The thing like GPS that uses 4 words instead of lat / long?

[Cromulent]

I have entirely forgotten what it is called but what is that system that the emergency services are starting to use that uses four words to describe your location and once you give them to someone they know precisely where you are in the country?

Also, is there an Android app that uses your phones GPS to give you the four-word location information?

 

[gettothechopper]

What3Words

 

[Cromulent]

What3Words

Awesome. Thanks.

 

[LabR@t]

Compass?
1-north
2-south
3-east
4-west

 

[Lopéz]

What3Words app will tell you the code for your location. You can waste hours moving around the office finding out what the three letter code for that particular floor tile is

 

[esmozz]

What a very clever idea - I wish I could think up stuff like this.

I never knew this existed, downloading the app now.

 

[Terminal_Boy]

Do you have to use the local language?

 

[Rroff]

What3Words app will tell you the code for your location. You can waste hours moving around the office finding out what the three letter code for that particular floor tile is

This kind of thing should be built into mobile OSes really - would make things so much easier in the event of an accident, etc.

 

[dowie]

What3Words

that's brilliant

 

[Destination]

What3Words

What a great idea.

 

[Teh_Next]

Outstanding.
Simply outstanding.

 

[dirtychinchilla]

That's incredibly cool!

 

[GravyMonster]

Am I missing something - does it just give you three words? What's difficult to understand about lat/lng?

 

[Cromulent]

Am I missing something - does it just give you three words? What's difficult to understand about lat/lng?

Try giving the ambulance service the latitude and longitude of your location over the phone in an emergency and then try again by telling them three common English words. Which is easiest and more reliable?

 

[Azza]

what3words is terrible for many reasons.

https://blog.ldodds.com/2016/06/14/what-3-words-jog-on-mate/

https://stiobhart.net/2016-01-15-stupidest-idea-ever/

https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2019/03/why-bother-with-what-three-words/

etc etc


Emergency services, read as the non technical high ranking staffing, have just been swooned into it by their PR and marketing machine. We've hopefully changed the minds of those people in our organisation and a little demo service we made in a day went down very well.

 

[touch]

Am I missing something - does it just give you three words? What's difficult to understand about lat/lng?

Reading out 16-20 numbers clearly and without mixing any up is much more difficult that reading out 3 words.

 

[Django x2]

what3words is terrible for many reasons.

https://blog.ldodds.com/2016/06/14/what-3-words-jog-on-mate/

https://stiobhart.net/2016-01-15-stupidest-idea-ever/

https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2019/03/why-bother-with-what-three-words/

etc etc


Emergency services, read as the non technical high ranking staffing, have just been swooned into it by their PR and marketing machine. We've hopefully changed the minds of those people in our organisation and a little demo service we made in a day went down very well.

I'm guessing you've not actually read any of those links. The second one is hilarious. He's stood outside an address (which is a few away from where he wants to be), but for some reason thinks W3W will not tell him accurately where the correct address, 3 doors down on the same street actually is. Plank.

 

[Terminal_Boy]

My old watering hole comes up as:

https://w3w.co/waddled.diner.punks

Very apt.

 

[Azza]

I'm guessing you've not actually read any of those links. The second one is hilarious. He's stood outside an address (which is a few away from where he wants to be), but for some reason thinks W3W will not tell him accurately where the correct address, 3 doors down on the same street actually is. Plank.

You've completely missed the point.

 

[Django x2]

You've completely missed the point.

I really haven't. He says, if I use the old method, and I'm stood outside 16 Fake Street, and I know that I want 22 Fake Street, then I can walk in one direction and quickly realise if I'm going the right way or not. According to W3W, you can't do that. I might end up outside 32 Duff Street. What utter nonsense. Why would I suddenly end up on a completely different road if I was 8 addresses away, stood on the same road. I would use that precious thing we've all come to clearly realise is non-existent, commonsense. He declares this as the "Whale sized flaw".