5 ms·

This is based on GPS. The three words are a hash of the coordinates; this seems more user-friendly and less error-prone than "14.1234567,50.35466, wait, no, 50.

This is based on GPS. The three words are a hash of the coordinates; this seems more user-friendly and less error-prone than "14.1234567,50.35466, wait, no, 50.53466, or is it -50.53466,14.1234567?". As opposed to e.g. the Maidenhead locator, this has the properties of a hash - in other words, isn't trivially reversible, and you need the w3w company to provide you with the location, each and every time (jackpot!).

Freak_NL 7y ago
> "14.1234567,50.35466, wait, no, 50.53466, or is it -50.53466,14.1234567?". All of which are fine for someone lost in X mountain range. The operator on the other side will know whether -50.* or 14.* is latitude or longitude. Also, you would just read the numbers from your screen, no ambiguity there.
- Piskvorrr 7y ago
  Thank you, thank you. You have demonstrated the flaw perfectly: didn't even notice the swapped digits, which would send SAR to someplace plausible yet far away.
  - jjeaff 7y ago
    I'm at steeple, bound, force... People? No steeple ... S as in Sam, steeple. Was that mound or found? B as in boy, o as in Oscar, u as in unit.... Ok, steeple, boy, Oscar... There is a reason the military alphabet exists and all numbers are pronounced as is (except for the occasional Niner to avoid confusing nine with 5)
IshKebab 7y ago
I'm pretty sure long-pressing your location in Google Maps and reading out two numbers is a fair bit easier than downloading a new app that you've never heard of.
- Piskvorrr 7y ago
  Sure, network effect and all that. OTOH, I distinctly recall being told of a new search engine I've never heard of, I think it was called "Google". Everything was new and unknown once ;)
  - Piskvorrr 7y ago
    @IshKebab: Okay, I went ahead and tried. GMaps gives you both the GPS coordinates and the Open Location Code. That's significantly better than complaint above "it's popular because it's popular". Fair point.

Freak_NL 7y ago

> "14.1234567,50.35466, wait, no, 50.53466, or is it -50.53466,14.1234567?". All of which are fine for someone lost in X mountain range. The operator on the other side will know whether -50.* or 14.* is latitude or longitude. Also, you would just read the numbers from your screen, no ambiguity there.

Piskvorrr 7y ago
Thank you, thank you. You have demonstrated the flaw perfectly: didn't even notice the swapped digits, which would send SAR to someplace plausible yet far away.
- jjeaff 7y ago
  I'm at steeple, bound, force... People? No steeple ... S as in Sam, steeple. Was that mound or found? B as in boy, o as in Oscar, u as in unit.... Ok, steeple, boy, Oscar... There is a reason the military alphabet exists and all numbers are pronounced as is (except for the occasional Niner to avoid confusing nine with 5)

IshKebab 7y ago

I'm pretty sure long-pressing your location in Google Maps and reading out two numbers is a fair bit easier than downloading a new app that you've never heard of.

Piskvorrr 7y ago
Sure, network effect and all that. OTOH, I distinctly recall being told of a new search engine I've never heard of, I think it was called "Google". Everything was new and unknown once ;)
- Piskvorrr 7y ago
  @IshKebab: Okay, I went ahead and tried. GMaps gives you both the GPS coordinates and the Open Location Code. That's significantly better than complaint above "it's popular because it's popular". Fair point.