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Heheh, spotted this the other day, better look at it if you click here -
- almost looks like the very split (if you'll pardon my use of the word) second of a terrible industrial accident taking place... ;)
Tell you what though, apart from just tickling the inner voyeur in me, this is actually going to be one of the most useful things ever to come out of Google's industrious labs...it marks out absolutely the last time Flyingpops will ever ring me up for directions, and the last time I will ever emerge from an unfamiliar tube station and feel a bit lost, as now, in preparation for any impending visit, instead of just printing out or drawing a little map we will be able to zoom into it and actually do the required walk, right there in the browser, picking out the landmarks, counting the turnings so we will already know exactly where we are going...it's just genius!
Not everyone is happy though, someone here in the office pointed out that as the data is only a year old, if anyone were interested in stealing a car to order, it would be a much simpler matter to search the well-to-do streets of London from a web browser than to drive around the place looking shifty and perhaps attracting unwanted attention from residents/police, and as if to prove his point (as he has quite a nice car), he navigated to his home address, and lo and behold, there was his pride and joy, sat in his drive, advertising itself to the potential carjacker (although he contented himself with the fact that Google had, at least, managed to blur out his number plate)...
I'm not going to let that bother me though (I don't have an extremely valuable car anyway), I just think you should kiss goodbye to any claim for privacy the minute you step out of the front door (becoming "in public")...although I do extend some pity to the poor guy clearly pictured emerging from a sex shop (who promptly made the newspapers)...that would be a bit tough... ;)
More amusing captures over at Street View Fun... ;)
3 comments:
I don't really know how I feel about this. I'm not one to harp on about privacy laws and all that - I mean, we are what we are and I don't really care if people know what I look at online or what I buy when I do my food shop - but I can see that people who do want complete privacy could be up in arms over this. I thought you were one who liked to keep things private? Or is that only online stuff? I can't see as it'll help me too much. I hardly ever use google maps unless I'm plotting motorway journeys ;)
I just think it's a bit funny for people to complain when they spend all day long walking around under virtually continuous CCTV coverage, this is just a quick snap from a car over a year ago...not half as bad, imho...
Keeping things private online is a slightly different matter, I always use an alias as I know (from personal experience) how tempting it is to look people up in a professional capacity, for example, if someone were to apply for a job working with me, I would definitely try and track them down (facebook etc.), and while I am pleased with, and proud of the "finkangel" footprint I have made online, I don't necessarily wish to be judged by it "in the real world", nor to tie it too closely to my meatspace being (unless I choose to reveal myself, of course)...
I love it! But I am a bit nosey!
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