Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit
elzbardico | on: USPS now offers official ZIP Code boundary polygons
Well, serving it costs money for USPS. And, come on... you're not trying just to make the job of the USPS easier here. This adds value to your product, and you're a for-profit entity.

I don't know why the taxpayer should subsidize fintechs.

bob1029 | parent | next
Verified addresses (CASS & friends) receive automation discounts. These save taxpayer money by reducing delivery exceptions.

We can help the USPS by using a very cheap API to ensure that data we are entering into bank core systems is accurate.

Yes, the entity is for-profit. The bank is for-profit. Everyone is for-profit. Who gives a shit. This isn't a zero sum game. Everyone can win, including the USPS and the taxpayer.

loading story #50436188
neuronexmachina | parent | next
If this was about serving costs they wouldn't have terms like this in their license:

>LICENSEE shall use the Database and Data for the Permitted Use only and shall not disclose, release, distribute, or deliver the Database or Data, any portion of the Data or Database, or any other information derived from the Data or Database to any third party without LICENSOR's prior written consent.

loading story #50435291
| parent | next
{"deleted":true,"id":50434290,"parent":50434053,"time":1794269351,"type":"comment"}
toast0 | parent | next
> And, come on... you're not trying just to make the job of the USPS easier here.

Most of this address data is made available in order to enable pre-sorting of mail, which makes the job of the USPS easier. Presorted mail can also have a lower mailing cost, but I wouldn't be surprised if the USPS doesn't pass on all of the savings.

esseph | parent
> I don't know why the taxpayer should subsidize fintechs.

So then GPS and the Internet can go away then.

One of the development methods for new technologies in the United States for a long time has been the federal government creating projects that fund long term research, often that create multi-use technologies.