Table of contents
Precision
what3words divides the world into 3m x 3m squares, providing very precise location information. This can be more specific than traditional street addresses and helpful in areas with limited addressing.
Ease of Use
Three-word combinations are generally easier to remember and communicate than long strings of GPS coordinates, making it user-friendly for the general public.
Global Coverage
what3words provides an addressing solution for the entire world, including areas that do not have formal street addresses or those that are difficult to map with conventional systems.
Integration
The system can be easily integrated into various applications and services, such as delivery services, emergency response, and navigation apps, increasing its utility.
Language Support
what3words is available in multiple languages, which helps in overcoming language barriers and can be a valuable tool for international use.
Overall, What3words is considered useful and innovative, particularly in scenarios where traditional addressing falls short. It offers significant advantages for navigation, delivery services, and emergency response. However, its adoption depends on industry uptake and user awareness, and it is sometimes critiqued for being a proprietary system.
We have collected here some useful links to help you find out if what3words is good.
Check the traffic stats of what3words on SimilarWeb. The key metrics to look for are: monthly visits, average visit duration, pages per visit, and traffic by country. Moreoever, check the traffic sources. For example "Direct" traffic is a good sign.
Check the "Domain Rating" of what3words on Ahrefs. The domain rating is a measure of the strength of a website's backlink profile on a scale from 0 to 100. It shows the strength of what3words's backlink profile compared to the other websites. In most cases a domain rating of 60+ is considered good and 70+ is considered very good.
Check the "Domain Authority" of what3words on MOZ. A website's domain authority (DA) is a search engine ranking score that predicts how well a website will rank on search engine result pages (SERPs). It is based on a 100-point logarithmic scale, with higher scores corresponding to a greater likelihood of ranking. This is another useful metric to check if a website is good.
The latest comments about what3words on Reddit. This can help you find out how popualr the product is and what people think about it.
IBAN for home addresses. Yawn. Nothing beats the What Three Words system and would be much more fun if not routeable at scale. https://what3words.com/. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
What 3 words (https://what3words.com/) solves this problem, but it doesn't seem to be popular. If anyone has experience, I would be curious to know why. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
Or we can just start using https://what3words.com/ and geolocation. I disagree with the report, I think it's feasible with a bit of creativity. The government also has this: https://www.data.gov.uk/dataset/091feb1c-aea6-45c9-82bf-768a15c65307/open-postcode-geo We could also start with an imperfect solution, offer it as a free API (maybe even self-hosted and communicating with other services p2p) and wait for users... - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
Something to add to their list of common passwords is the What3Words database of locations https://what3words.com It's something like 50trillion sets of looks-random strings. That's quite a lot, but if the list could be narrowed very significantly to get some likely results by selecting locations in: 1) cities where a company is physically located 2) large capital & global cities 3) significant landmarks I see... - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
Iโm waiting for these guys to make a breakthrough here. Source: over 2 years ago
I assume this is the problem that https://what3words.com/ is trying to solve. But I guess it being in English makes it a less good solution. - Source: Hacker News / almost 3 years ago
Crashing in a Metro Park follows very similar recommendations as to whatโs above. However, accurately describing your location along our Metro Parks Greenway trails and systems can often be tricky! And just for that reason, the parks department uses the app What3Words to help people share their exact location with emergency responders. Whether youโve crashed or come across someone who needs aid for any reason,... Source: almost 3 years ago
I've been having fund with a game I call Worst3Words, trying to find the worst What3Words (https://what3words.com/) address. The meaning of worst is flexible e.g. Confusing ///senses.census.send Offensive ///retain.towers.slip (look up the location) Or just... Odd ///aargh.send.help But has to be valid. Source: almost 3 years ago
What 3 Words. Splits the entire globe into 1m x 1m chunks and assigns them a unique 3 word combination. Absolutely amazing app for giving your precise, or others, location to emergency services. Source: about 3 years ago
It's an app (https://what3words.com) where every 3 square meters on the planet has been given a unique 3 word code. Basically if you're out in the middle of nowhere and need to call emergency services you can tell them the 3 words and they'll know exactly where you are. Source: about 3 years ago
Https://what3words.com is a cool app/site that allows you to narrow down your location to within 3 meters. It uses a trio of words to describe where you are. You give those words to someone and now they can find you too. It has some functionality that operates without cell signal; it might be worth having on your phone for marking camping or parking location to help others find you. Source: about 3 years ago
I mean just use https://what3words.com/ guy. Source: about 3 years ago
We on Discord think that it can point to the https://what3words.com/ site. Source: about 3 years ago
It would be great if any posting also required GPS coordinates, or a What 3 Words placemarker. It would be helpful for real buildings too. Source: about 3 years ago
If verbally adding each-other is their main problem, systems such as "what three words" exist. Source: about 3 years ago
What3Words does something similar with geo coordinates. Source: over 3 years ago
For middle of nowhere directions, look up https://what3words.com/. The whole world mapped out to 3 metre squares. Memorise, or write down your front door W3W address, one day you might need it. Source: over 3 years ago
Elysian Park. There are several spots with parking - Avenue of the Palms, by Grace Simons lodge, by the Little League Baseball field, and up past the Solano-side tennis courts. It may be difficult to given an "address" to people coming later; you could use the What3Words app. Source: over 3 years ago
You should use this website! With 3 words, you can find any location in the world. Source: over 3 years ago
Perhaps thinking of Four King Maps or the site it's based on, what3words? Source: over 3 years ago
Maybe we could come up with something like "what 3 words" for phone numbers. Source: over 3 years ago
What3words, a company that has innovatively subdivided the world into a grid of 3m x 3m squares, each uniquely identified by a set of three words, continues to garner a wide array of public opinions. This novel approach to geolocation has been both lauded and critiqued across diverse domains. As a player in the GIS and mapping space, What3words competes with entities like Googleโs Plus Codes, OpenStreetMap, and others in offering solutions that solve complex navigation and address identification issues.
Precision and Simplicity: The app is frequently highlighted for its simplicity and precision in emergency situations, especially when traditional address systems fail to capture the required granularity. It's an effective tool for emergency responders and has reportedly been integrated into resource planning for efficient location sharing during disasters and accidents.
Global Reach: What3wordsโ ability to provide universal address systems has been particularly noted for its application in regions where conventional postal systems may be inadequate or nonexistent. Its universal applicability allows users to easily share precise locations globally with just three words, making it a convenient and intuitive digital tool.
Innovation Recognition: Among tech enthusiasts and professional sectors, the unique approach of mapping and navigation is seen as innovative. The recognition of its potential, particularly as a solution for addressing system modernization, is also evident.
Popularity and Adoption: Despite its functional advantages, What3words struggles with widespread adoption and popularity. Comments from users indicate that while the tool is effective, it does not yet have the ubiquity of alternative mapping services, primarily due to lack of recognition and integration into existing systems.
Linguistic Limitations: A common critique is the programโs reliance on specific languages, such as English, which may limit its usability in multilingual regions or where English is not widely spoken or understood. Enhancing linguistic diversity might help improve its global adoption.
Perceived Complexity: Some users express concerns over the potential complexity of the system for everyday use, suggesting it may be more beneficial as a supplementary tool rather than a standalone solution. The learning curve and adjustment to a word-based location identifier is an underlying challenge.
What3words occupies a niche within the larger ecosystem of geolocation services. Competitors such as Plus Codes by Google or open-source solutions like OpenStreetMap offer alternative approaches. However, What3wordsโ precision and distinct methodology set it apart, regardless of the competition's larger market reach or comprehensive functionality.
Public opinion on What3words reflects a mix of admiration for its innovative offering and challenges related to its adoption and linguistic approach. As what3words continues to evolve, its potential to reshape global address systems remains significant, though its success depends on overcoming identified adoption barriers and enhancing its utility across diverse user bases.
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