Comment by zheshishei | Hacker News Reader

Comment by zheshishei | Hacker News Reader

This system doesn't (currently) solve the problem it was created to solve, which is to create a system that can uniquely encode locations that also produces phonetically coherent names. The problem is, by encoding the location so precisely in each name, you leave no leeway in the speaker's pronunciation.

Different languages have different sets of phonemes. For instance, in Japanese, "L" and "R" are allophones, meaning native speakers consider the sounds to be the same. So, take these two UBI's:

http://ubicate.me/NALADU-MAMOKE

http://ubicate.me/NARADU-MAMOKE

Smack dab in the middle of Tokyo, about 15 minutes apart from each other.

Also, this would require speakers having the same vowel distribution/phonological rules. I pronounce "PACASU-FADERO" and "PACASU-FEDERO" pretty similarly. Relying on letters that are only different in voicing is also risky. For instance, take "P" and "B". It's easy to mistake "PACASU-BATERO" for "PACASU-PATERO".

Finally, street names have an advantage over UBI's. Street names are usually formed from words in the inhabitants' native language, so they sound more natural and will of course be easier to pronounce.

Hi heshishei Thanks for your comments , Im Robert the developer behind the idea.

I totally agree with you in that there is no way a single algorithm can produce pleasent result in every language, what sounds fairly good in Italian or Afrikaan might sound illegible in Japanese.

But even then, might be a little easier to send a SMS saying "Meet me at NALADU-MAMOKE" than "Meet me at 35° 42' 36'' N, 139° 38' 24'' E ".

If the resulting name does not work for you as name you might want to use, see it as a tool available to handle easier "35° 42' 36'' N, 139° 38' 24'' E "

>Finally, street names have an advantage over UBI's. Street names are usually formed from words in the inhabitants' native language, so they sound more natural and will of course be easier to pronounce.

You can use Location Aware Street Names, using not generated names, but words in your language that form street names, like "Doctor Stifus" for example, and using street numbers on it, so you can say I live at "Doctor Stifus 50" so your address will be "Doctor Stifus 50@gazado-fifene"

I made a non animated and "cut to the chase" slideshow you can acces on a "Slides are too slow?" link now on the website, there you can check the Street Names concept.

Also if you ever had to do any automated phonetic name generation on a global scale its hilarious how outraged people get about words sounding like swear words. Any alo that doesnt solve this i worthless for real world application.

It's not trying to solve a phonetical problem, its permalink of planets.

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