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A couple of years ago I visited a startup which also tried mapping worldwide coordinates, what3words [1]. They map 3x3m squares to a combination of three words

by cdirkx 9y ago

A couple of years ago I visited a startup which also tried mapping worldwide coordinates, what3words [1]. They map 3x3m squares to a combination of three words (language customizable). For example: the Eifel tower would be at combos.cove.split. They had some clever tricks for mapping short memorable words to densly populated areas and longer ones to the middle of the ocean. Their aim was similar, to enable talking about a place without the existing infrastructure of adresses and streetnames and for example make it possible to deliver mail in slums. [1] www.what3words.com

superlopuh 9y ago
It's a shame that google didn't go with this approach, although I assume it's because of the lack of portability between all the languages in that area. Maybe what3words should pivot into what3emoji.
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
- thinkloop 9y ago
  Good point about the portability and the emojis idea is clever, but I think the main purpose was to be able to speak then easily.
pwinnski 9y ago
what3words is terrible technology, and also proprietary. Quick, what direction do you go to get from combos.cove.split to reindeer.steak.rules? I made up the second address, but it highlights how completely useless what3words is for directions. Worse than useless.
- dalemyers 9y ago
  Quick, what direction do you go to get from 123 Main Street to 456 Birch Street? Quick, what direction do you go to get from 12.34567N, 12.34567W to 56.43210N, 23.87654E? Not being able to immediately determine direction between 2 addresses isn't a failing.
  - dingo_bat 9y ago
    > Quick, what direction do you go to get from 12.34567N, 12.34567W to 56.43210N, 23.87654E? It's a pretty simple piece of math.
    - lloeki 9y ago
      Navigating on a sphere can be counterintuitive[0] (not a problem street to street in practice, but the coordinates given by GP were far enough apart to possibly exhibit the issue). [0]: https://www.greatcirclemapper.net/en/great-circle-mapper.html?route=CYVR-EGLL&aircraft=&speed= https://www.greatcirclemapper.net/en/great-circle-mapper.htm...
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
ClassyJacket 9y ago
Our WiFi network name has been our what3words for over a year now since my housemate set it. I'm not sure what their business model is, since this is the first I've heard of them since that.

by cdirkx 9y ago

superlopuh 9y ago

It's a shame that google didn't go with this approach, although I assume it's because of the lack of portability between all the languages in that area. Maybe what3words should pivot into what3emoji.

deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
thinkloop 9y ago
Good point about the portability and the emojis idea is clever, but I think the main purpose was to be able to speak then easily.

pwinnski 9y ago

what3words is terrible technology, and also proprietary. Quick, what direction do you go to get from combos.cove.split to reindeer.steak.rules? I made up the second address, but it highlights how completely useless what3words is for directions. Worse than useless.

dalemyers 9y ago
Quick, what direction do you go to get from 123 Main Street to 456 Birch Street? Quick, what direction do you go to get from 12.34567N, 12.34567W to 56.43210N, 23.87654E? Not being able to immediately determine direction between 2 addresses isn't a failing.
- dingo_bat 9y ago
  > Quick, what direction do you go to get from 12.34567N, 12.34567W to 56.43210N, 23.87654E? It's a pretty simple piece of math.
  - lloeki 9y ago
    Navigating on a sphere can be counterintuitive[0] (not a problem street to street in practice, but the coordinates given by GP were far enough apart to possibly exhibit the issue). [0]: https://www.greatcirclemapper.net/en/great-circle-mapper.html?route=CYVR-EGLL&aircraft=&speed= https://www.greatcirclemapper.net/en/great-circle-mapper.htm...
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]

ClassyJacket 9y ago

Our WiFi network name has been our what3words for over a year now since my housemate set it. I'm not sure what their business model is, since this is the first I've heard of them since that.