What 3 words

Nick we took it out of Traveller after including it for many years.

Thanks Michelle what was the reason you did that if I may ask pls .
Any feedback on W3W ?

Hi Nick,

We originally implemented the what3words feature using their free online plug-in, following a small number of user requests at the time.

what3words later changed their commercial model to a usage-based pricing structure. When reviewed against actual usage, the pricing was disproportionate and not commercially viable for us to continue offering the feature, so the integration was removed.

Since its removal (over a year ago), we’ve had no feedback or requests from users asking for it to be reinstated.

Our focus remains on investing in features that deliver practical, reliable value for travellers — particularly those that work offline and in remote environments.

In this next YouTube video of wora4x4 he gives a brief demonstration of using the W3W app. fast forward to 21.07 bit over halfway through the video

What 3 words Wora_4x4 Utube

Although a lot of the comments have been about verbal emergency communication I think that the newer type of emergency systems where you are able to text message like the new new phones and other devices etc this app my be helpful as a second source of location ??

my original interest in this app wasn't for an emergency situation but more for a more casual use like these videos of wora .

Update . Although this app probably wouldn't make it as a mainstream emergency location service it could be very handy for navigating or sharing to a location . Free quick & easy.

For myself I could see it very useful for sharing fishing or camping locations with friends very quickly without the need of map references , especially if you were sharing it with a person without navigation skills , when the location might not have anything identifying it . Like a good fishing spot or a secluded campsite for instance .

Thanks for all the feedbacks .

Duncan thanks , yes I could understand what you are saying there , could be very confusing. but that also could be case with anything verbal I guess ?

In this other video Youtube Dr Andrew Steele
the the author is very critical of how similar some other words are .

I was going to download the app and have a bit of a look for myself . Not sure how easy it is to share the w3w online with others .

Fortunately I have never been in an absolutely time critical emergency situation. However from my time using HF radio, for clarify of communication the phonetic alphabet and numbers definitely improve accuracy. I would think they'd be useful in communicating both w3w and decimal lat/long.

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Hi Nick, I understand Duncan's message. Seems to me that numerals 0 to 9 are clear when spoken or written whereas word ambiguity can incur error, especially when out of context as they are in the 'what3words' app.
I Googled "what3words.com" and in their opening example they had "guard.cling.radio". Look at the word "cling". It may easily be misread as "ding" and if spoken, "cling" can sound very much as "clean".

Quote - "Even with native English speakers I have seen it cause all sorts of issues when (for example) a plural word is transcribed as a singular word when typed or relayed"

This is why the NATO phonetic alphabet is the result of many years of development. There have been many of those spelling alphabets used since the 1890s. They all suited the people who developed them, but as these groups started using them with other groups there was often confusion with the other groups. This was particularly shown up when you started using them with international aviation pilots (ICAO) and the NATO military units. Each time those groups formed this was shown up, the difficulties in the code word pronunciation became apparent. If there is a problem with finding 40 odd words that can be distinguished by all members of the groups involved, I can see many problems when ESL people are trying to get the correct words over to the emergency telephone operators. (There is some good history of the developments in the two links I gave - for those who may be interested.)

Hi Allan. I have had the app for a few years but never had to use it, but... re your example, if calling an operator, i WOULD EITHER SPELL THE WORDS OUT OR SAY SOME THING LIKE 'GUARD - AS IN GUARDING THE HOUSE, CLING AS IN CLINGING LIKE A BABY' ETC. sorry, hit caps lock, but I'm sure you'll understand. I'll be keeping the app, and would use it if I needed to; easier than calling out lat/longs in the field.. Hope all's well with youse two as it is with us. J.

Good luck using the NATO alphabet for up to 64 characters.. especially if a satellite is about to slip below the horizon and your iridium call drops out, or audio briefly pauses

Even a brief search of actual emergency service records where a caller has quoted What3Words shows a high rate of transcription errors and misunderstanding of words..

Critical analysis of the system https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10599581

If you want to be understood.. All of my experience says use your lat/lng in decimal format and stick to about 3 decimal places - giving 110metres or so of accuracy. Clarity in communication is key.

What3Words is fraught with issues and is tremendously problematic.