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> Snarkiness aside, I never understood the benfit of W3W ompared to existing things like coordinates and location sharing using Googlemaps, Whatsapp and so on.
by shakna 6y ago
> Snarkiness aside, I never understood the benfit of W3W ompared to existing things like coordinates and location sharing using Googlemaps, Whatsapp and so on.
Relaying coordinates over static-filled radios, with background noise like the sea, etc. Basically, emergency situations where if you can't hear a number clearly it can be significant.
Unfortunately, W3W encodes using words that can create problems in those circumstances too. (Like plurals misdirecting rescuers. [0]).
[0] https://twitter.com/isleofmandan/status/1386455377949122561 https://twitter.com/isleofmandan/status/1386455377949122561
- hef19898 6y agoAh, so what e.g. the military does with their maps? Deviding them into "code worded" grids, only being public? Yeah, that's a use case. But in order to use that, don't you need: - GPS in order to know your location - some type of communication (cell,...) to tell someone W3W being an app implies cell phones, sending a set of ccordinates, even by SMS, is much faster in these cases, isn't it? Unless you are in the total wilderness, only radio. Which either limits range (handhelds) or means you have a range (CBS,...) which requires a license and proper training in most places. And communicating your position should be basic stuff during training I assume.
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]