Find any place on the planet without an address

[T18skyguy]

I think this is something that might take off. Some clever guys divided the entire planet into trillions of little squares, and gave every one of them a 3 word name. The app is called what3words, and is already in the play store. I suppose it's advantage is you don't need lat/long coordinates. Maybe we'll use this in our RV's some day.
Here's the article. I'd like to apply for a special one called Dons/slide/stuck 🙂

[4x4van]

This might be good for providing someone (that also has the app) a location to go to, but for general navigation the system has a fatal flaw: without a smart device running this specific app that knows where that unique 3-word "address" is, the words are worthless. Since each "address" will be unique and will have no relation to the "address" right next to it, how do you find one spot in a trillion? How do you know if you are close to your destination? With the current system, a person can find a specific address they're looking for by going to that street and watching the numbers go up (or down)...they know if they are getting close...going the right or wrong way... But with this system you have no idea if you are anywhere near where you want to go, nor which direction.

There is a reason that addresses on a street are sequential. There is a reason that there is some order to GPS coordinates. There is a reason that you need to be able to read a map in the wilderness even if you are carrying a GPS. Street names, addresses, even GPS coordinates...are usable and navicable with or without high tech electronic devices.

People nowadays do not even know the phone numbers of their friends or even relatives; they rely on their "smart" phone. When that device dies, then what? Not only will they be unable to contact anyone they actually know, will they now be unable to navigate anywhere as well?

Wait, I guess the argument could be made that that is already happening...

[mapguy]

I would like to know how Enhanced e911 is going to incorporate a address storage system such as this idea.....

[NatParkJunkie]

There, Their, They're

[ghooos]

Before the introduction of postcodes in London, letters wandered around the city, not always finding their addressee. The increase in the number of inhabitants in the mid-19th century made it necessary to introduce a single centralized https://postcodefinder.net system. As a result, 100,000 houses in London were assigned different numbers, and 4,800 districts were given other names.

[mustard]

punomatic: you are assuming that the three words have to be different.

47e+4 * 47e+4 *47e+4 = 1.03823e+17

or 103.823 quadrillion

My area would be labeled "Mine,Mine,Mine" 🙂

[rk911]

T18skyguy wrote:

Tyler0215 wrote:
Are there trillions of three word combinations?
I'll take "You are here."

That's what surprised me. Who'd a thunk that you could map little sections of the entire world with only 3 words. But I guess the dictionary is proof. I googled how many words in the Oxford dictionary and they came back with 470,000. Maybe one of our math majors can figure that out for us.

essentially 470,000 to the third power or 470,000 x 469,999 x 469,998 combinations of three words. that universe of word combinations grows if you use words in different languages or shrinks if you restrict eligible words to words with 5-letters or less (as an example). building the required database would be a nightmare.

btw, the 9-1-1 system requires the use of standard addressing...every building must have a physical address as in 1234 Brown street. occupants and owners are encouraged to post those numbers in a well lighted place on their building that can be easily seen from the street.

[joebedford]

470,000 cubed. No need to drop one for the 2nd and 3rd word.

[TurnThePage]

"Here or There"?

[BobsYourUncle]

My phrase will be:
"Let's Ponder Antidisestablishmentarianism"
:B

[Dutch_12078]

It's certainly an interesting concept. I wish it didn't use variations of the same word though. As the photo in the article shows, "silence.fountain.mint" is in California, and "silenced.fountain.mint is in Sicily. If you're using what3words to send a birthday card to Aunt Sophia in Sicily, a single dropped letter could mean it ends up in a parking lot in California.

[punomatic]

T18skyguy wrote:

Tyler0215 wrote:
Are there trillions of three word combinations?
I'll take "You are here."

That's what surprised me. Who'd a thunk that you could map little sections of the entire world with only 3 words. But I guess the dictionary is proof. I googled how many words in the Oxford dictionary and they came back with 470,000. Maybe one of our math majors can figure that out for us.

So the answer is 470,000 words taken three at a time = 470,000 X 469,999 X 469,998, or roughly 104 billion billion combinations. That ought to cover a measly trillion!

[T18skyguy]

Tyler0215 wrote:
Are there trillions of three word combinations?
I'll take "You are here."

That's what surprised me. Who'd a thunk that you could map little sections of the entire world with only 3 words. But I guess the dictionary is proof. I googled how many words in the Oxford dictionary and they came back with 470,000. Maybe one of our math majors can figure that out for us.

[Horsedoc]

good grief !

Dude, get outside in the fresh air. You're getting stagnant 😉 😉

[Tyler0215]

Are there trillions of three word combinations?
I'll take "You are here."