renewablejohn
Member
- Location
- lancs
have quite a laugh looking up ones like fish and chips or bacon and eggswasn’t those exact words as I knew some nosey bugger would look it up!
“What3words”positioning system” do you find it useful ?
- Thread starter Pilatus
- Start date
- Location
- Lincolnshire
Evri customers can now add their what3words address | what3words
Find out how to use what3words in the Evri app for hassle-free deliveries.
what3words.com
That's worth knowing I must say!
Later today there was a Thames Water van by the leak I had reported.I have just spent some time on the internet trying to get the Email address for a Steve Spencer (Operations Director) for Thames Water, as I want an answer as to why they do not use "What3words". Plan B I have sent a message to "Murphys" who have a contract with Thames Water for repairing leaks I have asked if they use What3words for pinpointing water leaks,doubt whether I will hear back from them but at least I feel better for trying.
Forgot to say I am semi retired, so I am lucky enough to sometimes have time to waste on chasing up seemingly frivolous matters as above.!!!
I stopped and asked the guy in the van, who was overseeing the repair, why Thames Water don’t use “What3words” , to my amazement he said , “yes we do use What3words !!!”. I can’t believe the lack of communication within , Thames Water if the two people I spoke to definitely said the company did not use it but the guy on the spot said they did
dudders
Member
- Location
- East Sussex
I don't see the point. We already have the entire planet covered inch by inch with traditional grid refs. I don't have a mobile, but presume you can call up your grid ref. on it? I guess the numbers are too big...
- Location
- South Devon
What 3 words is a 3m by 3m square
An 8 fig grid reference is a 1m square and only 10 digits eg SX6xxx5xxx
- Location
- Scottish Highlands
I’m with you on that. For the top of Cairngorm ski car park, I can use:
preheated.arranges.mediate
Or
NH990060
or even
Lat 57.133932 // Long -3.670836
Ok let’s just say all three of the above have their place , especially if our phone / tablet runs out of battery power.
Doing it for the kids
Member
Used it today with Thames valley police, a few minutes later the PCSO’s turn up off the same URN number and then ask the village name!
i also use it for wet spots in fields, iffy trees and buried cable joins etc
i also use it for wet spots in fields, iffy trees and buried cable joins etc
All three are as good but, in this modern age lots of folk have difficulty enough spelling and speaking English, they don't have a clue about using os or longitude/latitude, so it has to be dummed down. To be fair using words there is less likely to be an error with long numbers and older eyesight on small screens with big fingers mistakes can happen.
- Location
- Scottish Highlands
Agreed, but “enn aitch ninety nine double o sixty” had less potential for most understanding than the words do. Get a crackly line and have the call handler think you’re at “reheat arranges meditate” and you’re goosed - that’s a few thousand miles off the east coast of Australia.
Who speaks on a phone these days ? People communicate via text in the same house. It's only us old farts that use phones for talking
- Location
- South Devon
- Location
- Scottish Highlands
In that case, W3W is definitely pointless - you can use google pin.
What's the text number for Police Scotland then? I know the voice number is 101 or 999, and if there's a voice on the other end then I'm certain my message has been received.
when you are on the phone to the control room on a 999 call. You as the casulty will be sent a text if you have w3w or link to download it. We had this last year. family in the dark, got sent link and downloaded it, then sent reply back to control room via text. Very very clever and life saving stuff. Yes, before you say it, you need a phone signal!
dudders
Member
- Location
- East Sussex
Couldn't the text be a grid ref? Still seems to me like reinventing the wheel, but I'm a right old bumpkin, so take no notice of my puzzlement!
And don't forget, Google were launching their own version of W3W...
As far as am concerned, OSGB GR everytime, but not much use for some. I have used it for years for trail riding
Lat/Long is for specialist usage IMO. W3W and the small squares is easily understood and used by anyone.
Last edited:
- Location
- Scottish Highlands
Not that specialist. It took me less time to find this place than to even load W3W. Stuck in a pin on google maps and it’s there.
(Dingwall mart, if you’re interested).
Princess Pooper
Member
- Location
- East Mids
We do use it for contractors - gateways for fields of straw to bale etc. I tried it with Severn Trent water for a leak on a rural road last year. They didn't use it and they just kept asking for a post code. As it was 1/2 mile from our house I was able to give that, but I wouldn't have known the postcode if I didn't live here!!!!!