"Who is close" generally needs to be measured in terms of network
topography. Some of the proposals floating around for a URI for documents
seem much more promising.
Similarly, lat/long is of limited value for taxes. For example, do you tax a
transaction from an AOL customer based on the jurisdiction in which the AOL
proxy server is located, where the dial up (point of presence) is located,
where the computer calling into the service is located, or the residence (or
office) of the person making the transaction? (Help wanted, clairvoyant CGI
programmer?).
Besides, it is likely that such a database would have at least as many
errors and omissions as in-addr.arpa domain (if I had a dollar for every one
I've found there, that super-fantasy computer would be sitting on my desk
now, grin).
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Harold A. Driscoll mailto:harold@driscoll.chi.il.us
#include <std/disclaimer> http://homepage.interaccess.com/~driscoll/