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Why Bother with What Three Words?

shkspr.mobi

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Re: Why Bother with What Three Words?

#241

Post by reallydude »

glonq wrote: post #230
reallydude wrote: post #150

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> .@what3words is bad technical idea > ethically terrible too. I don't understand how someone would hold this tweet up as anything but an echo of their own opinion. There's nothing technically or ethically wrong with the product, despite a few pages of rambling about what they think is right or wrong, morally.

It could have easily been designed to work both offline or online. But it only works online. That's a bad technical idea. And "open washing" is ethically terrible. So is patenting an idea that takes a weekend to code. So is pushing an unnecessarily expensive system onto vulnerable third-world countries that need a solution to their addressing/geolookup problems. So yeah. Terrible.

> But it only works online. That's a bad technical idea.

That's an opinion. Starcraft 2 is online only. That's not a technical idea that a player can rationalize, it's a business oriented technical solution.

> And "open washing" is ethically terrible. > So is patenting an idea that takes a weekend to code

These are based on what rationale, other than your personal preference?

SMH

Re: Why Bother with What Three Words?

#242

Post by Anderkent »

glonq wrote: post #228
Anderkent wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd still rather remember/type/say three words than something like 5P56+4Q. I'm really surprised that no one thinks pronounciability has value.

Words do have value, but what W3W takes away from you (money!) has more value.

It's free for everything I need as an end user AFAICT. How does it take away money?

Re: Why Bother with What Three Words?

#243

Post by asow92 »

qntty wrote: post #198
asow92 wrote: post #188

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We're a community of builders, makers, and entrepreneurs. If we aren't here to fix the issues we see in the world, what are we doing? All I'm saying is if OP truly feels the way they do, they should try to be the change they wish to see in the world. Especially since what w3w is doing isn't technically complicated.

I have lots of complains about the world, and only so many hours in the day.

Then call others to the cause. Be constructive. Don't just complain, as that provides no value.

Re: Why Bother with What Three Words?

#244

Post by Lasokki »

TruffleMuffin wrote: post #207
turc1656 wrote: post #195

The author didn't touch upon what I think is the biggest issue with this. I can be pretty damn sure that 51.50799,-0.12803 is really close to 51.51799,-0.12803 and even closer to 51.50800,-0.12803 just by looking at the numbers because they follow a decimal precision style location system. However, I have no idea if mile.crazy.shade is next to mouth.award.bowl or if they are 1,0000 miles apart. If anything, they shou…

This actually has a usage for emergency services. People call and don't know where they are. This app can let the operator send them a text with a link in that they follow and can communicate very effectively the precise location. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-47705912

How about creating an app for emergency calls, which will automatically send your location?

Finland has done it, see https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=fi.digia.suomi...

Re: Why Bother with What Three Words?

#245

Post by Anderkent »

aembleton wrote: post #121
Anderkent wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>location data is usually not shared verbally but sent via some kind of text medium - you just send GPS-coordinates from another (map-)app directly through your email/messaging-app. seems simple enough. So in one setting I have to email myself a link to get the map on another device. In the other I just type three words from one screen into my phone. I wonder which one's more convenient.

you could scan a QR code from your phone

That also seems more effort than typing three words to me TBH, but I guess there YMMV

Re: Why Bother with What Three Words?

#246

Post by delfinom »

turc1656 wrote: post #195

The author didn't touch upon what I think is the biggest issue with this. I can be pretty damn sure that 51.50799,-0.12803 is really close to 51.51799,-0.12803 and even closer to 51.50800,-0.12803 just by looking at the numbers because they follow a decimal precision style location system. However, I have no idea if mile.crazy.shade is next to mouth.award.bowl or if they are 1,0000 miles apart. If anything, they shou…

Apparently some African country bought into it I think.

>Regardless, this is a shit system and I can't believe anyone even bothered to create it. Also, I've never heard of it prior to today. Who uses this crap?

It's literally a con job designed to create a middleman where one isn't needed. It's the modern libertarian dream.

Re: Why Bother with What Three Words?

#247

Post by photojosh »

DoreenMichele wrote: post #237
mjevans wrote: post #232

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wouldn't it be a lot better to do the following: * Realize that things like 'SSN's are being used as social identifiers and actually just issue them. * Allow legal entities to authenticate and update their preferred physical address In ONE place (so I NEVER have to update billing addresses again!) (maybe even for different kinds of data-packets) * Make it possible to mail to someone's identity (as the address), BUT y…

I wish we would make it possible in the US to use an email address as an address for purposes of things like having a bank account and pick up things like debit cards in person from any branch of that bank if you are traveling, homeless, whatever. I rarely get any important physical mail these days. But I still run into issues over address problems (ironically, more now that I am back in housing than I ever did while…

In Australia you can get a PO Box and pay a bit extra to have everything coming there scanned and emailed to you. Obviously wouldn't work for id cards though.

Re: Why Bother with What Three Words?

#248

Post by WrtCdEvrydy »

DoreenMichele wrote: post #237
mjevans wrote: post #232

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wouldn't it be a lot better to do the following: * Realize that things like 'SSN's are being used as social identifiers and actually just issue them. * Allow legal entities to authenticate and update their preferred physical address In ONE place (so I NEVER have to update billing addresses again!) (maybe even for different kinds of data-packets) * Make it possible to mail to someone's identity (as the address), BUT y…

I wish we would make it possible in the US to use an email address as an address for purposes of things like having a bank account and pick up things like debit cards in person from any branch of that bank if you are traveling, homeless, whatever. I rarely get any important physical mail these days. But I still run into issues over address problems (ironically, more now that I am back in housing than I ever did while…

I wonder if this will be the future of the USPS Online Mailing thing where you get pictures of your mail...

Just register with an email, things are autoscanned and sent to you with a PGP key you provide.

Re: Why Bother with What Three Words?

#249

Post by kevinventullo »

turc1656 wrote: post #195

The author didn't touch upon what I think is the biggest issue with this. I can be pretty damn sure that 51.50799,-0.12803 is really close to 51.51799,-0.12803 and even closer to 51.50800,-0.12803 just by looking at the numbers because they follow a decimal precision style location system. However, I have no idea if mile.crazy.shade is next to mouth.award.bowl or if they are 1,0000 miles apart. If anything, they shou…

Mathematically, I would phrase this by saying that the mapping of physical location to (lat,lon) pair is continuous. Space-filling curves and related things like Google's plus codes are nearly as good, in that (if you squint) they are continuous almost everywhere (everywhere but the boundary of some grid). W3W on the other hand is discontinuous everywhere.

I think the advantage of lat/lon boils down to the fact that everyone knows 79.999 is close to 80.000, even though they look quite different as raw text.

Re: Why Bother with What Three Words?

#250

Post by DoreenMichele »

photojosh wrote: post #247
DoreenMichele wrote: post #237

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wish we would make it possible in the US to use an email address as an address for purposes of things like having a bank account and pick up things like debit cards in person from any branch of that bank if you are traveling, homeless, whatever. I rarely get any important physical mail these days. But I still run into issues over address problems (ironically, more now that I am back in housing than I ever did while…

In Australia you can get a PO Box and pay a bit extra to have everything coming there scanned and emailed to you. Obviously wouldn't work for id cards though.

I actually had a virtual mailbox for a while. I don't currently, in part because I am in housing, in part because I'm chronically short of funds.

But maybe I should get one again at some point. Maybe that would help with some of mail/address issues.

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