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What 3 words


JTaylor91
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With most people on here going out into the sticks on a regular basis I thought this app/website may be of some use. Emergency services are now using it to get an exact location of somebody that needs help, especially out in the countryside. Basically it divides the world into small squares each allocated with 3 words which the call handler can input to see where you are.

https://what3words.com/about-us/

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It's not a new concept, but it's the first concept that's captured the public's imagination, partly because of the comedy word combinations that spring up. It relies on you being able to spell things right in a message, or being able to have a good enough line to be heard clearly, but it's a great principle. Apparently, in order  to cover every single 3x3 square on the planet, you only need 40,000 words.

 

Edited by chrisjpainter
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1 hour ago, manthing said:

Does the app have the funtion to text the 3 words to someone? 

Maybe with a sig along the lines of. 

"This message has been sent via w3w and the sender may require assistance".

Just thinking if you incapable of speach it'd be a good feature. 

You can do that.

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1 hour ago, Dr. Strangelove said:

I suppose it’s easier for the masses to use if they can’t read a grid reference! 

Or, for whatever reason, don't have access to a grid reference - which is most of us most of the time. Sure you can get it off a smart phone, but if you're doing that you may as well open the app and read out three words. 

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25 minutes ago, hawkfanz said:

think ill stick with grid ref an lat/long,i can understand them

Lets hope the person your giving the instruction to understands them as well. For the sake of an app on your phone and a few minutes to learn to use it way wouldn't you have it?

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We’ve just had a notification that West Midlands ambulance service is now set up to use what three words if required. It just means the call handlers can plot the destination accurately and send it automatically to our sat nav/ data terminal. I’ve downloaded it onto my phone, just in case! 

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2 hours ago, hawkfanz said:

think ill stick with grid ref an lat/long,i can understand them

The receiver of that info needs to be able to read it, and you "need" to be able to give the correct info. In times of pressure you get 1 diget wrong and your in the next county. With the W3W its easier to remember than an 8 diget grid ref for the same area. 

 

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On 04/01/2020 at 14:01, manthing said:

Does the app have the funtion to text the 3 words to someone? 

Maybe with a sig along the lines of. 

"This message has been sent via w3w and the sender may require assistance".

Just thinking if you incapable of speach it'd be a good feature. 

Yes sort of, if you click on share it brings up the last 3 people you have txt'd in you phone book. not sure about sig bit 

Just had a look. It sends a link to the person with instruction of what to do with the link and you can ad a message as well

Edited by bluesj
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3 hours ago, Dougy said:

The receiver of that info needs to be able to read it, and you "need" to be able to give the correct info. In times of pressure you get 1 diget wrong and your in the next county. With the W3W its easier to remember than an 8 diget grid ref for the same area. 

 


I’d venture that it is easier to get a word wrong than numbers, particularly when to get the 40k words, plurals have been used. That said w3w is not without merit and I have it on my phone. 

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5 hours ago, Medic1281 said:

We’ve just had a notification that West Midlands ambulance service is now set up to use what three words if required. It just means the call handlers can plot the destination accurately and send it automatically to our sat nav/ data terminal. I’ve downloaded it onto my phone, just in case! 

Sussex Ambulance service use it as well.

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5 hours ago, Dr. Strangelove said:

I guess people will have a personal preference! Easy also to mishear a word, especially with a regional accent.

Although if anything this might be more of a burden for emergency services if members of the public use it but the particular service doesn’t... 

Grid references have the same problem, plus in a stressful situation it's easy to misread of a map/device. figures get mixed up or misheard. Reading three words is a lot easier for an under stress caller

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2 hours ago, henry d said:

Being out in the north sea, channel or off the west coast of Scotland on occasions I use 2x GPS enabled devices, a mobile phone and a PLB, so I can't see how another method of location would help me, but I know lots of others use it.

Great idea though.

Yeah. I'll stick to the DSC radio for my yakking; I don't have desire to get the phone out and accidentally give it a very deep bath!

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