What3words

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G’day all I just heard about this new app called what3words that divides the globe up into 57 trillion 3m x 3m squares and converts the lat and long to a unique 3 word code. It was designed for the huge proportion of the world’s population without any address system. My home address is labs.assemble.rollers So all I need to do is tell you that and you can navigate to my door. Not particularly useful given I have a proper address but brilliant for third world countries and I reckon it would be good for birding. Check it out and share your thoughts. iOS and Android Cheers Steve Clark Hamilton, Vic Sent from my iPod

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23 thoughts on “What3words”

  1. My antique addled brain is cluttered enough with a lifetime of learning. It doesn’t need another heap of stuff when it already works well with GPS. Tony —–Original Message—– Kai Schraml Sent: Friday, 25 September 2015 5:02 PM Cc: birding-aus@birding-aus.org Sheesh folks, its just a bit of innovation. Why all the negativity?

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  3. OK I’ve read the info and agree it is a solution to various problems. However none of this applies to my birding. If I’m referring to a particular location I use GPS. It is equally unchangeable, universal and precise just as 3words claims to be but with the advantage that in my world everybody can access any number of GPS devices, apps etc to access or communicate a location. Fascinating concept, no doubt of use to others but of no utility for what I do.

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  4. Yes it will find the spot OK, but it won’t help you navigate to it without GPS &/or a signal from a mobile phone tower. —–Original Message—– Carl Clifford Sent: Friday, 25 September 2015 9:39 AM Cc: birding-aus@birding-aus.org It gave me my location using my iPad and my computer, neither of which has a GPS. Maybe they use magic. Carl Clifford <Eric.Vanderduys@csiro.au> wrote: argument for it I think I’ll stick to using another system I know called “what2numbers”. It’s output looks something like this: 141.52673; -13.75116 (what3words location: great.spot.grassowls, next grid square across is hard.to.access). The good thing about it is if you have a handle on lat/long you can get a rough idea in the world where it might be. Even better, if you use UTMs and longitude zones, you can get an idea how many metres you are from something just by doing the maths from where you currently are. If you can see the sun and have an analogue watch or a compass, you can even start walking in the right direction. latitude and longitude. However, I have yet to see any way of using what3words without a GPS, whether that GPS is in a smartphone or computer or if GPS companies start sticking what3words in their interfaces. Both what3words and what2numbers require a degree of literacy and a machine. I’ve always understood literacy about what a number is, is generally higher than for letters and words, but I could be wrong. If it is, then this poses further obvious problems.

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  6. Surely this is a dumb idea for use in navigation and I can’t imagine any intent to use it for that purpose. However as a means to provide a memorable label (easier for many than using coordinates) for the 10 or 50 or whatever number of places that are important to you and provided the database is well maintained, it could work as a register of codes. Philip

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  8. Hi all, I’m unconvinced as yet, but open-minded. Until I can see a compelling argument for it I think I’ll stick to using another system I know called “what2numbers”. It’s output looks something like this: 141.52673; -13.75116 (what3words location: great.spot.grassowls, next grid square across is hard.to.access). The good thing about it is if you have a handle on lat/long you can get a rough idea in the world where it might be. Even better, if you use UTMs and longitude zones, you can get an idea how many metres you are from something just by doing the maths from where you currently are. If you can see the sun and have an analogue watch or a compass, you can even start walking in the right direction. To me it’s a slightly more romantic way of knowing a location than using latitude and longitude. However, I have yet to see any way of using what3words without a GPS, whether that GPS is in a smartphone or computer or if GPS companies start sticking what3words in their interfaces. Both what3words and what2numbers require a degree of literacy and a machine. I’ve always understood literacy about what a number is, is generally higher than for letters and words, but I could be wrong. If it is, then this poses further obvious problems. Hooroo, Eric

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  9. By using the app. You can either enter the lat/long, if known or find the location on the map in the app. The app then gives the 3 word code. Have a look at the video on the “about”page of the web site, and the “examples” page on the web site. Sorry, I am not an expert on this, having only first seen the web site yesterday, but I soon got the hang of it. Download the app and have a play with it, you will soon get you head around it. Carl

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  10. What I meant was how do you stand in a particular spot and find out the “word” address? Or the address for the hut by the creek? If the addresses are defined by geographic squares then that means lat & long (or eastings and northings etc.) How else would you find the lat & long but with a GPS? (Is there a “sextants for dummies” book?)

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  11. What I meant was how do you stand in a particular spot and find out the “word” address? Or the address for the hut by the creek? If the addresses are defined by geographic squares then that means lat & long (or eastings and northings etc.) How else would you find the lat & long but with a GPS? (Is there a “sextants for dummies” book?)

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  13. Neil, It was designed to provide an address system for people in countries which do not have one, mainly in third world countries. I suggest you read the information on their web site, especially the “about” page http://what3words.com/about/ All will become clear then. Carl Clifford

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  15. Sounds like garbage to me. Go past the Indian Crow, count along five Sparrows, and there’s your camel posing as a letterbox. —–Original Message—– Peter Shute Sent: Thursday, 24 September 2015 8:06 AM Cc: birding-aus@birding-aus.org I think the 3rd world would be where it’s least useful, Carl. It’s a system that requires that you speak the same language as the person providing the coordinates, that you can spell, and that you have an appropriate device that’s charged up and contains a proprietary database. I.e access to the system is probably denied to most of the people it’s claimed it’s designed for. For those who do have the knowledge and equipment to use it, I suspect it would lose its attraction as soon as you have more than two or three of them to try to remember. Then you’d realise you have to write them down, and you’re no better off than with numeric coordinates. Get just one letter wrong, and it just tells you that it’s invalid. For centuries cartographers have sought systems that allow easy calculation of the bearing and distance between two points. I doubt they’d be impressed with this one that prevents you even having a guess at the relationship of two coordinates that are just 3m apart. I think this system is worse than useless. I can’t understand why anyone would even consider adopting it, and the only reason I can think of for anyone to invent it is to force people to buy their database. Peter Shute

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  16. I think the 3rd world would be where it’s least useful, Carl. It’s a system that requires that you speak the same language as the person providing the coordinates, that you can spell, and that you have an appropriate device that’s charged up and contains a proprietary database. I.e access to the system is probably denied to most of the people it’s claimed it’s designed for. For those who do have the knowledge and equipment to use it, I suspect it would lose its attraction as soon as you have more than two or three of them to try to remember. Then you’d realise you have to write them down, and you’re no better off than with numeric coordinates. Get just one letter wrong, and it just tells you that it’s invalid. For centuries cartographers have sought systems that allow easy calculation of the bearing and distance between two points. I doubt they’d be impressed with this one that prevents you even having a guess at the relationship of two coordinates that are just 3m apart. I think this system is worse than useless. I can’t understand why anyone would even consider adopting it, and the only reason I can think of for anyone to invent it is to force people to buy their database. Peter Shute

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  18. Peter, It was developed to provide accurate addresses for people in 3rd world countries. Military targeting tech is somewhat more accurate than Whar3words, to the extent that it is possible to put a cruise missile through your front window, provided that the GIGO law is followed. Carl Clifford

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  22. The postal systems will probably continue as they have developed. What follows is I think pretty common in less developed countries. When I worked in Tanzania there was no real system of street addresses, nor postal deliveries. Rather, everyone had a PO Box to which they went to collect their mail (and have harsh arguments with the staff about how much duty was payable on any item from overseas). If you wanted to tell someone how to get to your house it was a matter of distance and landmarks (and the occasional named road). For example getting to our place in a suburb of Dar es Salaam was: – Go down Haile Selaisse drive, – turn left at the Royal Chole Country Club (a converted shipping container).’ – go about 1.5 km passing the turnoffs top the Slipway and the Yacht Club; – its on the right with a Tinga-tinga Ostrich painted on the white metal gate. – We’ll let the askari (security guard) know you’re coming! If someone didn’t know where Hailie Selassie Drive was you’d arrange to meet them at a prominent place (eg a 5 star hotel) and pilot them. Martin Martin Butterfield http://franmart.blogspot.com.au/ On 23 September 2015 at 16:29, Carl Clifford <carlsclifford@gmail.com> wrote:

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