Geohashing is an outdoor recreational activity inspired by the webcomic ''

xkcd ''xkcd'' is a serial webcomic created in 2005 by American author Randall Munroe. Sometimes styled ''XKCD'', the comic's tagline describes it as "a webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language". Munroe states on the comic's website that the ...

'', in which participants have to reach a random location (chosen by a

computer algorithm In mathematics and computer science, an algorithm () is a finite sequence of Rigour#Mathematics, mathematically rigorous instructions, typically used to solve a class of specific Computational problem, problems or to perform a computation. Algo ...

), prove their achievement by taking a picture of a

Global Positioning System The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based hyperbolic navigation system owned by the United States Space Force and operated by Mission Delta 31. It is one of the global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) that provide ge ...

(GPS) receiver or another mobile device and then tell the story of their trip online. Proof based on non-electronic navigation is also acceptable. The geohashing community and culture is extremely tongue-in-cheek, supporting any kind of humorous behavior during the practice of geohashing and resulting in a parody of traditional outdoor activities. Navigating to a random point is sometimes done with a goal in mind. Some geohashers document new mapping features they find on the

OpenStreetMap OpenStreetMap (abbreviated OSM) is a free, Open Database License, open geographic database, map database updated and maintained by a community of volunteers via open collaboration. Contributors collect data from surveying, surveys, trace from Ae ...

project, clean up litter, or create art to commemorate the trip, among other activities. A variation on

geocaching Geocaching (, ) is an outdoor recreational activity, in which participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called ''geocaches'' or ''caches'', at sp ...

, known as

geodashing Geocaching (, ) is an outdoor recreational activity, in which participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called ''geocaches'' or ''caches'', at sp ...

, features a closely comparable principle, with participants racing between coordinate points.

Invention and spread

On May 21, 2008, th
426th ''xkcd'' comic
was published. Titled "Geohashing", it described a way for a

computer A computer is a machine that can be Computer programming, programmed to automatically Execution (computing), carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations (''computation''). Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic set ...

to create an algorithm that could generate random

(GPS) coordinates each day based on the

Dow Jones Industrial Average The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), Dow Jones, or simply the Dow (), is a stock market index of 30 prominent companies listed on stock exchanges in the United States. The DJIA is one of the oldest and most commonly followed equity indice ...

and the current date. The algorithm was quickly seized by the ''xkcd'' community, which used it as intended by ''xkcd'' creator

Randall Munroe Randall Patrick Munroe (born October 17, 1984) is an American cartoonist, author, and engineer best known as the creator of the webcomic ''xkcd''. Munroe has worked full-time on the comic since late 2006. In addition to publishing a book of the ...

. Originally a stub where people willing to try the algorithm in real life were to issue their reports, the geohashing official wiki expanded in the following weeks and was a working website as early as June 2008. The current expedition protocol was then established during the following years, with the creation of humorous awards, regional meetups and a hall of amazingness for the various geohasher achievements. Over time, geohashing gained fame across the

internet The Internet (or internet) is the Global network, global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a internetworking, network of networks ...

and now counts more than 15,000 expedition reports. Over a thousand users are registered on the geohashing wiki, though not all are currently active. Geohashing has spread mostly in North America, Europe and Australia, especially around cities.

Geohash

Geohashing divides the earth into a grid made up of graticules which are one degree wide in latitude and longitude. Inside these graticules, a random location is set. Geohashers then have the opportunity to go at the chosen location, either inside their own graticule or in a nearby one. If the location is inaccessible or in a private area, geohashers are advised not to try to reach it, although seemingly-inaccessible locations have been reached several times. In addition to the repeating location in each graticule, each day there is a single global hashpoint, much more challenging to reach.

References

External links

Geohashing official wiki
{{Randall Munroe category:Global Positioning System category:hobbies category:outdoor locating games

Invention and spread

Geohash

See also

References

External links