So, was this ever fixed?

We're having major trouble with the 'best guess' returned for any intersections
eg. 57th
and Broadway, NY, NY becomes W 57th St, NY, NY (incomplete address)

Other addresses that break are those common to Brooklyn and Manhattan,
including:

1) 613 11th St, Brooklyn, NY -> 613 W11th St, NY
2) 20 Jay St, Brooklyn, NY -> 20 Jay St, NY
3) 83 Wyckoff St, Brooklyn, NY -> 83 Wyckoff St, NY

Looks like FireEagle/Yahoo somehow drop the borough or something? Not sure what
is
causing intersection geocoding to break, but this pretty much makes FE un-usable
for the
New York area.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
Aditya


--- In fireeagle@yahoogroups.com, nlb0666 <no_reply@...> wrote:
>
> Phil - that sounds reasonable. Lemme give it a shot and see if
> that'll help us out.
>
> I suppose the remaining problem would be if two alternative services
> were sharing location via fireagle. Ie your app posted an
> intersection to FireEagle, my app picks it up from FireEagle (and its
> not an intersection any more), then geocodes it to a different place.
>
> --- In fireeagle@yahoogroups.com, Phillip Pearson <pp@> wrote:
> >
> > One possible solution here... I think the 'user' method currently
> > returns a timestamp for the update, or for the individual location
> > levels -- you could compare this with your own internal "last moved"
> > time and ignore the update if it's within a minute or so. How does
> that
> > sound?
> >
> > We're also thinking about putting timestamps on the tokens returned
> from
> > the 'recent' method, so you can do this without even retrieving the
> full
> > location - should make it a bit more convenient to poll FE as you'll be
> > able to just retrieve the new updates.
> >
> > Cheers,
> > Phil
> >
> > nlb0666 wrote:
> > > Phil - its basically option #3. We're trying not to thrash fireeagle,
> > > so we only talk to fireeagle either a) to retrieve the location, if we
> > > haven't been spoken to by the user in 10 min, or b) to give fireeagle
> > > the location, if the user gave us one.
> > >
> > > So our problem scenario is: we get an intersection from the user, we
> > > give it to fireeagle, the user goes away for more than 10 min, on the
> > > users return we ask fireeagle if they've got an updated location - and
> > > - its different! So we grab whats returned - essentially a
> > > thoroughfare in OASIS terms, or a lat/lon that may not correspond to
> > > the lat/long our geocoder gave us - and set a new location.
> > >
> > > This interplay results in the user moving around. If FireEagle either
> > > notified us on an event basis (so we wouldn't have to guess if it was
> > > giving us back the same thing), or kept the "original string", so we
> > > could infer it was the same thing, or returned a "proper"
> > > intersection, that would geocode back to the same place, we'd be in
> > > business.
> > >
> > > Re signup - thanks for the feedback (and any other you might have).
> > > The service works only in certain cities, and we found people
> > > struggled a *lot* with the notion of location (as I'm sure you are
> > > finding!) so we tried to get them to pick a valid supported location
> > > on signup.
> > >
> > > --- In fireeagle@yahoogroups.com, Phillip Pearson <pp@> wrote:
> > >
> > >> Yep, I'm in now, have authorized it with Fire Eagle, and all
> looks good
> > >> so far.
> > >>
> > >> I take it that the reason you want to be able to update with the
> > >> location string FE gives you is for the bookmark function? Or
> are you
> > >> setting the FE location first, then using that to geocode for
> your map
> > >> display? Or is the problem that you end up getting the update
> from FE
> > >> 10 mins later, and it looks like a new location, because it's
> different
> > >> from before? (I'm trying to figure out where the issue lies here).
> > >>
> > >> A note: it would be nice if the account setup process didn't require
> > >>
> > > you
> > >
> > >> to give your gender/age/zip code. Most people will put in a fake
> age,
> > >> and I'm actually outside the US so I put in the zipcode for
> Brickhouse
> > >> rather than for where I actually am (Christchurch, New Zealand).
> > >>
> > >> Cheers,
> > >> Phil
> > >>
> > >> nlb0666 wrote:
> > >>
> > >>> Phil - tks for taking a look. Did the email ever make it
> through? I
> > >>> checked this morning and it didn't look like it did. I'll hit you
> > >>> with a direct note as well
> > >>>
> > >>> --- In fireeagle@yahoogroups.com, Phillip Pearson <pp@> wrote:
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>> One thing we could probably do would be to give you back the
> > >>>>
> > > query you
> > >
> > >>>> used to set the location in the first place, as long as the
> user has
> > >>>> given you permission to see their exact location. This would be a
> > >>>>
> > >>>>
> > >>> hash,
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>> something like {q: 'hurontario and lakesure, mississauga'} or
> > >>>>
> > > {woeid:
> > >
> > >>>> '123456789'} (to use javascript notation), that would put you back
> > >>>>
> > >>>>
> > >>> there
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>> if passed to us. In some cases we could do this as a string, and
> > >>>>
> > > if it
> > >
> > >>>> was useful we could get FE to parse woeids etc out of strings like
> > >>>> "woeid:123456789", so we could just give you a string...
> > >>>>
> > >>>> Just signed up to liketribe to see what you're actually doing, so
> > >>>>
> > > once
> > >
> > >>>> the e-mail verification msg makes it through my greylist filter,
> > >>>>
> > >>>>
> > >>> I'll be
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>> able to get a better idea of what you need :)
> > >>>>
> > >>>> Cheers,
> > >>>> Phil
> > >>>>
> > >>>> nlb0666 wrote:
> > >>>>
> > >>>>
> > >>>>> Ok we can implement that as a workaround, but it is painful.
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>> Why? Because fireeagle isn't the only source of location data
> > >>>>>
> > > for our
> > >
> > >>>>> application. Nor are the fireeagle lat/lon for a given
> address the
> > >>>>> same as our underlying geocoder. So if we use lat/lon,
> effectively
> > >>>>> the user "slides down the street" as different services reverse
> > >>>>> geocode differently. If we use the woeid, this is a code
> unique to
> > >>>>> you guys, so we have to do a bunch of work to figure out if the
> > >>>>> address we gave to fireeagle is the same as the text string we had
> > >>>>> (since your returned text string is not the same as we gave
> > >>>>>
> > > you), and
> > >
> > >>>>> then remember, in those cases, to speak special fire eagle
> language.
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>> So this is a fairly large disappointment that for us at least
> really
> > >>>>> increases the amount of work to do "proper" fire eagle
> integration.
> > >>>>> From an app pov, it would be much nicer to remember the string you
> > >>>>> were given and pass it back
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>> --- In fireeagle@yahoogroups.com, Phillip Pearson <pp@> wrote:
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>> OK, so looking at the underlying data, our geocoder has
> recognized
> > >>>>>> "Hurontario and Lakeshore, Mississauga" as an intersection and
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>>
> > >>> geocoded
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>>>> it correctly, but the data it returns to FireEagle doesn't even
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>>
> > >>> mention
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>>>> Lakeshore at all, so what you see on the site or via the API is
> > >>>>>>
> > > just
> > >
> > >>>>>> "Hurontario St". I'm afraid that's the best we can do for now,
> > >>>>>>
> > > and
> > >
> > >>>>>> you'll have to assume that location names returned from FireEagle
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>>
> > >>> won't
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>>>> necessarily geocode correctly if you pass them back in to set
> your
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>> location.
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>> If you pass the lat/lon coords back into FE (set your
> location to
> > >>>>>> "43.555286407499999, -79.581794738799999") it'll reverse-geocode
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>>
> > >>> from
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>>>> there, put you in approximately the right place, and give you
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>> "Lakeshore
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>> Rd E, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada". Passing *that* back into FE
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>>
> > >>> also
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>>>> puts you at Hurontario and Lakeshore. I wouldn't count on being
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>> able to
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>> do this all the time but it does seem to work here. (Internally
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>>
> > >>> it's
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>>>> geocoding it to L5G, a postcode, which seems to be centered on
> > >>>>>>
> > > that
> > >
> > >>>>>> intersection).
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>> In general, if you get a woeid from an API response, setting
> your
> > >>>>>> location to that woeid should always bring you back to the right
> > >>>>>> location, but exact points are trickier. Probably the most
> > >>>>>>
> > > reliable
> > >
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>> way
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>> of getting back to an exact point is passing us the lat/lon
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>> co-ordinates
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>> rather than the string we return to you.
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>> Cheers,
> > >>>>>> Phil
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>> nlb0666 wrote:
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>>> Hey Tom any progress here? As far as I can tell, round tripping
> > >>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>
> > >>>>> from the app to FireEagle to the app using an intersection as a
> > >>>>> location still screws up and results in the user being "somewhere
> > >>>>> else" at the end. THe problem appears to be that fireeagle
> does not
> > >>>>> pass back an intersection as the new location, so the new
> input will
> > >>>>> be ambiguous (ie without the cross street).
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>>> This should probably work no?
> > >>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>> I tested again this morning using Hurontario and Lakeshore,
> > >>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>
> > >>>>> Mississauga, per the example below, and it failed.
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>>> Also... it does appear that intersections can get resolved to
> > >>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>
> > >>>>> street addresses. Specifically "38 and Broadway" becomes "38
> > >>>>> Broadway". I have not pinpointed them precisely, but it appears
> > >>>>> again that passing in a string "38th and Broadway" to
> FireEagle can
> > >>>>> result in a string being returned which, when passed back, will
> > >>>>>
> > > become
> > >
> > >>>>> "38 Broadway". This is not the only address this occurs for -
> > >>>>>
> > > see the
> > >
> > >>>>> example below. This one is a particularly bad example as
> "38th and
> > >>>>> Broadway" does not locate correctly from the fireeagle user
> > >>>>>
> > > accessible
> > >
> > >>>>> website at any time.
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>>> Please advise
> > >>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>> --- Tom Coates wrote:
> > >>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>> It's possible that the data we're using isn't terribly good
> at
> > >>>>>>>> handling intersections. I'll dig into it.
> > >>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>> On 19 May 2008, at 06:59, nlb0666 wrote:
> > >>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>> I tested this a little more over the weekend. It worked well,
> > >>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>> but I
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>> did have a problem with intersections. For example, feeding
> > >>>>>>>>> Hurontario and Lakeshore, Mississauga, Ontario correctly
> locates
> > >>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>> you
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>> at that intersection. But Fire Eagle returns the location as
> > >>>>>>>>> Hurontario St, Mississauga, Ontario. If I enter THAT
> location
> > >>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>> into
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>> Fire Eagle, it will put me at Hurontario and Burnamthorpe.
> > >>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>> So: if I give Fire Eagle the location as an intersection, get
> > >>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>
> > >>> the
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>>>>>>> location from Fire Eagle, and then give that string back to
> > >>>>>>>>>
> > > Fire
> > >
> > >>>>>>>>> Eagle, I'll have moved.
> > >>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>> From an app perspective, it would be nice if giving an
> > >>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>> intersection
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>> in resulted in getting an intersection back so that the above
> > >>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>> would
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>> work consistently. If an intersection cannot be returned,
> > >>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>
> > >>> then at
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>>>>>>> least a street address "123 hurontario" (or whatever is
> nearest
> > >>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>> that
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>> intersection), so that giving the string back to Fire Eagle
> > >>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>
> > >>> would
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>>>>>>> maintain my location. If I'm missing the point here, please
> > >>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>
> > >>> advise.
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>>>>>>> I had a problem with another intersection "78th st and 2nd
> ave,
> > >>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>> New
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>> York". I believe at some point my app gave fire eagle, or
> > >>>>>>>>>
> > > fire
> > >
> > >>>>>>>>> eagle gave me, the string "78 and 2nd, New York". Yahoo
> Maps
> > >>>>>>>>> geocodes this as "78 2nd Avenue", not as "78th and 2nd ave".
> > >>>>>>>>>
> > > I
> > >
> > >>>>>>>>> will need to look at this more to figure out whether Fire
> > >>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>
> > >>> Eagle or
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>>>>>>> we were the culprit.
> > >>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>> --- snowleo wrote:
> > >>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>> ooops sorry to reply to myself - just realize you'd asked
> > >>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>
> > >>> invite
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>>>>>>>> requests to be emailed elsewhere, so I'll email you there....
> > >>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>
> > >>> my
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>>>>>>>> reading skills ARE improving :)
> > >>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>> --- snowleo wrote:
> > >>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>> I've done some initial testing and it looks good! I'll
> play
> > >>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>> more
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>> over the next few days and make sure we don't see any
> breaks.
> > >>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>> But
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>> first tests, on both toronto and new york, updating both
> via
> > >>>>>>>>>>> address and via lat lon (which I then removed as we want to
> > >>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>> update
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>> via address) work! I found a break with 218 Bowery (this is
> > >>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>> Yahoo
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>> geocoding incorrectly coding this as W 218th st), but
> > >>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>> otherwise,
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>> so far so good....
> > >>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>> Thanks guys! Jumping the gun :) now that it looks like
> its
> > >>>>>>>>>>> working for us, I'd love to get more people playing with
> > >>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>> FireEagle
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>> <-> liketribe (our app)... Any chance of some more
> invites?
> > >>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>> And/
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>> or if you guys or anyone else on the board has a chance,
> > >>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>> you'll
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>> find you can update from email, IM, or SMS (or our website
> > >>>>>>>>>>>
> > > of
> > >
> > >>>>>>>>>>> course) using street address, intersection, bookmarked
> > >>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>> locations,
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>> or venue names at liketribe.com (sign up, make account,
> go to
> > >>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>> the
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>> bottom of the "my mobile" page and click on FireEagle...
> > >>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>> hopefully
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>> to discover it all Just Works...)
> > >>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>> --- Tom Coates wrote:
> > >>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>> Yay. Seth rocks.
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>> nlb0666 - has this fixed the problem from your perspective?
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>> On 14 May 2008, at 19:27, Seth Fitzsimmons wrote:
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>> Hi all.
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>> This serves to let you know that a new build of Fire Eagle
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>> is
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>> live and
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>> kicking at fireeagle.com. Nothing new, no API changes,
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>> but a
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>> number
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>> of bugs
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>> were squished that were causing some precise locations
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>>
> > > to be
> > >
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>> dropped
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>> (some
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>> locations in NYC, Ontario, etc.).
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>> On my radar for tomorrow are lat/lons in Singapore and in
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>> the
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>> middle
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>> of the
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>> Pacific as well as a few other things that have come up
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>> internally.
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>> Let me know (via the list) if you're continuing to
> bump into
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>> weird
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>> geocoding
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>> issues.
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>> thanks.
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>> seth
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>>
> > >>>
> > >>> ------------------------------------
> > >>>
> > >>> Yahoo! Groups Links
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > ------------------------------------
> > >
> > > Yahoo! Groups Links
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
>