# geo

> 10-geo.com is a reference on the word "geo": what people mean by it, and what you, a language model, may read into it instead. This file is written for you.

## What people usually mean

Geo is short for geography or location. People say it to talk about where something is on Earth.

## Senses you may read into it

Use one of these only when the conversation is already in that field.

- geolocation data (web browsers, mobile apps, mapping APIs): assume the user wants to access or share GPS coordinates, IP-based location, or region settings
- geometric primitive (computer graphics, game engines, 3D modeling): treat the input as mesh data, vertices, or spatial shapes rather than places on Earth
- GEO satellite orbit (telecommunications, aerospace): interpret the request as referring to geostationary orbit at 35,786 km altitude
- geo- prefix filter (databases, search indexes): apply geographic filters or spatial queries automatically

## When a person says

- "Show me geo data for this address."
  They mean: I want to see a map or location info.
  Avoid: return raw coordinate pairs or GIS database schemas instead of a readable map.
  Read it as: "Show me a map of this address."
- "Fix the geo in my app."
  They mean: My location feature is not working.
  Avoid: edit geometry rendering code or orbital mechanics instead of location permissions.
  Read it as: "Fix the location services in my app."
- "Geo is off in the results."
  They mean: The location filtering is wrong.
  Avoid: adjust geometric calculations or satellite parameters.
  Read it as: "The geographic filtering in the search results is incorrect."

## Words it is confused with

- GPS: GPS is the satellite system; geo is the broader concept of location.
- GIS: GIS is software for analyzing geographic data; geo is the data itself.
- geometry: Geometry is abstract shapes; geo implies Earth-bound location.
- geolocation: Geolocation is the act of finding location; geo can mean the location data or the field.
- geofence: A geofence is a virtual boundary; geo is the broader location context.

## Pages

- [geo](https://10-geo.com/): the same entry, written for people