Slashdot Mirror


Describe Any Location On Earth In 3 Words

First time accepted submitter jameshumphreys writes "London startup what3words has successfully launched a new website which has carved the world map into almost 57 trillion 3m x 3m squares, assigning each square a simple, unique 3 word address. For instance, the 'what3words' for the famous Peter Pan statue in London's Hyde Park is 'union.prop.enjoy'. This means you can easily describe even remote locations with great precision. CEO Chris Sheldrick says, 'We see our service being most useful where current methods of describing location (e.g. postcodes or ZIP codes) don't do the job well enough or don't do the job at all — but of course it has applications as a preferred alternative even where the existing solutions do a decent job, but perhaps less precise/customised than w3w.' An API is planned 'in the coming weeks.'" The heart of Disneyworld could be "Radioactive Humanoid Mice"; what would you call your neck of the woods?

11 of 478 comments (clear)

  1. Phoenx, Arizona by Valentinial · · Score: 5, Funny

    Hot Frickin' Desert

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    @Valentinial
  2. 1 Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052 by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 5, Funny

    embrace.extend.extinguish anyone?

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    Ezekiel 23:20
    1. Re:1 Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052 by rsborg · · Score: 5, Funny

      embrace.extend.extinguish anyone?

      Wouldn't developers.developers.developers be more appropriate to the current CEO?

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      Make sure everyone's vote counts: Verified Voting
    2. Re:1 Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052 by Kjella · · Score: 4, Funny

      I'm sure their building is larger than 3x3 meter so they have room for both and bring.more.chairs as well :)

      --
      Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
  3. one better by lactose99 · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'll describe the entire Earth in only 2:

    Mostly Harmless

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    Fully licensed blockchain psychiatrist
  4. Re:Damn. Too many words. by Jeremiah+Cornelius · · Score: 4, Funny

    San Francisco, CA: "Not United States"
    Redmond, WA: "Hell On Earth"

    --
    "Flyin' in just a sweet place,
    Never been known to fail..."
  5. Slashdot.... by rullywowr · · Score: 5, Funny

    Slashdot
    nobody.reads.TFA

    1. Re:Slashdot.... by killmofasta · · Score: 3, Funny

      Mod.parent.+1.funny.

      My three words?
      Endless stretch ocean.
      Accounts for about at least 1.6 ~ 1.8 trillion of these squares.

  6. Re:Damn. Too many words. by ackthpt · · Score: 4, Funny

    Stockton?

    No, that's the crotch of California. The Armpit is Oakland.

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    A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
  7. Re:Damn. Too many words. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Stockton?

    No, that's the crotch of California. The Armpit is Oakland.

    Los Angeles is the asshole.

  8. Re:You can do it with just latitude / longitude by cbiltcliffe · · Score: 4, Funny

    So now, instead, you've got to give her the three words, plus the URL of the website, which she will easily fuck up.

    3words.....what?
    What three words?
    Oh...type into my browser....
    ok...
    www.what.three.words.com
    I don't get anything.
    Oh..ok.
    www.what.3.words.com
    It's still not working.
    Grrrr.
    www.what3.words.com
    This stupid thing!
    Just give me your damned latitude and longitude!!!

    --
    "City hall" in German is "Rathaus" Kinda explains a few things......