bamajr

@harrison O.

I’m glad you found the same thing I did, and posted about earlier ??

…and, your assumptions about the accuracy of the zip code is correct, but it is actually bigger than that. I’ve been working on my own GeoLocation Plugin for a while now, basing it off of the GeoLite Data, provided for FREE by MaxMind.

To put it plainly, their FREE data is garbage! It isn’t just the zip codes that are inaccurate. Their cities are also very inaccurate.

I actually went as far as emailing MaxMind and accusing them of POISONING their FREE Data, to sell their FEE Data.

Again, though, I have found no fault in this plugin (WP Geocode Filter) as the functionality works as it is intended. However, this plugin can only be as accurate as the data it uses… right now, that isn’t very accurate – not even accurate enough to use on production websites.

@mikelynn

Hey… I understand that this is your plugin, so if you like my suggestions for ZIP CODES, sure, put it in. However, as I pointed out, above, it isn’t just the ZIP CODE data that is inaccurate. The CITY data is also very inaccurate.

MaxMind assured me that they don’t POISON their FREE data, but I don’t buy it. The instances I’ve documented, in my testing, are simply too far off, not to be intentional.

One more thing: MaxMind has some tricky verbiage for licensing. You can’t actually buy and re-sell their Data, for a premium plugin, without paying some exorbitant costs. As a matter of fact, they have told me, It is strictly against their ToS for you to buy and resell their data (license), in the form you would need it, to work with this plugin. You’ll get some song and dance about trying to tell your clients to come buy the data directly from them or to make your premium plugin, use their web services api, which charges a credit card, monthly, based on volume of traffic. Its all BS!

I thought I would elaborate on my last post…

I live in Woodbury, MN (55125).

Google identifies that I’m living in Minneapolis.
Maxmind’s Free Database says I live in Burnsville, MN, with incorrect zip code.
Maxmind’s paid Database says I live in St. Paul, MN, but with correct zip code.

Here is a “TRACEROUTE” of my internet connection to yahoo.com

Traceroute has started…

traceroute: Warning: yahoo.com has multiple addresses; using 98.139.183.24
traceroute to yahoo.com (98.139.183.24), 64 hops max, 72 byte packets
 1  10.0.0.1 (10.0.0.1)  2.736 ms  2.919 ms  2.340 ms
 2  173-165-231-62-minnesota.hfc.comcastbusiness.net (173.165.231.62)  2.846 ms  4.301 ms  2.988 ms
 3  73.115.224.1 (73.115.224.1)  9.059 ms  9.175 ms  7.775 ms
 4  te-4-2-ur01.newport.mn.minn.comcast.net (68.85.166.129)  8.676 ms  8.673 ms  10.183 ms
 5  te-8-3-ur02.newport.mn.minn.comcast.net (68.87.174.86)  16.126 ms  11.691 ms  11.312 ms
 6  te-0-2-0-2-ar01.roseville.mn.minn.comcast.net (68.87.174.222)  20.102 ms  15.590 ms  22.098 ms
 7  pos-0-13-0-0-cr01.350ecermak.il.ibone.comcast.net (68.86.94.73)  22.774 ms  21.307 ms  20.562 ms
 8  he-1-8-0-0-cr01.chicago.il.ibone.comcast.net (68.86.88.49)  19.168 ms  34.760 ms  48.229 ms
 9  xe-8-3-0.edge1.chicago2.level3.net (4.71.248.69)  30.622 ms  20.555 ms  18.920 ms
10  4.69.158.238 (4.69.158.238)  22.038 ms  27.371 ms  24.814 ms
11  ae-6-6.ebr2.washington12.level3.net (4.69.148.145)  38.857 ms  49.669 ms  52.282 ms
12  ae-5-5.ebr2.washington1.level3.net (4.69.143.221)  39.008 ms  39.918 ms  41.894 ms
13  ae-72-72.csw2.washington1.level3.net (4.69.134.150)  41.065 ms  41.276 ms  50.181 ms
14  ae-2-70.edge2.washington1.level3.net (4.69.149.78)  38.292 ms  39.221 ms  39.565 ms
15  yahoo-inc.edge2.washington1.level3.net (4.79.22.42)  136.009 ms  102.905 ms  42.349 ms
16  ae-7.pat2.che.yahoo.com (216.115.100.137)  40.204 ms  39.636 ms
    ae-2-d181.pat2.da3.yahoo.com (216.115.104.115)  43.522 ms
17  xe-1-2-0.pat2.bfy.yahoo.com (216.115.97.204)  64.730 ms  63.590 ms  63.261 ms
18  ae-3.msr2.bf1.yahoo.com (216.115.100.31)  53.784 ms
    ae-4.msr1.bf1.yahoo.com (216.115.100.25)  56.395 ms
    ae-3.msr2.bf1.yahoo.com (216.115.100.31)  52.850 ms
19  xe-3-0-0.clr2-a-gdc.bf1.yahoo.com (98.139.232.99)  65.810 ms
    xe-10-0-0.clr2-a-gdc.bf1.yahoo.com (98.139.232.107)  54.529 ms
    ae-4.msr1.bf1.yahoo.com (216.115.100.25)  81.452 ms
20  xe-10-0-0.clr2-a-gdc.bf1.yahoo.com (98.139.232.107)  61.469 ms
    xe-9-0-0.clr1-a-gdc.bf1.yahoo.com (98.139.232.101)  79.680 ms
    et-17-1.fab8-1-gdc.bf1.yahoo.com (98.139.128.51)  52.235 ms
21  et-17-1.fab6-1-gdc.bf1.yahoo.com (98.139.128.47)  69.408 ms
    po-14.bas2-7-prd.bf1.yahoo.com (98.139.129.227)  53.412 ms
    et-18-25.fab2-1-gdc.bf1.yahoo.com (98.139.128.55)  62.646 ms
22  po-16.bas2-7-prd.bf1.yahoo.com (98.139.130.3)  67.855 ms
    ir2.fp.vip.bf1.yahoo.com (98.139.183.24)  447.078 ms  558.682 ms

As you can see, there is not a single hop through Burnsville, MN, but neither is there a hop in Minneapolis, St. Paul nor Woodbury.

Comcast (my ISP) is less than 10 blocks away and I have a business class line with a Static IP Bank. Some of my Static IP’s are registered as DNS Servers and Several of them are hosting websites.

My point here is…

I have been to some websites which identify my location, right away, as Woodbury, MN 55125. I have been to other Websites, who identify me as St. Paul, MN, but with the correct zip code of 55125 (including MaxMind’s Paid Data Base). Then there is Google and the many others, which aren’t even close.

So, the issue here, isn’t your plugin! The issue is the data source.

I have a theory that MaxMind’s Free Data is intentionally CORRUPT. If it wasn’t, there would be no need to buy their Paid Database. No other free service is as inaccurate as MaxMind, for my area.

1. https://w10.melissadata.com/lookups/iplocation.asp
2. https://ip2location.com
3. https://www.hostip.info
4. https://whatismyipaddress.com

I have another theory that these inaccuracies are subject to the populous “need” in a given area. In other words, the more “need” for accuracy in a specific area, the more effort these services put in, to provide accurate data.

In the end, your WordPress Plugin and my website project, is judged harshly, based on the bias of accuracy, which is beyond our control.

@mikelynn

I was aware of your built-in options to do conditional shortcodes, but I don’t see a way to do conditional shortcodes for zip code.

[wpgc_is_zipcode" zip code="90210"]
[wpgc_is_zipcodes" zip codes="90210,55125"]
[wpgc_is_not_zipcode" zip code="90210"]
[wpgc_is_not_zipcodes" zip codes="90210,55125"]

In GeoMarketing, the accuracy of the zip code is the single most important factor and is what MaxMind uses to identify the name of the city.

Unfortunately, MaxMind’s free database isn’t even accurate enough to determine the correct zip code. The zip code can be off by up to 40 miles. So, in my case, lets say I have a client with stores in St Paul, Minneapolis, Burnsville, White Bear, Maple Grove and Woodbury, Minnesota. According to MaxMind’s Free Database (and your plugin – based off Maxmind’s Free Database), a person, visiting my client’s website, from Woodbury, MN would be directed to the Burnsville location, when there is actually a location right in Woodbury and Maple Grove/White Bear are both much closer than Burnsville.

So even if you add the zip code features I list above, they will almost never work correctly. Incidentally, this is why the rankings of your plugin are less than satisfactory, though it really has nothing to do with your plugin and everything to do with the Database you incorporate, from MaxMind.

I would say that I appreciate your follow-up, but it came about 6 weeks after I gave up. Also, this plugin has just about as many poor ratings as good ratings. If I was one of the developers, I’d take that as a clear sign, End Users think there are way too many issues with this plugin, as well.

@josh Lyford,

I finally got around to trying the new version out and it didn’t work.

I’ve manually cleared out all the SendPress entries in the database and still can’t put my finger on what is going on.

Today, after trying this out, for you, I got sick of not knowing where the issue lies), so I set up a new WordPress installation and did the export/import, of both WordPress and WordPress SEO.

Then I installed all the same plugins, ending with SendPress. SendPress installs and activates without a problem.

I don’t know what to say, as to where to look, but I was sick of wasting time on it, instead of using it. I wouldn’t necessarily say the issue was resolved, but it really doesn’t matter anymore… at least not at this time.

@zenogaisis

After updating to the new version, the “array” code snippet does go away.

@zenogaisis

No, I didn’t see there was an update to be installed. An available update to this plugin was never triggered in my WordPress Installation, probably because the plugin’s .TXT file says it requires WordPress Version 4, as the minimum version.

I will update the plugin and give it a try.

@zenogaisis

I’m not sure what you are calling the dump issue…

However, if you are referring to:

array(1) { ["location"]=> string(0) "" }

it isn’t fixed.

I’m getting this issue on multiple platforms (Apple MacBook Pro, iPhone, iPad & etc)

Also, something in the way your plugin displays the widget, has a negative effect on the alignment and layout of the page.

This topic is marked as resolved, so I opened a new Support Thread, with the information from above.

The modifications you made are almost exactly what I was recommending. Looks good!

There seems to be an issue with the code, now though…

I’m getting:

array(1) { ["location"]=> string(0) "" }

on my website, just above and to the left of the “Weather for us 720px wide widget”

The text is only there for this widget. It does not appear with the “Weather for us mini widget” nor any other widget I have available, in my theme.

I see the “new hour precise forecast” you mention above, but it is not very clear how to get there, when you are the website’s visitor. The forecast screen is awesome, in appearance, but how to get there, needs to be more clear, to the end user.

Finally, one of the things that has been really annoying, but doesn’t take away from the functionality, is the width of the blue colored area, for the “Weather for us 720px wide widget” There needs to be a way to modify the css for this widget or you need to make this widget the same width as your “new hour precise forecast” overlay.

@josh Lyford,

Thanks!

@josh Lyford

Yes, all the SendPress tables were re-created.

sendpress_options and sendpress_db_version were also added back to the wp_options table.

Just to review…

The plugin installs fine. The issue comes as soon as a person tries to re-activate the plugin. Incidentally, “reactivating plugin” was when this issue started, from the SendPress upgrade, I applied, two upgrades back.

@josh Lyford

Removing sendpress_options and sendpress_db_version, from the wp_options table, does not fix the problem! Same issue occurs.

@josh Lyford

Have removed:

• sendpress_options
• sendpress_db_version

from wp_options table.

Now, I’ll re-install the plugin!

@josh Lyford

What about sendpress_db_version, also in the wp_options table?