Google Street View UK, why so paranoid?
Google Street View has finally been released in the UK. We've been waiting for this for ages having already enjoyed roaming the streets of other cities in Europe and the United States. I'm not sure if Google Street View is actually of any use for anything, but it's certainly a lot of fun to play with. Personally I have enjoyed taking a walk around the streets that I used to live on and visiting old haunts that quite frankly, it's too expensive to travel up and visit in person.
Some people just can't allow others to have a bit of fun and enjoy themselves without sticking their oar in and complaining about something. In the news today, Google has removed dozens of photos from its new UK Street View service. Of course Google has to comply with the wishes of the public and remove these offending images. For example, a man walking into an adult shop, another being sick in public and someone else being arrested. Yep, that's the typical British public for you, no wonder they don't want their mugshots in public view.
What a sad bunch of individuals, harping on about privacy concerns and spoiling it for the rest of us. These people are the type of people that really get on my nerves. For goodness sakes, they use face blurring technology and even if your coupon is visible on camera because the Google street van clocked you as it was driving passed, no body is really that interested anyway and if they are, they'll soon move on to the next 'innocent bystander'. At the end of the day, any bozo with a mobile phone can walk down the street, take pictures and video footage and probably to far more sinister things with the footage and you wouldn't even know about it. For all you know, you're already on a YouTube clip somewhere.
People go on about privacy way too much these days. I don't think that it's a big concern unless you've got something to hide. Privacy in your own home is one thing, that is and should be sacred, but privacy on the street? It's a public place if you're there then expect people to see you and whatever you happen to be doing there. I think that Google Street View is a good thing and the few miserable sods that whine and moan about their privacy should get a reality check.
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As for the whingers who complained about their 'data' being stolen by googles vans, anyone using the internet on an unsecured wireless network is an idiot. I think I will take up a new hobby driving round collecting data, as it is easy to do but I didn't realise people were still radiating their unencrypted data all over the neighbourhood.
Thanks Google for letting me know.
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I find it extremely useful - I often have to go to places that are unfamiliar, and although I have no problems reading maps, a visual is SO much easier (maps don't show how many buildings etc)... and since I am travelling by bus it makes it wonderfully easy to work out which stop and to be able to recognise it when it does come up.
I LOVE streetview.
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In August, I bought a house, and found it extremely useful to have a street view of the immediate vicinity before I travelled the 150 miles to view it.
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Private Dick - 14-Nov-10 01:04
Google earth is a snapshot 3D map. Cover your house up so noone passing by can look.What have you got to hide?
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grumpyoldwoman - 31-Oct-10 14:57
There are too many surveillance cameras as it is.
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Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinn - 12-Apr-10 08:57
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Gainsborough lad. - 11-Mar-10 22:08
I did say that I would be looking forward to some of the places that I have visited in the past,
Apologies if you were answering the main gripe.
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Gainsborough lad. - 11-Mar-10 20:55
Criminals would be much better off casing houses in real life; yes cars can be seen, but the pictures were taken during the day so are no indication of the cars owned by the household. Alarm boxes can be seen by anyone walking by anyway and in street view you can't see over high walls, into back gardens etc.. Nor can you see how many people live in the house or whether they have dogs.
I really don't think it would be much help to criminals, but if you have a long distance house move coming up, or want to visit a place for some reason it could be very useful!
Yes, my house is on there, but nothing untoward can be seen.
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grumpyoldwoman - 11-Mar-10 12:20
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Gainsborough lad. - 10-Mar-10 19:53
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are you aware of where the adress posted earlier is? I'm only 18 and I know where it is. I giv you a clue it's a palace.
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{sigh}
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There is nothing anonymous about the visibility of your house. If I look at a specific house on GSV, for example yours, obviously I know the address of that house. From there it is only a few steps to obtain a lot of information, most of which is within the public domain, and much more which is easily obtainable, about the owner/occupier. If I were a potential burglar or identity fraudster, this information would be useful to me.
It's true that I could get precisely the same information by walking up your street or photographing your house from a tourist bus, but putting that photograph onto GSV opens it up to a much wider audience and thus a greater level of risk.
Would I feel comfortable posting my address here? No, but I never claimed that "Privacy and security concerns" were only for the paranoid.
I am clearly a bit more street wise than you, but I don't think you get it, do you?
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