What 3 Words

NotAGolf said:
I still think it's a neat idea, but 9 times out of 10 it's easier to use Google maps. Just drop a pin and share that. What3words is more useful when you're in the middle of nowhere and/or in an emergency situation, neither of which are particularly common scenarios.
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Maybe not for you! :D
Nearly got badly lost a few weeks ago in Welsh hills on my bike. Couldn't find way back to a road as the satellite map on my phone can't really indicate impassable stuff.

Got back to car as sun set. I have What3words and genuinely was getting close to thinking I might have to use it.
 
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It's used by utilities to locate faults etc. Openreach use it to direct engineers to Distribution Points as well as entry ways to large complexes (which often have multiple entrances many of which are locked) as well as where repair work is needed.
 
I'm sure we've had a thread on this already. W3W is an interesting concept, but as an emergency services system it's flawed. As someone pointed out, the use of similar sounding words can and has impacted some emergency responses (in the USA iirc). Not only that, but it is a proprietary database which charges for access and has implications surrounding the closed-source nature of it. OpenStreetMap has an article discussing some of this. There was some noise made on HackerNews about an open source alternative, but not much came of it. Existing facilities (long/lat, GPS etc) are more than suitable and much less ambiguous when lives depend on it. Anyone who has the What3Words app on hand also has a working device capable of giving such info easily and quickly.
 
I use it for work when working with the police, not really used it myself outside of work.
 
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Never heard of it, never seen any service i used ask for it. But i now know my three words for my front door, another piece of useless information that i'll never need in my life
 
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Any funny ones?

i tried burn down house. was ass end of nowhere Australia :p

w3w.co

///cats.goes.meows

This is the what3words address for a 3 metre square location near Mayo, Yukon.
w3w.co w3w.co

w3w.co

///deep.into.pies

This is the what3words address for a 3 metre square location near Worth, Illinois.
w3w.co w3w.co


guess this was done to death a long time ago..
 
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I've said this befor in previous WTW threads. Its a solution for a problem that dosnt exist. There are more accurate means that have been in use for much longer and are "industry standard" with apps that already exist. I'll stick to OS standard BNG in the UK, and whichever grid standard outwith.
 
I work with W3W occasionally. Good bunch of people, their CCO is really nice.

A lot of their work is integrating with factory automotive nav systems.

It's an excellent tool, particularly in countries that lack a structured addressing system (of which the are many)
 
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