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Re:I like Plus Codes by SlaveToTheGrind · 2018-11-30 16:10 · Score: 1 · on Researchers Are Proposing a New Way To Generate Street Addresses by Extracting Roads From Satellite Images (technologyreview.com)

Plus, for most plots of land you have a number of opportunities to find a 3x3m square named something memorable/apropos. For example, on the Apple campus there's burn.count.mint, stable.elite,hype, owners.lift.bronze, and so on.

Re:I like Plus Codes by SlaveToTheGrind · 2018-11-30 16:10 · Score: 1 · on Researchers Are Proposing a New Way To Generate Street Addresses by Extracting Roads From Satellite Images (technologyreview.com)

Plus, for most plots of land you have a number of opportunities to find a 3x3m square named something memorable/apropos. For example, on the Apple campus there's burn.count.mint, stable.elite,hype, owners.lift.bronze, and so on.

Re:I like Plus Codes by SlaveToTheGrind · 2018-11-30 16:10 · Score: 1 · on Researchers Are Proposing a New Way To Generate Street Addresses by Extracting Roads From Satellite Images (technologyreview.com)

Plus, for most plots of land you have a number of opportunities to find a 3x3m square named something memorable/apropos. For example, on the Apple campus there's burn.count.mint, stable.elite,hype, owners.lift.bronze, and so on.

OK ... by PPH · 2018-11-30 12:30 · Score: 0 · on Researchers Are Proposing a New Way To Generate Street Addresses by Extracting Roads From Satellite Images (technologyreview.com)

... who is going to volunteer to give these people: https://map.what3words.com/reciting.state.comebacks their handy three word address?

Re:People have a really hard time understanding UR by GameboyRMH · 2018-09-04 07:03 · Score: 1 · on Google Wants To Kill the URL (wired.com)

You joke but...

https://what3words.com/

Re:So... by Anonymous Coward · 2018-03-14 02:43 · Score: 0 · on Google's New 'Plus Codes' Are An Open Source, Global Alternative To Street Addresses (9to5google.com)

...very like What3Words then, which is already used by the postal services of seven countries ...

Oh yes, totally like What3Words. Because, I mean...with What3Words, none of the coordinates contain words, right? And it's a piece of cake to decode W3W coordinates without any software. We all know that "drips.drums.paid" lies directly east of "minimal.reacting.body", right? And isn't it easy to tell that "digits.giving.closes" and "bland.former.fills" are next door neighbors, while "beard.device.skill" and "beard.device.skills" are roughly 10,000 miles (17,000 km) apart (US vs Australia)?

What 3 words by Anonymous Coward · 2018-03-13 23:09 · Score: 0 · on Google's New 'Plus Codes' Are An Open Source, Global Alternative To Street Addresses (9to5google.com)

... The first four characters are the area code ...

UTM and MGRS already use 100 Km squares, so this is swapping metre offsets, zones (and bands) for letters. Although a city/country descriptor isn't needed for Plus codes, it makes the co-ordinates human friendly because it uses information they already know.

Originally called Open Location Codes (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Location_Code#Specification), it measures longitude and latitude, modulo 20, with a zero point of -90 Lat. (South Pole) and -180 Long., then converting the resulting number via a cipher to provide a single, unambiguous 'digit'. Thus, each pair of digits represents a subsection of the previous section. A 4x5 map-grid is used to calculate the 11th digit.

What 3 words is best in eliminating digits, although one needs to specify separately, the desired level or floor. Unfortunately, the calculation is secret, so their online service must be used for conversion.

So... by YuppieScum · 2018-03-13 22:27 · Score: 4, Informative · on Google's New 'Plus Codes' Are An Open Source, Global Alternative To Street Addresses (9to5google.com)

...very like What3Words then, which is already used by the postal services of seven countries ...

Oblig. XKCD reference

Maybe talk to these guys... by FatdogHaiku · 2018-02-16 13:13 · Score: 1 · on The Future of Free and Open-Source Maps (emacsen.net)

They could have a chat with the what3words folks...
https://map.what3words.com/kicks.pasta.steer

Re:911 in a sad state of affairs by FatdogHaiku · 2018-01-15 04:58 · Score: 1 · on Why Uber Can Find You but 911 Can't (wsj.com)

At the same time, the GPS unit is activated on the phone and the phone attempts to get a lock. No, the cell towers you are connected to triangulate on you.

At that point I'd be better off with what3words...
https://map.what3words.com/
Maybe get Siri to look up your current 3words and read them to the 911 operator...

Re:Never EVER us the USPS by Areyoukiddingme · 2017-02-25 08:37 · Score: 1 · on $10K Package Of Super Nintendo Games Finally Found By Post Office (eurogamer.net)

The USPS was a great idea 240 years ago and they served their purpose for a long time, but it is high time that we fully privatize them and let them go bankrupt if they can't perform a competent service.

The USPS can not be fully privatized. It is an integral part of the US legal system, and the one and only courier service that delivers to all physical addresses in the United States. In nineteen jurisdictions, process service can be completed on an individual by mail: Alaska, California, Washington D.C., Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota (with prior written consent), Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. In three of those jurisdictions, a summons can be sent simply by first class mail. The rest require registered or certified mail.

Only two jurisdictions allow delivery by private couriers: Washington D.C. and North Dakota.

Only one jurisdiction allows delivery by "electronic means": Washington D.C. and only by prior consent.

Only one jurisdiction allows delivery by fax machine: Idaho. (Yes, Idaho. Go figure.)

A myriad of other legal things are tied to postal addresses, including that thing near and dear to everyone's heart: your taxing jurisdiction. The USPS maintains the legal "where everybody is" database, and even the private couriers depend on it. People file change of address forms with the USPS, not with UPS or FedEx. We've seen alternative attempts to provide such a database. Uptake of such systems is basically nil. The inertia of 240 years gives the USPS a fantastically powerful network effect. Quite aside from those nineteen legal jurisdictions, the sheer amount of software that depends on the existence and current method of functioning of the post office is mind boggling.

A functional, government-run or quasi-government-run post office is one of the cornerstones of civilization. One of the symptoms of a failed state today is not having one. You mess with the post office at your peril. Fix it if it needs fixing, sure, but privatization is not a fix: it would break everything.

Re:Crowd source the egress by PybusJ · 2016-08-24 22:22 · Score: 1 · on Self-Driving Cars Aren't Going To Be So Great Until We Make Our Maps Better (theverge.com)

NAD27, NAD83, WGS-84, NAVD88, UTM, or state plane? Or any of a thousand other datums in use all over the world?

There are attempts to make easier, and less ambiguous, ways to quote locations such as:

https://map.what3words.com/

My browser's location thinks I'm at "simply.pitch.punchy" (entirely wrongly as it happens, but that's just the location services on my laptop). Each 3m grid square gets a unique three-word pronounceable name.

It is quite a neat system, though it does suffer from using a proprietary algorithm and word list to create/lookup the names. It is aiming at exactly this market of being able to identify places to the granularity of the right entrance for a delivery/pick-up rather than just the right address.

What Three Words by Anonymous Coward · 2016-08-24 10:58 · Score: 0 · on Self-Driving Cars Aren't Going To Be So Great Until We Make Our Maps Better (theverge.com)

locate anywhere with three words down to a 3x3 meter square area.

You pick the what three words closest to your house but still on the street, and you're done.

Re: inefficient by KGIII · 2015-12-04 22:46 · Score: 1 · on Providing Addresses for 4 Billion People Using Three Words (mondaynote.com)

I got it in the second try.
https://map.what3words.com/fed...

I don't think it's a problem. I just wanted to see if I could find something fun. My first was green.eggs.ham and that was not a location on the map. I was a bit disappointed. Note: I have no idea why they think this will be a problem. I just wanted to see how many tries it would take. I tried a half dozen more, after that, and I found nothing.

Re:inefficient by liquidsin · 2015-12-04 16:33 · Score: 3, Funny · on Providing Addresses for 4 Billion People Using Three Words (mondaynote.com)

"stupid.coordinate.system" wasn't found, but "silly.mapping.system" is in northern Texas, between Lubbock and Amarillo.

Re:Super Awesome Dragons by careysub · 2015-12-04 11:31 · Score: 1 · on Providing Addresses for 4 Billion People Using Three Words (mondaynote.com)

Better stay away from hungry.awesome.dragons.

Re:Super Awesome Dragons by LunaticTippy · 2015-12-04 11:25 · Score: 1 · on Providing Addresses for 4 Billion People Using Three Words (mondaynote.com)

Me too. I live in super.lame.dragons

Re:Oblig by LunaticTippy · 2015-12-04 11:22 · Score: 1 · on Providing Addresses for 4 Billion People Using Three Words (mondaynote.com)

Sadly, that is not an address. I poked around a bit and discovered mule.staple.battery conveniently located deep in the great white north.

Let's all go to glorious.leader.shamed by JoeMerchant · 2015-12-04 09:46 · Score: 1 · on Providing Addresses for 4 Billion People Using Three Words (mondaynote.com)

In Mexico:

https://map.what3words.com/glo...

Super Awesome Dragons by darkain · 2015-12-04 09:28 · Score: 1 · on Providing Addresses for 4 Billion People Using Three Words (mondaynote.com)

I want to go where the Super Awesome Dragons are at! https://map.what3words.com/sup...

Re:Cool but looks too closed/proprietary by akpoff · 2015-12-04 09:20 · Score: 3, Insightful · on Providing Addresses for 4 Billion People Using Three Words (mondaynote.com)

There are also the questions of long-term viability of the company, patents and copyright issues on the three-word locations. On their website they promise the tech will always provide free ways for individuals to use it. And in the case the company can no longer maintain the technology (or find another company to do so), they also promise to release the technology and code into the public domain.

what3words will always be free for individuals to use on our own site and apps. If or when we do charge for access to our web API or offline SDK, there will always be ways to use them for free.
In particular, we intend to support fair and equitable use of our core addressing technology. We employ a fee structure that provides qualifying organisations with a range of free and discounted usage plans, in addition to country-based pricing. Qualifying organisations will include humanitarian and not-for-profit entities in any country, and regional and national government and associated organisations registered in countries that fall under the World Bank Low-Income Country (LIC), Lower-Middle-Income Country (LMIC) or Upper-Middle-Income Country (UMIC) categories. Discounts are based on world economic indicator data compiled and published by the World Bank.
Furthermore, we understand that organisations whointegratewhat3words need assurances about the long-term viability of the technology.
Our goal is for what3words to become a global standard for communicating location. At the moment, the core what3words algorithms and data are not in the public domain. In the future, we may release some or all of our source code â" we will continually evaluate the business case for doing this.
In the meantime, we commit to the following:
If we, what3words ltd, are ever unable to maintain the what3words technology or make arrangements for it to be maintained by a third-party (with that third-party being willing to make this same commitment), then we will release our source code into the public domain. We will do this in such a way and with suitable licences and documentation to ensure that any and all users of what3words, whether they are individuals, businesses, charitable organisations, aid agencies, governments or anyone else can continue to rely on the what3words system.

Promise on pricing page.

That's a lot of promising.

I really like the idea but I'd like to know it's free and open for everyone to use without limitation. Like many things, the market will ultimately decide its fate.

Re:what about elevation? by CelticCoder · 2015-12-04 09:03 · Score: 4, Informative · on Providing Addresses for 4 Billion People Using Three Words (mondaynote.com)

Good question. According to their FAQ at http://what3words.com/faq/#tog... "Most postal or address systems only work in 2D (e.g. ZIP codes or postal codes in the UK). These always need additional information to specify height: e.g. Flat 6, 5th floor, 12 Lonsdale Road. With what3words, we recommend a similar approach, e.g. Flat 6, 5th floor, jelly.translated.sadly" That kinda makes sense. If you knew the elevation was 20 meters, is that 4th or 5th floor? So adding text to the address is a good solution.

Re:3 frightening words by lightBearer · 2013-08-16 06:08 · Score: 2 · on NSA Broke Privacy Rules Thousands of Times Per Year, Audit Finds

Because you made me curious...

What3Words: NSA

Re:3 frightening words by virgnarus · 2013-08-16 03:20 · Score: 1 · on NSA Broke Privacy Rules Thousands of Times Per Year, Audit Finds

Is that the W3W tag for their building?

Re:More filtration needed by bronzemug · 2013-07-17 01:55 · Score: 1 · on Describe Any Location On Earth In 3 Words

totally.brainless.idea..........(this is too much fun)

That one's in Uzbekistan

Re:More filtration needed by bronzemug · 2013-07-17 01:49 · Score: 1 · on Describe Any Location On Earth In 3 Words

engorged.private.parts

(... Argh! that one's in the middle of the ocean)

More filtration needed by bronzemug · 2013-07-17 01:42 · Score: 1 · on Describe Any Location On Earth In 3 Words

Actuals: large.fleshy.melons big.donkey.member sticky.middle.finger

More filtration needed by bronzemug · 2013-07-17 01:42 · Score: 1 · on Describe Any Location On Earth In 3 Words

Actuals: large.fleshy.melons big.donkey.member sticky.middle.finger

More filtration needed by bronzemug · 2013-07-17 01:42 · Score: 1 · on Describe Any Location On Earth In 3 Words

Actuals: large.fleshy.melons big.donkey.member sticky.middle.finger

Did you know that by Chrisq · 2013-07-16 19:53 · Score: 1 · on Describe Any Location On Earth In 3 Words

cats catch mice in Minnesota, dogs chase cats in Jamaica, and people catch colds in Australia?

Did you know that by Chrisq · 2013-07-16 19:53 · Score: 1 · on Describe Any Location On Earth In 3 Words

cats catch mice in Minnesota, dogs chase cats in Jamaica, and people catch colds in Australia?

Re:no.no.no by MasaMuneCyrus · 2013-07-16 19:40 · Score: 1 · on Describe Any Location On Earth In 3 Words

"Without being able to look up the mapping from the database, the three words don't seem to be useful."

Exactly, consumer!

Yes, that's precisely the point. They are trying to sell you "one word'.

They do this by picking the words first and not allocating them to a location until you click "share". If you don't like the words, you can "share" them while pointing to a location you don't like. Then, you get another set of words.

You can go to their website right now, find any random obscure place, then get another computer and go to that exact same obscure place. You'll get the same address. Yes, the words are random, but no, they are not made up on the fly. I don't know where you got that from.

As the article mentions, they divided up the world into "57 trillion 3m x 3m squares." Each square corresponds to a latitude and longitude. When you click on a place on the map, it queries the nearest square and gives you that 3word address.