The TomTom founders definitely didn't "just kill the postcode."
> Mapcodes were developed in 2001 by Pieter Geelen and Harold Goddijn, soon after the GPS satellite signals were opened up for civilian use. It was decided to donate the mapcode system to the public domain in 2008.
GPS was always available for civilian use since day one. Perhaps they meant when GPS's Selective Availability (degregration of accuracy civilians) was turned off, which was in 2000.
> Mapcodes were developed in 2001 by Pieter Geelen and Harold Goddijn, soon after the GPS satellite signals were opened up for civilian use. It was decided to donate the mapcode system to the public domain in 2008.
Can we get an update to the click-baity title?