Getting started with GeoNames

[birdbrain]

IMATCH help says:

To use GeoNames.org you should use your own user name. See below for details.
Don't forget to enable your user name for the free web service, else it will not work.

So...

I created a GeoNames account and entered my username in Preferences > Maps & Geo.

I then go to the Map panel > Find location. I enter a location (with GeoNames selected) and nothing happens. I no longer get the standard error message that says I haven't configured the provider (which does happen for example with Google which I am not using).

Is there something else I should do?

Thank you,

Joe

[Mario]

You also need to "enable" your GeoNames account on the GeoNames web site.
I don't remember the actual step, but the option is visible somewhere after you have logged in on the GeoNames.org web site.

[birdbrain]

I enabled the account on GeoNames and it now works.  (It is not obvious how to do so).

I can now enter a city or special location (Eiffel Tower) and it will find it.

Thank you,

Joe

[Mario]

Very good!

If you use GeoNames.org for a while, please consider sending some money in their direction (a few $ will do).
This project lives on donations and the work of volunteers. I donate some money to them every year.
I donate some money to all other open source projects I use for in IMatch or for my personal computing.

[birdbrain]

If I decide to go with IMatch, I will certainly contribute to the tools on which IMatch depends.  For now I am still in trial period.

I've seen a number of your suggestions to donate to GeoNames, Exiftool, etc. and so glad you encourage it.

I like the support the "little" guys because the "big" guys are either evil (invade privacy, etc.) or they simply don't meet customer needs.

[vsammy]

Hello,

Interessting feature. I have also just tried and unfortunately can't get any further with Geonames.org.

What I have done so far:
- Account created in geonames.org
- Account activated
- logged out and logged in again and checked: email address of the account is activated

- entered the username/geonames.org in imatch under geo/maps settings

- tried with some pictures reversed geocoding - I go to file / reverse geocoding / then lookup (the files contain gps coordinates) -° the error message appears since days: "no connection to geonames.org...."

Have I overlooked something?
regards vsammy

[Mario]

Internet connection OK?
Under Edit > Preferences > Geo & Maps: GeoNames user name entered correctly (no additional blanks or stuff) and GeoNames.org set as the Geocoding Service?
If this is the case, there is not much that can go wrong.

ZIP/attach us the log file from that test. See log file.

[vsammy]

Hello Mario,

yes, checked again. Internetconnection ok, under preferences everything is set like you wrote above, username is writen correctly.

Log is attached...

Thanks, vsammy

[Mario]

IMatch gets an "Access denied." when trying to connect to GeoNames.org.
Double-check the user name and make sure it is activated.

You can check with a simple web request like:

http://api.geonames.org/findNearbyPlaceNameJSON?lat=47.3&lng=9&username=demo

Exchange the demo user name used in the request with your user name.

[vsammy]

Thanks vrey much Mario! The solution was that username and login-username are not the same. It now works! Great feature!!
regards
vsammy

[birdbrain]

For the record, what made GeoNames work for me is below (it is not intuitive).

I created an account and was then logged in.

There was a link to my GeoNames ID, akin to the way one changes "account settings" on many websites.

Once you click that, there is a place for changing your password (and maybe user name or email...I forget).

Anyway, the important part...there is also a link on the "account" page to activate the account.

Once I clicked that, all systems were go.

Joe