Kansas couple sues IP mapping firm for turning their life into a “digital hell”

originally posted by: roadgravel
Wouldn't a GPS device be getting coordinates from GPS satellites. This is a case of mapping IP addresses to a location on Earth. It is a database, is it not.

All GPS satellites broadcast is a timestamp and they broadcast their signal at the exact same time. The device receives 4 of these signals (3 to triangulate, 1 for height) and looks at the difference in milliseconds (or less) involved in which each one is received. This produces a distance equal to the speed of light delay, and from there it can measure precisely where on Earth it is. They're actually really cool devices in my opinion because of how sensitive they are, being able to pick up even a 5 foot difference by measuring when light is received.

Once you have a location a lookup is done to find a node that corresponds to. Those nodes make a graph, and directions are calculated from node to node on the graph.

Or, that's how I did it atleast... maybe the professional GPS makers use something different, I did it as a student project.

The map itself is stored on the device, it isn't broadcast from satellites. That means that even if the GPS makers were to change the coordinate, they can't change the default location on any products that have already shipped unless each consumer updates their software, and not many people do that regularly.

originally posted by: Puppylove
a reply to: Aazadan

If the family has first lodged a complaint with the company, then the company refused to accommodate them for the harm they've unwittingly done by changing things, then the family has every right to press the issue, unless the company themselves owns the property in question from which the family is renting.

But how do they change things? Lets say the company is receptive to the complaint and complies. They cannot alter the software on GPS devices already out there on their own. They can create new maps and updated software for people to use when they update the device by plugging it into a computer, but that's all. They can put the fix out, but it's up to individuals to apply it on older devices. Eventually this reduces the problem but it doesn't eliminate it.

a reply to: Aazadan

Thanks for that background on GPS.

But in this case, I believe, it is a database supplied to point an IP to a location. It's is being used in apps that want to locate an IP address physical position.

GeoIP2 Precision Services provide you with our most accurate data without having to worry about hosting data on your servers or deploying updates. Accessed through an API or a manual file upload, our Precision Service offerings provide you with the most up-to-date data available.

MaxMind's GeoIP2 Databases provide IP intelligence data for high volume environments. By hosting our databases locally, you eliminate any network latency and per-query charges.

Link

I think the use of GPS in the article might be a bit inaccurate.

originally posted by: bobs_uruncle

originally posted by: StoutBroux
They might get some financial compensation but I doubt it. The thing is, they are renting the property. They could move and rent somewhere else if they were so frustrated with the situation. At least that's a defensive answer MaxMind might use. When you rent a house and find out there are cockroaches that can't be destroyed, you stay and tolerate or you move. I don't think the courts will have much sympathy for them.

But yeah, that would suck, being continuously encroached upon by every Tom, Dick and Harry.

That's clever, make excuse for a negligent company, but then, look at your avatar. Two of the most criminally negligent people on the planet. Lol

Cheers - Dave

You are correct. Those are the two most corrupt, evil, greedy, sinister, idiots on this planet.......and they ran this country into trillions more debt, created levels of corruption never seen before and set standards so low, it'll take centuries to recover. And look at them just laughing their faces off at us. You should know my position by now Dave, and it's not kindly towards them.

However, the defense I stated was what MaxMind might use. I don't endorse it but it's what seems par for the course these days. After all, look at two of the most criminally negligent people on the planet who have been setting the standards.

originally posted by: roadgravel
I think the use of GPS in the article might be a bit inaccurate.

I see. They should definitely make sure their data is accurate then. Giving false information rather than saying there isn't any data is poor design. Especially if it's just a database query, if there's no match then there's no match. I think it's a rather poor software practice, I'm just not sure if it's the sort of thing we need to make law on.

Reading that description too, they mention hosting everything locally. I wonder if they ever make periodic updates to their database. If the database were stored server side it would be trivial to change, but if for example they didn't make a patching feature (plus automatic updates) they might not be able to do anything about the software they already sold.

All in all, it sounds to me like a pretty poor product. I just stop short of using the courts to force a change to it. To go into detail with the phone book analogy I used earlier, a couple years ago the local pharmacy's phone book number was listed as my number. I would get 5+ calls a day from people trying to fill prescriptions. The phone company refused to change the listing, and there was nothing I could do about it according to the lawyer I spoke to. I'm not certain on the laws in this area but I would think they would be similar.

I'm not so sure this is all that different.

a reply to: Aazadan

if for example they didn't make a patching feature (plus automatic updates) they might not be able to do anything about the software they already sold.

If got the impression that was part of the problem.