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OT - What3words: The app that can save your life



 
 
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  #31  
Old November 17th 19, 08:27 PM posted to uk.comp.sys.mac,alt.computer.workshop,alt.comp.os.windows-10
Mike Easter
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,064
Default OT - What3words: The app that can save your life

nospam wrote:
Rene Lamontagne wrote:

Longitude and latitude have always worked fine for me and will continue
doing so as long as I'm here.


except if you transpose two digits, skip a digit or fat-finger it and
tap the wrong digit...

You have no more need to read or 'tap' in digits than you do to tap in a
URL when you can click it in.

The device sees all of the digits correctly, the device transmits all
the digits correctly; the human only helps (slightly) the device to do
that. The human doesn't need to read or understand or remember or type
even one number. Any time the human gets involved such as reading or
remembering or speaking or understanding some word or combination of
words, there is great and serious potential for error.

--
Mike Easter
Ads
  #32  
Old November 17th 19, 08:30 PM posted to uk.comp.sys.mac,alt.computer.workshop,alt.comp.os.windows-10
nospam
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4,718
Default OT - What3words: The app that can save your life

In article , Andy Burns
wrote:


Longitude and latitude have always worked fine for me and will continue
doing so as long as I'm here.


except if you transpose two digits, skip a digit or fat-finger it and
tap the wrong digit...


so add a check(sum|digit) rather than turning it all into words with a
proprietary scheme.


it's much easier for humans to use three words than a bunch of digits
with a checksum.
  #33  
Old November 17th 19, 08:30 PM posted to uk.comp.sys.mac,alt.computer.workshop,alt.comp.os.windows-10
nospam
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4,718
Default OT - What3words: The app that can save your life

In article , Mike Easter
wrote:

Longitude and latitude have always worked fine for me and will continue
doing so as long as I'm here.


except if you transpose two digits, skip a digit or fat-finger it and
tap the wrong digit...

You have no more need to read or 'tap' in digits than you do to tap in a
URL when you can click it in.


not when someone speaks the digits or words, or prints them in an ad or
brochure.

The device sees all of the digits correctly, the device transmits all
the digits correctly; the human only helps (slightly) the device to do
that. The human doesn't need to read or understand or remember or type
even one number. Any time the human gets involved such as reading or
remembering or speaking or understanding some word or combination of
words, there is great and serious potential for error.


much less with three words than a bunch of digits.
  #34  
Old November 17th 19, 08:50 PM posted to uk.comp.sys.mac,alt.computer.workshop,alt.comp.os.windows-10
Mike Easter
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,064
Default OT - What3words: The app that can save your life

nospam wrote:
much less with three words than a bunch of digits.


*IF* some circumstance required a human to need to remember a word or 3
words, it would be better to do that than remember or 'repeat' a long
string of numbers.

*BUT* that is a strawman argument, in the scenario I envision.

The human does NOT need to remember or repeat any words or numbers at
all, so the IF circumstance above does not apply (here).

--
Mike Easter
  #35  
Old November 17th 19, 09:03 PM posted to uk.comp.sys.mac,alt.computer.workshop,alt.comp.os.windows-10
nospam
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4,718
Default OT - What3words: The app that can save your life

In article , Mike Easter
wrote:

much less with three words than a bunch of digits.


*IF* some circumstance required a human to need to remember a word or 3
words, it would be better to do that than remember or 'repeat' a long
string of numbers.


that's exactly the point.

and it's not just numbers.

instead telling someone to meet you at 'the southwest corner of the
park, near the fountain', or 'head north on the beach a bit', you can
tell them three words and they will find the *exact* location, within a
few feet.

in some cases a street address of a building is not where the actual
entrance is, which might be around the corner. this is very common with
hospitals, where the main entrance and emergency entrance are not
always near each other, and may even differ from the business address.

*BUT* that is a strawman argument, in the scenario I envision.


there is no strawman.

The human does NOT need to remember or repeat any words or numbers at
all, so the IF circumstance above does not apply (here).


not every instance is a mobile device sending a packet of data to
someone capable of automatically mapping said data.
  #36  
Old November 17th 19, 09:20 PM posted to uk.comp.sys.mac,alt.computer.workshop,alt.comp.os.windows-10
Mike Easter
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,064
Default OT - What3words: The app that can save your life

nospam wrote:
Mike Easter wrote:

much less with three words than a bunch of digits.


*IF* some circumstance required a human to need to remember a word or 3
words, it would be better to do that than remember or 'repeat' a long
string of numbers.


that's exactly the point.


That is not *exactly* the point. You are creating 'your own' scenario,
while the original issue/ example was quite different from that.

and it's not just numbers.

instead telling someone to meet you at 'the southwest corner of the
park, near the fountain', or 'head north on the beach a bit', you can
tell them three words and they will find the *exact* location, within a
few feet.


In that particular *different* scenario than the original, now the
recipient of the information MUST integrate the precise and correct
interpretation of the words you transmitted somehow, perhaps verbally,
but in addition, they must possess a working device into which they must
'laboriously' tap in those words hopefully correctly w/o any typos
whatsoever and then the device must be able to access the database which
will properly map that word/coordinate onto a map.

in some cases a street address of a building is not where the actual
entrance is, which might be around the corner. this is very common with
hospitals, where the main entrance and emergency entrance are not
always near each other, and may even differ from the business address.


That particular issue is very well known from everyone from uber drivers
to emergency responders. An address is not an exact location,
particularly when an address has numerous/ myriad/ far flung locations
both horizontally and vertically.

*BUT* that is a strawman argument, in the scenario I envision.


there is no strawman.

The human does NOT need to remember or repeat any words or numbers at
all, so the IF circumstance above does not apply (here).


not every instance is a mobile device sending a packet of data to
someone capable of automatically mapping said data.


The specific instance which we began talking about is hikers lost w/ a
phone w/ connectivity requesting aid from a dispatcher w/ access to all
kinds of resources.

That phone can digitally transmit its location coordinates to the
dispatcher who can send help to those precise coordinates and no one
needs to remember or speak any numbers (or location words) in order for
that to transpire.


--
Mike Easter
  #37  
Old November 17th 19, 09:26 PM posted to uk.comp.sys.mac,alt.computer.workshop,alt.comp.os.windows-10
Shadow
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,638
Default OT - What3words: The app that can save your life

On Sun, 17 Nov 2019 10:16:44 -0800, Mike Easter
wrote:

David wrote:
Once the three words have been passed to the rescue agencies there is no
need for ANY electronic equipment to be functional on or near the
person(s) requiring assistance.


- it seems to me that one needs to have such as a phone both to
'determine' one's location AND to convey one's location to the help agency


Exactly. It's a GPS.
- it further seems to me that if one has such an electronic device for
receiving coordinates and for transmitting the info, that 'device'
/language/ is perfectly satisfactory; there is not NEED for 'human'
language, ie words are unnecessary


But the agencies have to PAY to use the service. That's why
it's a scam. A simple app that sent GPS coordinates along with a short
text describing the "danger" would be much faster, and cheaper.

Nice of you to spoon-feed BD. He had NO idea (probably still
doesn't - he didn't read the specs) before posting the phish, and he
certainly won't admit he was spamming. Expect a "noted" or "thank you
for your views".


---------------
BD: I want people to "get to know me better. I have nothing to
hide".
I'm always here to help, this page was put up at BD's request,
rather, he said "Do it *NOW*!":

http://tekrider.net/pages/david-brooks-stalker.php

60 confirmed #FAKE_NYMS, most used in cybercrimes!
Google "David Brooks Devon"
[]'s
--
Don't be evil - Google 2004
We have a new policy - Google 2012
  #38  
Old November 17th 19, 10:28 PM posted to uk.comp.sys.mac,alt.computer.workshop,alt.comp.os.windows-10
Mike Easter
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,064
Default OT - What3words: The app that can save your life

David wrote:
*Is what3words open source like some other geo platforms and services*?


The short answer is simply NO.

The long answer the company provides is because there is a battle
between w3w and opensource advocates. The FOSS folks have
reverse-engineered the algos and provided FOSS alternatives to w3w.

The w3w company is fighting this in social media and otherwise, w/ such
as DMCA takedowns of anything promoting any w3w FOSS alternatives such
as whatfreewords and others.

I understand the concept that if you invent something and you invest
money in it and apply for a patent for the core tech that one has to
fight the FOSS forces. Their patent application goes back to 2013 as
does the company and significant venture investing.

There is another thread around here about OpenStreetMap, which is a FOSS
type project, so they 'don't like' w3w, as they say in their wiki


https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/w/ind...&oldid=1421526
What3Words is a commercial, non-open, patented addressing schema. Open
data advocates (such as the OpenStreetMap community) would generally
advise against adopting it all, and we do not add What3Words identifiers
into OpenStreetMap.

--
Mike Easter
  #39  
Old November 17th 19, 11:19 PM posted to uk.comp.sys.mac,alt.computer.workshop,alt.comp.os.windows-10
David
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 41
Default OT - What3words: The app that can save your life

On 17/11/2019 21:28, Mike Easter wrote:
David wrote:
*Is what3words open source like some other geo platforms and services*?


The short answer is simply NO.

The long answer the company provides is because there is a battle
between w3w and opensource advocates.Â* The FOSS folks have
reverse-engineered the algos and provided FOSS alternatives to w3w.

The w3w company is fighting this in social media and otherwise, w/ such
as DMCA takedowns of anything promoting any w3w FOSS alternatives such
as whatfreewords and others.

I understand the concept that if you invent something and you invest
money in it and apply for a patent for the core tech that one has to
fight the FOSS forces.Â* Their patent application goes back to 2013 as
does the company and significant venture investing.

There is another thread around here about OpenStreetMap, which is a FOSS
type project, so they 'don't like' w3w, as they say in their wiki


https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/w/ind...&oldid=1421526 Â*What3Words
is a commercial, non-open, patented addressing schema. Open data
advocates (such as the OpenStreetMap community) would generally advise
against adopting it all, and we do not add What3Words identifiers into
OpenStreetMap.


The facility has been approved by Apple and is available free of charge
in the Apple App Sto-

https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/what3w...82771079?mt=12

I hope this helps.

  #40  
Old November 17th 19, 11:20 PM posted to uk.comp.sys.mac,alt.computer.workshop,alt.comp.os.windows-10
nospam
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4,718
Default OT - What3words: The app that can save your life

In article , Mike Easter
wrote:

much less with three words than a bunch of digits.

*IF* some circumstance required a human to need to remember a word or 3
words, it would be better to do that than remember or 'repeat' a long
string of numbers.


that's exactly the point.


That is not *exactly* the point. You are creating 'your own' scenario,
while the original issue/ example was quite different from that.


the original scenario is just one of many, many possibilities where
what3words is a *much* easier and a far more human-friendly solution.

and it's not just numbers.

instead telling someone to meet you at 'the southwest corner of the
park, near the fountain', or 'head north on the beach a bit', you can
tell them three words and they will find the *exact* location, within a
few feet.


In that particular *different* scenario than the original, now the
recipient of the information MUST integrate the precise and correct
interpretation of the words you transmitted somehow, perhaps verbally,
but in addition, they must possess a working device into which they must
'laboriously' tap in those words hopefully correctly w/o any typos
whatsoever and then the device must be able to access the database which
will properly map that word/coordinate onto a map.


nearly everyone has such a device, which they would also need if gps
coordinates were given, or even just to pull up a map of the area and
find out how to get to the southwest corner from wherever they are.

in some cases a street address of a building is not where the actual
entrance is, which might be around the corner. this is very common with
hospitals, where the main entrance and emergency entrance are not
always near each other, and may even differ from the business address.


That particular issue is very well known from everyone from uber drivers
to emergency responders. An address is not an exact location,
particularly when an address has numerous/ myriad/ far flung locations
both horizontally and vertically.


most hospital visitors are *not* uber drivers or emergency responders
and not all such buildings are hospitals.

what3words makes it trivial to find the appropriate part of the
building, versus a street address.


*BUT* that is a strawman argument, in the scenario I envision.


there is no strawman.

The human does NOT need to remember or repeat any words or numbers at
all, so the IF circumstance above does not apply (here).


not every instance is a mobile device sending a packet of data to
someone capable of automatically mapping said data.


The specific instance which we began talking about is hikers lost w/ a
phone w/ connectivity requesting aid from a dispatcher w/ access to all
kinds of resources.

That phone can digitally transmit its location coordinates to the
dispatcher who can send help to those precise coordinates and no one
needs to remember or speak any numbers (or location words) in order for
that to transpire.


it can, but it's just one of numerous possibilities
  #41  
Old November 18th 19, 12:00 AM posted to uk.comp.sys.mac,alt.computer.workshop,alt.comp.os.windows-10
Mike Easter
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,064
Default OT - What3words: The app that can save your life

David wrote:
The facility has been approved by Apple and is available free of charge
in the Apple App Sto-

https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/what3w...82771079?mt=12


You don't have to be FOSS to be approved by Apple. You can also be a
free app to the users public and still be a commercial proprietary
product. They'll be charging the various business and other entities.

"its revenue comes from charging businesses for high-volume use of the
API that converts between 3 words and coordinates; "

Personally, I think such as whatfreewords should be able to produce a
similar product without limitation. There have been other geocodes for
the earth for years and years in the public domain.

--
Mike Easter
  #42  
Old November 18th 19, 12:06 AM posted to uk.comp.sys.mac,alt.computer.workshop,alt.comp.os.windows-10
David
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 41
Default OT - What3words: The app that can save your life

On 17/11/2019 23:00, Mike Easter wrote:
David wrote:
The facility has been approved by Apple and is available free of
charge in the Apple App Sto-

https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/what3w...82771079?mt=12


You don't have to be FOSS to be approved by Apple.Â* You can also be a
free app to the users public and still be a commercial proprietary
product.Â* They'll be charging the various business and other entities.

"its revenue comes from charging businesses for high-volume use of the
API that converts between 3 words and coordinates; "

Personally, I think such as whatfreewords should be able to produce a
similar product without limitation.Â* There have been other geocodes for
the earth for years and years in the public domain.



Don't shoot me - I'm just the messenger! ;-)

  #43  
Old November 18th 19, 12:19 AM posted to uk.comp.sys.mac,alt.computer.workshop,alt.comp.os.windows-10
Mike Easter
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,064
Default OT - What3words: The app that can save your life

David wrote:
Don't shoot me - I'm just the messenger! ;-)


When you post words in a manner that appears to be as if you said them,
then you have to *own* them. That is if you *appear* to be the speaker
then you are the speaker.

If you want to cite, then you should give clear and distinct what is
being cited.

In your case, you typically have NOTHING to say that you paste.

--
Mike Easter
  #44  
Old November 18th 19, 12:24 AM posted to uk.comp.sys.mac,alt.computer.workshop,alt.comp.os.windows-10
David
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 41
Default OT - What3words: The app that can save your life

On 17/11/2019 23:19, Mike Easter wrote:
In your case, you typically have NOTHING to say that you paste.


That is very badly written, Mike Easter! :-P (in a friendly manner!)

I've written, not pasted, a longish message to Apd this evening (here in
the UK it's my bed time!). You should be used to how I do things after
all our years of correspondence!
  #45  
Old November 18th 19, 12:30 AM posted to uk.comp.sys.mac,alt.computer.workshop,alt.comp.os.windows-10
Mike Easter
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,064
Default OT - What3words: The app that can save your life

Mike Easter wrote:
Personally, I think such as whatfreewords should be able to produce a
similar product without limitation.Â* There have been other geocodes for
the earth for years and years in the public domain.


Here's a long discussion about whatfreewords and the limitation issues:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21196402 What’s going on with
WhatFreeWords?

--
Mike Easter
 




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