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Nigeria has become the seventh country to adopt what3words for mail deliveries

what3words.com

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Re: Nigeria has become the seventh country to adopt what3words for mail deliveries

#2
Is it correct to assume the implementation isn't open and only what3words can resolve 3words to location and vice versa? What happens if they close down, would my mailing address no longer be resolvable? What happens then?

If you'd like to visit my office its at atomic.pipes.rods.

Re: Nigeria has become the seventh country to adopt what3words for mail deliveries

#3
post #2

Is it correct to assume the implementation isn't open and only what3words can resolve 3words to location and vice versa? What happens if they close down, would my mailing address no longer be resolvable? What happens then? If you'd like to visit my office its at atomic.pipes.rods.

We don't publish a list of all the words, so this isn't available for download.

https://support.what3words.com/hc/en-us/articles/207769875-C...

Re: Nigeria has become the seventh country to adopt what3words for mail deliveries

#4
post #2

Is it correct to assume the implementation isn't open and only what3words can resolve 3words to location and vice versa? What happens if they close down, would my mailing address no longer be resolvable? What happens then? If you'd like to visit my office its at atomic.pipes.rods.

It looks like they've got that covered: "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." -- https://what3words.com/pricing/

Re: Nigeria has become the seventh country to adopt what3words for mail deliveries

#5
I'm really glad that these folks are succeeding, they've been at it a really long time. They contacted us when I was on a non-profit board that ran an event a few years ago, and it was obvious that it was a great idea that we had no way of implementing. Now that everyone has a phone with them all the time, they're past that barrier.

I hope that they get great success.

Re: Nigeria has become the seventh country to adopt what3words for mail deliveries

#6
post #4
post #2

Is it correct to assume the implementation isn't open and only what3words can resolve 3words to location and vice versa? What happens if they close down, would my mailing address no longer be resolvable? What happens then? If you'd like to visit my office its at atomic.pipes.rods.

It looks like they've got that covered: "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…

Is the code and documentation placed into escrow with a third party to ensure that this happens?

Re: Nigeria has become the seventh country to adopt what3words for mail deliveries

#7
post #2

Is it correct to assume the implementation isn't open and only what3words can resolve 3words to location and vice versa? What happens if they close down, would my mailing address no longer be resolvable? What happens then? If you'd like to visit my office its at atomic.pipes.rods.

As the OpenStreetMap community has documented[1], this is unfortunately very much not open, and it is a real shame that a country would entrust something so public as addressing to a foreign, closed system.

[1] https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/What3words

Re: Nigeria has become the seventh country to adopt what3words for mail deliveries

#8
I’ve never thought about this, but what3words could be hugely helpful for me. My house is essentially located between two streets, and the street name in the address isn’t the actual street where my mailbox is or where you’d enter the gate, so loosing packages is common and it’s hard to explain to friends how to find me

Re: Nigeria has become the seventh country to adopt what3words for mail deliveries

#10
post #4
post #2

Is it correct to assume the implementation isn't open and only what3words can resolve 3words to location and vice versa? What happens if they close down, would my mailing address no longer be resolvable? What happens then? If you'd like to visit my office its at atomic.pipes.rods.

It looks like they've got that covered: "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…

So what happens in the case that England (their place of business) issues trade embargos with any of those countries?
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