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This actually has a usage for emergency services. People call and don't know where they are. This app can let the operator send them a text with a link in that

This actually has a usage for emergency services. People call and don't know where they are. This app can let the operator send them a text with a link in that they follow and can communicate very effectively the precise location. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-47705912 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-47705912

jjeaff 8y ago
Why not just send them a link that notifies the operator of the exact location, immediately after they click the link and load up their location?
nfg 8y ago
This exact use-case is debunked in article linked.
- interestica 8y ago
  No, the writer's misunderstanding of that use case is explained in the comments. Emergency services don't have sms/mms service. The W3W service would presumably use SMS to get location. (phone sends lat/long coords via sms, gets 3 word response). SMS tends to be more reliable than a data connection in areas with a poor connection (remote, or interference). This is doable right now - having some sort of data-to-emergencyservices gateway does not exist. https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2019/03/why-bother-with-what-three-words/#comment-98099 https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2019/03/why-bother-with-what-three-...
  - fundingshovel 8y ago
    Why not just build an SMS gateway for emergency services with GPS coordinates and call it a day? It seems like the important bit is the gateway, not the 3 word response
    - interestica 8y ago
      Yes. That would be awesome. But it doesn't exist. And a third-party/private company doesn't have the ability to do that without govt partnership. What they can do is develop a completely separate system with a sustainable business model and basically demonstrate how it can piggy back on existing emergency systems regardless of the capabilities of said system (ie one doesn't need to know if the 911 system is the "upgraded" version or make that determination during an emergency). Also, in many cases a phone is not able to use (or has limited use) of data during a phone call. An sms would be able to go through concurrently. Imagine being on a 911 call. They ask you to click the W3W button (built in? Next to other on-call buttons?) and read out the response. Not a w3w shill - but I think there's a use case for the emergency system that uses sms and it is usable right now and doesn't require any system wide upgrades. The only potential upgrade would be at the OS level just to simplify (button addition). The ideal would be having the DB of W3w words locally so that it doesn't need the SMS gateway. Or having a completely open system...
hannasanarion 8y ago
Every internet capable device has GPS, iploc, or both. This is just adding an extra step to the process that requires a bunch of button pushes and lip flapping.
- hannasanarion 8y ago
  Or in other words, if someone on a 911 call has time to open their text message app, click a link, wait for a page to load, find the important text, and read it aloud, then they have time to open their text message app and hit the "send my coordinates" button.
Lasokki 8y ago
How about creating an app for emergency calls, which will automatically send your location? Finland has done it, see https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=fi.digia.suomi112 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=fi.digia.suomi...

jjeaff 8y ago

Why not just send them a link that notifies the operator of the exact location, immediately after they click the link and load up their location?

nfg 8y ago

This exact use-case is debunked in article linked.

interestica 8y ago
No, the writer's misunderstanding of that use case is explained in the comments. Emergency services don't have sms/mms service. The W3W service would presumably use SMS to get location. (phone sends lat/long coords via sms, gets 3 word response). SMS tends to be more reliable than a data connection in areas with a poor connection (remote, or interference). This is doable right now - having some sort of data-to-emergencyservices gateway does not exist. https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2019/03/why-bother-with-what-three-words/#comment-98099 https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2019/03/why-bother-with-what-three-...
- fundingshovel 8y ago
  Why not just build an SMS gateway for emergency services with GPS coordinates and call it a day? It seems like the important bit is the gateway, not the 3 word response
  - interestica 8y ago
    Yes. That would be awesome. But it doesn't exist. And a third-party/private company doesn't have the ability to do that without govt partnership. What they can do is develop a completely separate system with a sustainable business model and basically demonstrate how it can piggy back on existing emergency systems regardless of the capabilities of said system (ie one doesn't need to know if the 911 system is the "upgraded" version or make that determination during an emergency). Also, in many cases a phone is not able to use (or has limited use) of data during a phone call. An sms would be able to go through concurrently. Imagine being on a 911 call. They ask you to click the W3W button (built in? Next to other on-call buttons?) and read out the response. Not a w3w shill - but I think there's a use case for the emergency system that uses sms and it is usable right now and doesn't require any system wide upgrades. The only potential upgrade would be at the OS level just to simplify (button addition). The ideal would be having the DB of W3w words locally so that it doesn't need the SMS gateway. Or having a completely open system...

hannasanarion 8y ago

Every internet capable device has GPS, iploc, or both. This is just adding an extra step to the process that requires a bunch of button pushes and lip flapping.

hannasanarion 8y ago
Or in other words, if someone on a 911 call has time to open their text message app, click a link, wait for a page to load, find the important text, and read it aloud, then they have time to open their text message app and hit the "send my coordinates" button.

Lasokki 8y ago

How about creating an app for emergency calls, which will automatically send your location? Finland has done it, see https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=fi.digia.suomi112 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=fi.digia.suomi...