Comments on: Political parties don’t know where the boundaries are http://www.mysociety.org/2010/01/04/constituency-boundary-confusions/ Usability with Purpose Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:53:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Matthew http://www.mysociety.org/2010/01/04/constituency-boundary-confusions/#comment-1914 Matthew Mon, 18 Jan 2010 10:55:36 +0000 http://www.mysociety.org/?p=3268#comment-1914 Ric: I'm afraid not, as supplying a list of all postcodes would clearly break our licence under which we have access to a postcode database. Ric: I’m afraid not, as supplying a list of all postcodes would clearly break our licence under which we have access to a postcode database.

]]> By: Ric Hardacre http://www.mysociety.org/2010/01/04/constituency-boundary-confusions/#comment-1913 Ric Hardacre Mon, 18 Jan 2010 09:19:15 +0000 http://www.mysociety.org/?p=3268#comment-1913 We the unwashed masses are very eternally grateful that you've put all the time and effort you have into compiling a correct and proper postcode-constituency lookup. Now can we have a simple denormalized CSV of all of them rather than having to go through the online api? We the unwashed masses are very eternally grateful that you’ve put all the time and effort you have into compiling a correct and proper postcode-constituency lookup. Now can we have a simple denormalized CSV of all of them rather than having to go through the online api?

]]> By: Matthew http://www.mysociety.org/2010/01/04/constituency-boundary-confusions/#comment-1912 Matthew Wed, 13 Jan 2010 09:17:28 +0000 http://www.mysociety.org/?p=3268#comment-1912 Yes, I guessed that :) And as I said, I tried it and it appears to be working fine. What postcode did you try that makes you think it wasn't working or gave an incorrect result? Yes, I guessed that :) And as I said, I tried it and it appears to be working fine. What postcode did you try that makes you think it wasn’t working or gave an incorrect result?

]]> By: Jim Dickinson http://www.mysociety.org/2010/01/04/constituency-boundary-confusions/#comment-1911 Jim Dickinson Wed, 13 Jan 2010 08:05:13 +0000 http://www.mysociety.org/?p=3268#comment-1911 I was trying this out http://www.theyworkforyou.com/api/docs/getConstituency I was trying this out
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/api/docs/getConstituency

]]> By: Matthew http://www.mysociety.org/2010/01/04/constituency-boundary-confusions/#comment-1910 Matthew Tue, 12 Jan 2010 23:06:17 +0000 http://www.mysociety.org/?p=3268#comment-1910 Could you possibly be more specific? I've just tried it and it appears to be working fine. Could you possibly be more specific? I’ve just tried it and it appears to be working fine.

]]> By: Jim Dickinson http://www.mysociety.org/2010/01/04/constituency-boundary-confusions/#comment-1909 Jim Dickinson Tue, 12 Jan 2010 18:17:15 +0000 http://www.mysociety.org/?p=3268#comment-1909 The API call (ie the future tag) doesn't seem to be working for future constituencies? The API call (ie the future tag) doesn’t seem to be working for future constituencies?

]]> By: Simon Dickson http://www.mysociety.org/2010/01/04/constituency-boundary-confusions/#comment-1908 Simon Dickson Thu, 07 Jan 2010 10:24:05 +0000 http://www.mysociety.org/?p=3268#comment-1908 The key line in your piece here, Matthew, is the final line: 'The lack of any official service also doesn't help.' For something so fundamental as this, we shouldn't have to rely on a charity to provide it. PS The situation of the LibDems' site re Northern Ireland is made worse by the inclusion of 'N. Ireland' in the page footer - an external link to their sister party, Alliance, but presented in exactly the same format as the Scottish and Welsh LibDems. As an Ulsterman, I'm used to general ignorance of such matters. But who built the new LibDem site? Ah yes, a Belfast agency. ?? The key line in your piece here, Matthew, is the final line: ‘The lack of any official service also doesn’t help.’ For something so fundamental as this, we shouldn’t have to rely on a charity to provide it.

PS The situation of the LibDems’ site re Northern Ireland is made worse by the inclusion of ‘N. Ireland’ in the page footer – an external link to their sister party, Alliance, but presented in exactly the same format as the Scottish and Welsh LibDems. As an Ulsterman, I’m used to general ignorance of such matters. But who built the new LibDem site? Ah yes, a Belfast agency. ??

]]> By: Will http://www.mysociety.org/2010/01/04/constituency-boundary-confusions/#comment-1907 Will Tue, 05 Jan 2010 17:38:59 +0000 http://www.mysociety.org/?p=3268#comment-1907 Yes, I was thinking the same when I tested it out. I'll pass that on to our website folk. Yes, I was thinking the same when I tested it out. I’ll pass that on to our website folk.

]]> By: Matthew Somerville http://www.mysociety.org/2010/01/04/constituency-boundary-confusions/#comment-1906 Matthew Somerville Tue, 05 Jan 2010 16:49:07 +0000 http://www.mysociety.org/?p=3268#comment-1906 I did assume it was just a bug :) Glad to hear it's fixed. I still think you could give a nicer message for a Northern Ireland postcode than "Sorry, we couldn’t find a constituency matching your postcode" - your map has the whole UK, and even has a hover/link on Northern Ireland that doesn't go anywhere. Simply saying you don't stand candidates in Northern Ireland would at least tell people who might not know that. I did assume it was just a bug :) Glad to hear it’s fixed. I still think you could give a nicer message for a Northern Ireland postcode than “Sorry, we couldn’t find a constituency matching your postcode” – your map has the whole UK, and even has a hover/link on Northern Ireland that doesn’t go anywhere. Simply saying you don’t stand candidates in Northern Ireland would at least tell people who might not know that.

]]> By: Will http://www.mysociety.org/2010/01/04/constituency-boundary-confusions/#comment-1905 Will Tue, 05 Jan 2010 16:38:51 +0000 http://www.mysociety.org/?p=3268#comment-1905 Postcode searches are now restored on www.libdems.org.uk so you can see that we return your examples correctly for new constituencies. (The exception is the Belfast West postcode as we don't stand candidates in Northern Ireland.) Very pleased to see that TWFY now offers new boundary lookup though (you may remember my request for it in the past). It's been frustrating not having a commercial source, let alone a free one. Good work! Postcode searches are now restored on http://www.libdems.org.uk so you can see that we return your examples correctly for new constituencies. (The exception is the Belfast West postcode as we don’t stand candidates in Northern Ireland.)

Very pleased to see that TWFY now offers new boundary lookup though (you may remember my request for it in the past). It’s been frustrating not having a commercial source, let alone a free one. Good work!

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