Lost in a California state park? Need to get help fast? You could use GPS coordinates to help dispatchers, or you could use just three words. No, it’s not, “Send Help Fast!” The three words in question are part of a controversial geocode system called “what3words” that identifies any location on the surface of planet earth using common words.
For example, say you were stuck on the very top of the Space Needle in Seattle, you could tell rescuers your map coordinates, or you could simply say “gender.quit.tanks,” and those three words should pinpoint your needle location, if you’ll pardon the pun.
Your world in 57 trillion squares
California State Parks officials have formalized a partnership with the folks from what3words to help narrow down lost hikers, campers, and RVers in any of its realm. Just how does the system work? The what3words company has divided up the planet into 3-metre squares—some 57 trillion of them. The company, using a proprietary system, named each of those 57 trillion squares with a unique three-word name. What California State Parks managers want you to do is to use the free what3words app on your cell phone to help them find you if you should get lost or are in need of emergency help.
So suppose you’ve fallen and you can’t get up. You can dial up dispatchers and tell them, “Need help! tools.melted.studs!” Sure enough, you should hear the sirens as they sweep right to the entrance of the campground at Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. Of course, the app is useful in non-emergency situations as well. You could text your friends and say, “Five o’ clock cocktails, sting.isolation.trains.” No need to worry, they couldn’t confuse the next site over there at Grand Canyon National Park, because that site’s name is involving.aquatics.shall, and they’re only serving soft drinks, anyway.
What3words “describes exactly where to send help”
A press release announcing the new arrangement says this. “From Garrapata on the Big Sur coast, to Bodie State Historic Park near the Sierra Nevada, California’s state parks offer some of the most stunning and varied landscapes on the planet, attracting explorers from across the globe,” said what3words CMO Giles Rhys Jones. “With every 10 ft. square having its own what3words address it is simpler than ever to arrange meeting spots with your friends, save precise locations of epic viewpoints, remember the space you parked in, and in the event of an emergency – describe exactly where to send help.”
Spelling, “local accents” can send rescuers on goose chase
Since the app is free, seems like a pretty good idea to many. But what3words is not without its critics. While the software that operates the app and used on the state park’s dispatch end doesn’t have complaints, it’s the human element that can have flaws. Last year, while Queen Elizabeth was lying in state, British officials wanted to make it easier for mourners to “get in the queue” to see Her Majesty off. They used what3words coordinates to direct the crowds to the end of the line. Out of five locations given, two led mourners to California—My, what a long queue that was! In two other situations, mourners were sent 15 miles from the real location. Seems that the coordinate providers got confused and put in the wrong three words.
That, say critics, is a problem. If similar sounding words are used, it’s possible what you say and what is heard could get a bit confused. With 57 trillion “spots” on earth, there are apt to be some similar sounding words in the book. The organization Mountain Rescue England and Wales said in a one-year period, people using what3words coordinates led rescuers in the wrong direction 45 times when spelling or “local accents” were thrown into the mix.
Additionally, in order to come up with enough combinations of words to cover 57 trillion locations, sometimes plurals are needed. In our opening illustration, the location “coordinates” for Sonoma Coast State Park are margins.agent.landings. Suppose you accidentally left margins as a singular? Margin.agent.landings puts you in Qarnabad, Golestan Province, in Iran. Probably not the best place to take your motorhome right now. We hear there aren’t any RV parks there.
Want to try it? It’s free. Here’s how
Nevertheless, state park officials in California are hoping more visitors will take advantage of the what3words app. They foresee both emergency use, and also in encouraging friends and family to join up and visit a CalState park. You can find out more information about the app here (what3words.com) or get one from your device play store.
##RVT1113b
My from-afar opinion of California is generally, if they are doing it, then it’s unlikely to be a good idea. I’ll pass on this three-word deal and stick to GPS coordinates. That was the “cake,” the “icing” is that I’ll avoid visiting California and thereby escape any urging to use the three-word deal. 😉
Interesting but with all the spelling errors one sees on the internet I could envision many people dying of old age before being rescued. And I can’t help but wonder where spellcheck would send my rescue team.
I’m not sure if your article is correct that all 57 trillion squares have been assigned three letter designations up front. If that is true, it is a fundamental error in design that would lead to the problems you’ve mentioned. There is no need to name every location up front. Just assign the three word designation when someone actually pins that square. Greatly reduces the database of location codes and eliminates the issue of local pronunciations or spelling. When someone pins a square that has already been assigned a code, they would simply get the original code associated with that square, regardless of how it was spelled.
Cheers?
Thats a tremendously thoughtful solution. Well done. Absolutely spot on.
How about just assigning a number to each square? Nah. Too simple.
LOL. Right? It could be done like the game Trivial Pursuits though or at the very least, use a few on Jeopardy or Wheel of Fortune.
Let’s try it.
powder.cubby.white
Where am I for $200.00?
Probably something simpler, but I would have a hard time with being 57,999,876,245,123. My brain could never remember that at this point in my life..lol. I still can do three words, though 😂
Ha ha. Good one Diane. But you could probably not have to memorize all those numbers. When is the next time you’re headed to Afghanistan? Or Russia?
Hi, Tommy. Just to let you know, that’s another “Diane Mc” and not me.🤔 However, I did take Russian in high school in the early ’60s (not that I can remember much of it!). Have a great day. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
Thanks for the clarification, Diane. Oh, and I had to learn the Cyrillic alphabet in Navy school for my rate. I’ve forgotten it all too.
👍 Thanks, Tommy. I had fun learning the Russian alphabet the same time I was learning Gregg shorthand. (I don’t think my brain would be able to handle both at my advanced age.) Take care. 😀 –the other Diane Mc
So hypothetically, you get lost while on your tour of the Whitehouse what 3 words do suggest to geolocate you?
Or how about “secrets.toilet.indicted”. Guess where *I* am…
That’s my point RP. It would be a funny game for everyone. As long as no one was too caught up in the dynamics. Kind if like 3 word charades.
Your clue reveals Miralago.
How about ukraine.shakedown.laptop. also obvious.
weapons.mass.none. = Iraq
powder.white.cubby. = Whitehouse
Just don’t get your feelings hurt, have a laugh and play it with friends and family. Leave politics out of it.
apples.president.volcano = Washington state
Brilliant solution for number-phobes. But why is this an improvement over dropping a pin on Google Maps? Or having an app that will send your GPS coordinates? Honestly, it seems like a solution in search of a problem.
ALSO — for those of us with some vague familiarity with coordinates, we can get a rough idea of a location just by looking at the numbers (example: 37.xxx, -115.xxx — western USA). Not so with 3words.
If that’s the worst problem with What3Words, then it’s a pretty good system. After all, there is nothing wrong with typing the words in nearly all cases.
I’ve used a few times. Because it still uses GPS the what3words coordinates will “move” as your phone tries to figure out your location.
What language will be used. I only speak English. I can’t understand the scammer from Philippine when he wants my passwords.
I would hope that Latitude and Longitude coordinates would be sufficient for emergency response to one’s general location area and then maybe what-three-words could narrow down one’s precise location. I’m interested in seeing how this might be developed.
Lat/Lon are only two of the dimensions; it doesn’t take into account your elevation. On a mountain, that’s fine since you are very unlikely to be inside the mountain. In the city, that can be far too little info. What3Words can narrow you down to a few feet on any level. So, it’s more like finding your seat in a very large sports arena. Besides, if it’s to be spoken, you have the same pronunciation problems.
W3W doesn’t take elevation into account either. They translate lat/long coordinates into three words, and those three words back into a square (two sets of lat/long for representing NE and SW points). It’s less precise than coordinates.
Wrong.
What drunken sot came up with this idea? Just when you think you’ve seen or heard everything, along comes something dumber than the LAST dumb thing you’ve seen or heard. It’s neverending. No wonder the country is downsliding.
You’ve got that right.
Oh no, the idea is kinda clever. Three words are spoken quicker and less error- prone than reading coordinates. BUT, I see two major problems with the implementation:
Dummest.thing.ever
No matter where I am lost, my three words would be: “#&%$ I’m lost”
What? This must be either an AI generated article or a very late April fool’s joke.
No, it’s real. Just downloaded the app from the Apple App Store.
Nope. I’ve tried this. In theory it is a great idea, but after the initial enthusiasm, the flaws seem to have taken the shine off of it.