Geohashing

What is Geohashing

Geohashing, as defined in xkcd comic #426, is based on a random set of geographic coordinates generated (hashed) every day for people (or other autonomous beings, I suppose) to reach (meetup). The hashed value is actually the offsets within a one degree graticule (on degree of latitude and of longitude), so meetups are possible within each graticule where the generated location is reachable - not water, mountain, etc.

Due to the nature of the hashing algorithm used to generate the coordinates, it is impossible to predict them beyond the next NYSE trading day. On Saturdays around 4pm, there's an official meetup at the location specified by the coordinates.

Geohashing shares a lot of similarities with geocaching, although there's no caches and the locations are one-shot sorta deals. (Computing the probability of the geohash meetup being at the same spot twice before the end of the earth is left as an exercise for the reader.)

"The Fresno, California graticule is located at latitude 36, longitude -119. It includes a whole lot of farmland, some lakes, a few foothills, and exactly half of Friant Dam. ¹

Fresno has a fairly inactive Geohashing community with few users listed and no activity since May 2008. But, maybe folks will get an interest again.