[uf-discuss] geo - fuzzy blobs (was: accuracy of coordinates)

[Michael MD]

> >  Think about it like this.  If you were to pick up a map and point out
> >roughly where you took some photo of your kids in a park (or whatever)
> >and you wanted to pick up a pen and mark the location, you're not going
> >to sit there and carefully outline the polygon shape of the park,
> >you're going to draw something like an X or a circle to show the rough
> >location.

this is something like what I meant.... sort of like "somewhere near
there..."
... when someone means a fuzzy blob rather than an exact point and doesn't
have the data that would be required to precisely mark it up as a polygon or
specify a radius.

(polygons could be good for describing an area accurately but I think that
is a different thing - I'm talking about cases where the available data is
just not precise enough for that kind of thing - and for uses where that
level of precision might not be needed)

Some people suggested using the number of decimal places.
I guess in that case I probably need to make sure I never store lat/long as
floating point numbers in case I lose some zeros at the end?