Is the What3words App any good?

ZombieCake

Well-known member
There's been a bit of publicity about this recently e.g. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-49319760
Essentially they've divided the world in to 10' x 10' squares each with a unique 3 word location code.
Plod is recommending it and many forces are adopting.  Seems other areas are a bit patchy, for example if you live in Mongolia or drive  new Merc  the software says it will find where you are.  If you use TomTom then there is no chance at all despite 'promises'.
Does it actually work or is it really ponzi scheme vapour ware?
 

SamT

Moderator
might well have saved this guys life??

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-49393668

""Help me, I see the sea but I don't know where I am," he told authorities."
 

2xw

Active member
Pros:
- Can be used by thick people
- Easy to use on bad radio connection versus latlong
-  Is free

Cons
- Is not open source
- Cannot be used to measure distance
- Requires charged cell phone
 

Alex

Well-known member
Essentially they've divided the world in to 10' x 10' squares each with a unique 3 word location code.

I believe it's 3x3m squares.

Essentially the authorities are starting to use them now and I have been on a couple of shouts where what 3 words has been used as the location (along with a grid reference). However, the biggest problem with what three words is, is there is no way of knowing if you are approaching the location like there is with 10 fig grid references, this was noticed at a recent nav practice. Each square on W3W has no relation whatsoever to it's neighbour. So what I personally do is put W3W words into Viewranger to give me the grid location and then use that to navigate. This is also because view ranger has OS maps loaded and the W3W app don't. So really it means I spend longer with nav faff.

The other issue is W3W is no good if your phone battery has died, can't plot it onto a physical OS map.

So not convinced myself, but I think it has its uses such as out at sea.
 

mikem

Well-known member
3m = 9.84ft (c.10)

& the biggest problem with grid refs was that people couldn't be relied on to give them correctly, so you might end up miles from where required...

Mainly aimed at people who don't know where they are in towns. However, smart phones can now locate you without needing What3Words.
 

SamT

Moderator
Tried a few derbyshire cave entrances..... bit disappointing .. was hoping for "dirty squalid hole" or some such.
 

grahams

Well-known member
2xw said:
Pros:
- Can be used by thick people

It's of use to anyone who could get lost in Hamsterley Forest with its signposted mountain bike single tracks and myriad signposted walking routes, not to mention the fire roads and tarmac which run into the centre of an area that's a mere 5 x 3 miles. The rest of us can use basic navigation skills.
 

Cave_Troll

Active member
not mentioned on the advert on BBC (news reports) was the delay of 20 mins while the police got the people to download the W3W app over a slow data connection

"what three words will save your life" ? Cardio pulmonary Resuscitation

like many "good ideas" they gain traction by convincing you that you can't do something without them.
bit like making a payment online without having a paypal account

the same problems of "did you say MN 123 456, or MM 123 456" will still be there with
"did you say chimp.just.pots or chimp.just.lots or chimp.just.pops ?"  (Kirlees, Barnsley, Rotherham)
 

glyders

Member
This again! It's been around years and failed. Now they've convinced some urban emergency services to push it for them in favour of superior and non-profit alternatives. Scottish Mountain Rescue's statement pretty much says it all: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2339541036083375&id=337733089597523
I've also read recent accounts of people trying to use it because they'd seen all the publicity but been met by a very confused operator because they weren't in one of the areas that's adopted it.
 

Alex

Well-known member
https://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=15431.0

Wow time flies, and I still have not been to Lost.Caving.Gear to get my gear back, well it's probably on fire now anyway.
 

tom1

New member
Hello, a Geographer here! I've had a few interesting debates with colleagues over the years about this organization's product.

I'm not a fan - I don't see why latitude/longitude given in decimal degrees using WGS84 is so different. It's built into pretty much every consumer/professional GPS receiver, mobile phone operating system and popular mapping websites, and often marked on maps. It is internationally recognised and already standard in aviation and maritime services. The only drawback is that the relatively long series of digits is prone to transcription errors, particularly over poorly readable telephony links. For safety-of-life applications, emergency service operators and SAR teams already have solutions to this problem, include text messaging and the SARLOC app.

It certainly could have advantages in countries without adequate addressing systems, and I can see how developing postal services may wish to use this instead of postal codes, although the system isn't nested or hierarchical like, for example, the UK postal code system, so its use for sorting or other statutory functions (e.g. census) is limited.
 

Inferus

New member
Didn't like it the first time it got an airing. Still don't like the concept.

Not.for.me. (God knows if that's an actual location or not)
 

SamT

Moderator
I think the point that some people are missing is the fact that a lot (most?) people would only understand half the words in the following sentence

"I don't see why latitude/longitude given in decimal degrees using WGS84 is so different. It's built into pretty much every consumer/professional GPS receiver, mobile phone operating system and popular mapping websites, and often marked on maps. It is internationally recognised and already standard in aviation and maritime services. The only drawback is that the relatively long series of digits is prone to transcription errors, particularly over poorly readable telephony links. For safety-of-life applications, emergency service operators and SAR teams already have solutions to this problem, include text messaging and the SARLOC app."

Most people read "wha wha wa wha wa wha wa wa wa waaa wha wha"

My dad is 82, quite a good geographer, but he cant tell one end of his smart phone from the other, he can just about turn it on.  I think the concept behind the app is to cater for this strata of society, who wouldn't know what "latitude/longitude given in decimal degrees using WGS84" was if it ran up and whacked them over the head with a signpost.

He'd struggle to navigate to the app (ha!) on his phone but would probably stand more chance than digging out the lat/long etc from the settings on the phone.


 

Cave_Troll

Active member
but i'm sure he'd cope with the OSLocate app which simply gives you a Grid ref.
then you can show him how that can be plotted on a map
 

SamT

Moderator
Agreed.  He'd be find with a paper OS map no bother (geography lecturer!!), its working his phone that is the issue!

But is OSlocate global, or just UK specific.  (not actually looked at the app)
 

Bob Mehew

Well-known member
A positive for SARLOC is that it tells the rescuers where you are.  But it does rely upon a charged phone with signal and as has been pointed out elsewhere, an ability for the rescuers to communicate back to the lost soul.  The only reliable means of saying I am lost (on the surface) is a Personal Locator Beacon, see http://www.mountainsafety.co.uk/EP-PLB.aspx for example.  I vaguely recall that modern versions have two way coms to indicate message received and some one is coming out to you.
 
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