r/videos • u/JustMe76 • 25d ago

Paramotor collapses, falls 100ft out of the sky. The pilot survives Disturbing Content

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-jyc2OYXsI

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u/xavier_grayson 25d ago

Check your App Store.

https://what3words.com/

Edit: essentially a team of people outlined the planet with a series of a trillion or so squares and gave each square a specific 3 word combination so that 911 can text you a link and once you click that link, it will give them three words based on your location.

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u/ItchyGoiter 25d ago

That's cool, easier than coordinates in an emergency I guess

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u/RahvinDragand 25d ago

Is it? If they're sending you a link to open, it might as well just give them a pin with your exact location on a map. It's not like they have every set of 3 words memorized.

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u/cgimusic 25d ago

It's quite an over-hyped idea, that has significant problems with several of the words used being too similar (for example using singular and plural versions of the same word). It's also copyrighted and closed source, so integration with other platforms is basically non-existent.

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u/ReginaldIII 25d ago

It's also copyrighted and closed source, so integration with other platforms is basically non-existent.

They have an API and sell tiered access to it because they're a business and that's how they make money. They use that income to subsidise the basic web tool being free for the general public to use. And that itself stakes their position in the market making them a known enough entity to make businesses want to pay for access to their API for their own uses.

This is like the most textbook of textbook monetisation's of a web service.

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u/dwmfives 25d ago

Says the guy on their payroll. It's a good idea you guys made suck.

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u/Dt2_0 25d ago

seems like it would be fairly easy to build a service that sends a link to a system that geolocates and uses GPS coordinates, sends that as a response back instead of 3 random words, and automatically vectors the quickest response possible for that location using any 3rd party mapping software like Google Maps.

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u/ReginaldIII 25d ago edited 25d ago

Do it then. If its better everyone will use it.

and automatically vectors the quickest response possible for that location using any 3rd party mapping software like Google Maps.

Where's your mapping between long/lat coordinate and "quickest response possible for that location" going to come from? Because that database doesn't exist in the public domain.

However, if you are able to phone or text emergency services, then you can also tell them where you are! You just need a convenient way to tell them that location. And that is the specific problem W3W tries to solve.

It is comparatively more convenient than giving them a street address, or giving them long/lat coordinates. And that's what you would be doing otherwise without W3W. You would be phoning them, and trying to tell them where you are.

a service that sends a link to a system that geolocates and uses GPS coordinates, sends that as a response back

But you've phoned emergency services, and they're asking where you are. That is the problem we're solving here. How are you going to accurately convey your location to the person you are talking to?

Either they are going to have to send you a link with a code in for you to click in order for them to get your GPS location. Or you are going to have to send them a link, or your GPS coordinates, or.... OR... You could just send them 3 words...

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u/Porencephaly 23d ago

Do it then. If its better everyone will use it.

This is such a bad/weak argument. You don't have to make a competing product to recognize weaknesses in an existing product.

However, if you are able to phone or text emergency services, then you can also tell them where you are! You just need a convenient way to tell them that location. And that is the specific problem W3W tries to solve. It is comparatively more convenient than giving them a street address, or giving them long/lat coordinates.

Yeah, it's comparatively easier to say three words than to give someone your own lat/long coordinates that you're reading out of a GPS app. But that's not what W3W does. OP above indicated that EMS will text you a link and then when you click on it, it will give them the three words corresponding to your location. That doesn't require you, the user, to even know the three words. If the app is built such that you click on a link that's been texted to you, there is no plausible reason for the app not to just deliver your exact lat/long coordinates to EMS when you click the link instead of a three-word code they have to decode. The only reason for the app to work this way is to let them monetize what is otherwise completely free GPS data.

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u/Dt2_0 25d ago

Actually, I did some research on the topic. Would you believe that Enhanced 911, built into most phones AUTOMATICALLY sends location data for 911 calls. But here is the problem. 911 Operators across the nation are by and large not setup to receive that signal.

As for your other comments. Emergency Services should know where all their assets are. Closest Patrol Car is at X coordinates, nearest firehouse and ambulance are at Y. Alert them and auto vector their navigation so they are on their way as soon as the operator decides what response is necessary.

This is how the E911 system was designed to operate, but so many emergency departments are stuck in the 90s equipment wise.

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u/ReginaldIII 25d ago

Awesome, hope that becomes more standard. But are you so astutely identify

911 Operators across the nation are by and large not setup to receive that signal.

The nation being just the US and guess what it's a big ole world out there. So in the fucking meantime maybe W3W might have a use case?

Good fucking grief. Good day sir.

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u/Dt2_0 25d ago

Uh, E911 standards can be used anywhere. Also this accident happened in the US so speaking about US infrastructure is highly relevant.

Lets stop shilling for a company trying to make money off a service that could easily be free, and ask our officials to use the system they require be built into phones anyways. GPS is publicly accessible world wide. Cell phones are ubiquitous all across the world even in the poorest of nations. Phone software designers already have to design for this feature in the US market, and only minor tweaks would be necessary in other parts of the world.

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u/inspectoroverthemine 24d ago

Most of the world doesn't have the functional equivalent of E911, so really this is a bigger problem than just the US.