
recall exactly, but I think their process was to basically put a grid over the
entire land mass of the country, divide it up into little squares, and assign
a code to each square.
The US zip code database, covering a population several times that of Canada
runs only about 42,000 records and the codes cover arbitrary regions roughly
equivalent to towns, and some post offices that don't offer delivery have
their own code.
Typically these zip codes are associated with a longitude and latitude, and these
data files can be acquired from the post office and maybe other sources.
Then there is some math and code to figure out the "as-the-crow-flies" distance
between two zip codes' associated coordinates.
I don't know that the entire globe...or all the areas serviced by BL...have
these databases. Could be. Just never built one of these things other than US/Canada.
Anyway, bottom line is you need the longitude and latitude of every store...or
something reasonably close. The coding is a bit tricky. And it may have to be
broken into hemispheres because of the math for triangulation over a sphere.
If folks want to publish their longitudes and latitudes, then you can find the
distances with Google Earth or something similar. I'd guess most of the mom-and-pop-hobby-shop
operations aren't going to be enthusiastic about posting their residential
coordinates for the world to see, though.
Privacy issue is solved by it being an opt in feature. I list my postal code
in my terms anyway.
Going back to your suggestion about co-ordinates, maybe that's the easier
way to implement it instead of having to code in zip/postal codes and every other
addressing nomenclature of each country. If you can find your longitude and
latitude on google earth, it should be easy enough to find "near me" stores.
In Suggestions, mfav writes:
In Suggestions, superchicken77 writes:
I'd like to be able to search for stores within a specific range (ie 10km,
20km, 50km) from my postal code. Seeing that a seller is in a given province
(in my case) means they could be around the corner or 12 hours way in Thunder
Bay. Being able to search nearby stores would be a fantastic option. It would
be an option to opt into, whereby a store must enable the feature to show up
in nearby store searches. This would allow stores to disable the feature in
case they are uncomfortable with the feature.
Cool idea, but difficult to implement. And there are privacy issues.
The Canadian zip code database runs over 760,000 records; most of them geolocate
to stationary moose, uninhabited parts of the Yukon, and what have you. I don't
recall exactly, but I think their process was to basically put a grid over the
entire land mass of the country, divide it up into little squares, and assign
a code to each square.
The US zip code database, covering a population several times that of Canada
runs only about 42,000 records and the codes cover arbitrary regions roughly
equivalent to towns, and some post offices that don't offer delivery have
their own code.
Typically these zip codes are associated with a longitude and latitude, and these
data files can be acquired from the post office and maybe other sources.
Then there is some math and code to figure out the "as-the-crow-flies" distance
between two zip codes' associated coordinates.
I don't know that the entire globe...or all the areas serviced by BL...have
these databases. Could be. Just never built one of these things other than US/Canada.
Anyway, bottom line is you need the longitude and latitude of every store...or
something reasonably close. The coding is a bit tricky. And it may have to be
broken into hemispheres because of the math for triangulation over a sphere.
If folks want to publish their longitudes and latitudes, then you can find the
distances with Google Earth or something similar. I'd guess most of the mom-and-pop-hobby-shop
operations aren't going to be enthusiastic about posting their residential
coordinates for the world to see, though.
Privacy issue is solved by it being an opt in feature. I list my postal code
in my terms anyway.
Going back to your suggestion about co-ordinates, maybe that's the easier
way to implement it instead of having to code in zip/postal codes and every other
addressing nomenclature of each country. If you can find your longitude and
latitude on google earth, it should be easy enough to find "near me" stores.
I'd like to be able to search for stores within a specific range (ie 10km,
20km, 50km) from my postal code. Seeing that a seller is in a given province
(in my case) means they could be around the corner or 12 hours way in Thunder
Bay. Being able to search nearby stores would be a fantastic option. It would
be an option to opt into, whereby a store must enable the feature to show up
in nearby store searches. This would allow stores to disable the feature in
case they are uncomfortable with the feature.
I think this is a great suggestion, Mike. Dynamic and pragmatic, with little
to no downside as proposed.
Reoccurring ideas such as this, come to mind when I receive orders with shipping
addresses not much further away from our home than our post office Receiving
orders with shipping addresses not far from my brother's home in Sweden,
also has brought this to mind.
I assume, given initiator of the site-suggestion has a IT background, it must
be doable?
I'd like to be able to search for stores within a specific range (ie 10km,
20km, 50km) from my postal code. Seeing that a seller is in a given province
(in my case) means they could be around the corner or 12 hours way in Thunder
Bay. Being able to search nearby stores would be a fantastic option. It would
be an option to opt into, whereby a store must enable the feature to show up
in nearby store searches. This would allow stores to disable the feature in
case they are uncomfortable with the feature.
I think this is a great suggestion, Mike. Dynamic and pragmatic, with little
to no downside as proposed.
Reoccurring ideas such as this, come to mind when I receive orders with shipping
addresses not much further away from our home than our post office Receiving
orders with shipping addresses not far from my brother's home in Sweden,
also has brought this to mind.
I assume, given initiator of the site-suggestion has a IT background, it must
be doable?
I would add that eBay has had something like this in place, for some time now.
I've taken advantage of it a few times.
I'd like to be able to search for stores within a specific range (ie 10km,
20km, 50km) from my postal code. Seeing that a seller is in a given province
(in my case) means they could be around the corner or 12 hours way in Thunder
Bay. Being able to search nearby stores would be a fantastic option. It would
be an option to opt into, whereby a store must enable the feature to show up
in nearby store searches. This would allow stores to disable the feature in
case they are uncomfortable with the feature.
If it would be opt in, why ask BrickLink to implement.
There should be tools out on the internet (i.e. google maps) to maintain a map
with every store willing to share their location to add a pin to there location.
This can be run on the forum here and maintain else were with a link. Like goatleg
used to be.
Maybe you can be administrator to setup such a thing.
In Suggestions, superchicken77 writes:
I'd like to be able to search for stores within a specific range (ie 10km,
20km, 50km) from my postal code. Seeing that a seller is in a given province
(in my case) means they could be around the corner or 12 hours way in Thunder
Bay. Being able to search nearby stores would be a fantastic option. It would
be an option to opt into, whereby a store must enable the feature to show up
in nearby store searches. This would allow stores to disable the feature in
case they are uncomfortable with the feature.
If it would be opt in, why ask BrickLink to implement.
There should be tools out on the internet (i.e. google maps) to maintain a map
with every store willing to share their location to add a pin to there location.
This can be run on the forum here and maintain else were with a link. Like goatleg
used to be.
Maybe you can be administrator to setup such a thing.
In Suggestions, superchicken77 writes:
I'd like to be able to search for stores within a specific range (ie 10km,
20km, 50km) from my postal code. Seeing that a seller is in a given province
(in my case) means they could be around the corner or 12 hours way in Thunder
Bay. Being able to search nearby stores would be a fantastic option. It would
be an option to opt into, whereby a store must enable the feature to show up
in nearby store searches. This would allow stores to disable the feature in
case they are uncomfortable with the feature.
I'd like to be able to search for stores within a specific range (ie 10km,
20km, 50km) from my postal code. Seeing that a seller is in a given province
(in my case) means they could be around the corner or 12 hours way in Thunder
Bay. Being able to search nearby stores would be a fantastic option. It would
be an option to opt into, whereby a store must enable the feature to show up
in nearby store searches. This would allow stores to disable the feature in
case they are uncomfortable with the feature.
Could it be a feature just for stores that select COD as a shipping option? I
tend to buy big lots from locals as even if the parts are slightly more expensive,
I more than make it back on shipping costs.
I'd like to be able to search for stores within a specific range (ie 10km,
20km, 50km) from my postal code. Seeing that a seller is in a given province
(in my case) means they could be around the corner or 12 hours way in Thunder
Bay. Being able to search nearby stores would be a fantastic option. It would
be an option to opt into, whereby a store must enable the feature to show up
in nearby store searches. This would allow stores to disable the feature in
case they are uncomfortable with the feature.
Could it be a feature just for stores that select COD as a shipping option? I
tend to buy big lots from locals as even if the parts are slightly more expensive,
I more than make it back on shipping costs.
But the Australian Capital Territory isn't that big…
Canada, Ontario
USA, Vermont
Receiving
Netherlands, Noord-Holland
Australia, Australian Capital Territory