Here is an interesting take on a better global reference system. What3Words (W3W) divides the world into 3x3m spaces (57 Trillion of them) and assigns each a specific 3-word address. So giving someone your address apparently becomes easier. Or does it? I can see how telling, emailing or texting someone that my location is 'acrobat.explanatory.supper' might sound easier than '6.81726 deg N, 58.15884 deg W'. W3W says 'each square’s address contains totally different words to its nearby squares'. But therein lies a problem. This new global addressing scheme of W3W doesn't do something important that the old fashioned degrees N/S/E/W system provides - context. You can't relate any W3W address to anything else by yourself. You can't tell what a neighbouring location might be (one of mine is 'freehand.construing.uneasy'), etc..
In contrast, saying my location is approx. 6N, 58W allows people from many professions or high-school students to swiftly understand that my location is ... tropical ... West of Greenwich ... around South America. And to easily further figure out that say, Castries, Saint Lucia located at 14N, 60W must be to my North, or that Paramaribo, Suriname located at 5.8N, 55W must be to my East.
It seems that W3W has uses - e.g. word games, poetry competitions. But a global addressing scheme W3W is not.
So why bother to carefully divide up the globe into 57 Trillion 3x3m squares? Regretfully, I think it has something to do with the following W3W option - 'You can purchase an additional, personalised address for any 3m x 3m square'. Paying US$2 per 3x3m of (cyber)space is a steal. But for whom? Thanks Tony.
In contrast, saying my location is approx. 6N, 58W allows people from many professions or high-school students to swiftly understand that my location is ... tropical ... West of Greenwich ... around South America. And to easily further figure out that say, Castries, Saint Lucia located at 14N, 60W must be to my North, or that Paramaribo, Suriname located at 5.8N, 55W must be to my East.
It seems that W3W has uses - e.g. word games, poetry competitions. But a global addressing scheme W3W is not.
So why bother to carefully divide up the globe into 57 Trillion 3x3m squares? Regretfully, I think it has something to do with the following W3W option - 'You can purchase an additional, personalised address for any 3m x 3m square'. Paying US$2 per 3x3m of (cyber)space is a steal. But for whom? Thanks Tony.
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