what3words is a system that assigns groups of 3 words to grid squares across the world, each grid square has a unique compbination of words (this is not in dispute). The system generally uses shorter more well-known words for major urban areas and longer less familiar words outside that.
The locations are assigned words by a fixed algorithm, this means that the app can work offline (good) but it also means there is no scope for improving the scheme, they are stuck with trying to defend and market it the way it is despite what flaws it has come up with. The algorithm has been reverse engineered, but legal threats were used to shut down the project that reverse engineered it.
The problem is that many of the words in their wordlist are confusingly similar, they claimed that similar sounding locations will be far apart, but analysis by third parties based on the reverse engineered algorithm have revealed many cases where confusingly similar words are used for locations close to each other. Particularly in cities where a smaller wordlist is used.
The company is also pouring money down the drain. Their financial statements for 2021 quote a turnover of £444382 and a loss before taxation of £43821657. In other words to even break even they would have to increase revenues about a hundredfold without increasing expenses.
