View Full Version : Google Street View: what do you think?
jrobertson
19-03-09, 11:14 AM
www.telegraph.co.uk (http://www.telegraph.co.uk) - Telegraph.co.uk - 19-Mar-09
Google Street View: what do you think? (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/technology/google/5015582/Google-Street-View-what-do-you-think.html)
Have your say on Google Street View, the search engine's new ground-level map viewing tool.
Google’s Street View (http://maps.google.com/help/maps/streetview/), its street-mapping service which give users a ground-level view of locations on Google Maps (http://maps.google.co.uk/), has now been launched in the UK.
The service can currently be used to view streets in 25 British cities (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/technology/technologynews/5014693/Google-Street-View-mapping-service-launched-in-UK.html), including London, Manchester and Edinburgh. Other major UK towns will become available for viewing in the coming months. It was unveiled in the US two years ago.
Read more (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/technology/google/5015582/Google-Street-View-what-do-you-think.html)
Update @ 12:06 19-Mar-09
Currently the only way AFIK to see the street view is to visit the following site --> http://googlesightseeing.com/2009/03/18/uk-street-view-has-arrived/
gjgilly
24-03-09, 06:39 PM
basically according to the interview on sky news re privacy and the statement being made that : there are no rights to privacy in the uk .
however my view on it is this : now people can punch in post codes at random see what car is on the drive from the comfort of their armchair rather than having to do the legwork in the cold and rain and - wait for it - decide which house they like the look of and pop round and steal the car off the drive.
This could be the new little earner for organised crime, all arrnaged from a lap top in the pub, abroad, on a plane where ever, and now the criminal doesnt even have to go to an address to select the target.
It sucks, but again this is just another case of the UK becoming a breeding ground for arrrrrce holes who have no value on people's lives, personally I think this really is the BIG BROTHER WATCHING YOU.
Plus I dont agree with only part of the UK being loaded when half isnt done. If this gets pulled will google take off whats loaded ? I think consent should only have been given when each and every house had been done and the whole of the UK loaded in one go so we were all in the same boat. No doubt there will be people who complain and get removed, so if they get removed maybe we should all complain and then the whole thing will be a 'black whole'.
God havent we got more pressing things to deal with than 'streetwise creation'? What a waste of time, money and let's not forget the emissions/carbon footprint of the car with a camera !
Hi gjjilly, I agree with you. someone on tv also pointed out that burglars can look for pools etc to denote wealth and sort out easiest entry and escape routes and if a house is overlooked, all as you rightly say from the comfort of their armchair. :huh:
piptiddlepip
25-03-09, 10:49 AM
I can't understand how someone can be questioned by police for taking photos in a public place, yet in the next breath the whole of the UK is going to be photographed and put on the web!
Though I have to say it would be quite funny if we could all see a photo of Isis' neighbour, Cods, marching up and down outside her house with a face like a bulldog chewing a wasp.
Aginicky
25-03-09, 11:49 AM
My house is on Google but funnily enough finding my way round Google to find the photos of my house is harder than anyone thinks.So not everyone will be able to have fun with it. There are some blank photos of my house. I certainly did not ask for them to be blanked. The funny thing about the photos of my street is that no one is walking along the pavement. It's possible they were taken very early in the morning during the summer months when it's lighter much earlier!! Quite clever that one!
I don't really understand why some people are saying that burglars could use Streetview to work out an escape route .... well this can be done using the aeriel view on any online map website.
BarkingDogATLAS
25-03-09, 06:00 PM
I love it. I use it all the time.
I just had a look at it and I think it's great! I loved showing my children the house where I grew up and relatives' houses.
I will also use it when I am looking for a new house to move to - I think it would be brilliant for house hunting.
Anyone can use anything for devious purposes...it's a shame this has got such bad press as it's pretty amazing!
Aginicky
26-03-09, 11:52 AM
I think Mazza is right it would be useful for house hunting because Estate Agents only take pics of what they want you to see! Comparisons could be made between before and after building works have been carried out! Also to see how many cars the neighbours have with a view to dump the property as a prospective new home if parking issues exist or could possibly arise in the future!
Annabel
26-03-09, 12:25 PM
i have tried using it and find it a bit awkward, but well i dont think its showing anything that wasnt already available.
saw this, thought it was quite funny :D
Angry residents in Milton Keynes blocked the driver of a Google Street View car when he started taking photographs of their homes.
Police were called to Broughton after residents staged the protest, accusing Google of invading their privacy and "facilitating crime".
Councillor John Bint told the BBC the camera mounted on a car was intrusive and people should have been consulted.
Google said it observed UK law and only filmed from public areas.
The company also said it had consulted various police forces and provided the means for residents to have their home removed from the service.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/beds/bucks/herts/7980737.stm
Aginicky
11-04-09, 07:15 AM
I went onto Google Earth the other day and clicked on the Street View option and hey presto .... there was my house in all it's glory! I showed a friend this yesterday and she was surprised to find her house on it. She was at home at the time the pic was taken! She was a bit miffed!
I still like street view, I've loved having a look at the homes I used to live in and show my kids. I really don't know why there's a problem. You can walk down any of those streets at any time of day and see even more detail. Plus what is on Google view is already out of date, so anyone up to mischief would still have to go and 'properly' case the joint...
I saw that article too Beth! It seems to have backfired on them now. Because of the publicity, loads of people are turning up to look at the village plus they all know that it's an affluent area now thanks to the article ;) .
gjgilly
09-05-09, 01:05 PM
using it for looking at houses eg how many cars is like fools gold.
the pics are fixed so if taken when everyone at work then the drives will be empty, which reaffirms my earlier comment - burglars can see which houses (and the ones next door) are empty during daytime/school runs. If they see houses in a line with the drives empty they know that the one in the middle for eg - the target, wont have twitching nets to hear glass smashing etc as there is a good chance everyone is out at work.
I agree, to go back and see hwere you were once brought up without having trudge in the car is a great opp, but sadly, it is the people with criminal intention that will spoil the plus side of it.
Re arial view - that only allows you to go in close so far, eg not enough to make things out. google however, you can zoom in and look in bedrooms,I did it on my own house and could even see the wallpaper in detail and the bits and bobs on windowsills.
as for quickest location: just put your postcode in the google box and press return, bingo you're right outside, it says the house number on screen so all you have to do is hit the white arrow to go up or down the street numbers.
final say : not all uk has been done, and now with so many complaints those not done may not get done, eg they are protected privacy people. Personally if this is all legal then the WHOLE of the uk should've been done, and only when ALL UK done should it have been loaded in one go, not bits and pieces. One of my friends did note this : the wealthy areas seem to have been done first or in more volume. Back to the help crime senario again.
Of course if all this is legal then how come you have to give consent for anyone or anything you own to be published or appear in a tv programme or in a holiday brochure? Double standards, if it brings in a buck never mind the consequences, though if it is later proven to have assisted crime we will all be paying, all insurance prems will be going up again.
I saw google car Thursday in my small market town stuck in a traffic jam going no where :lol: Don't know if it was recording or taking a break from filming ;)
ukmicky1
10-05-09, 03:10 PM
Nothing wrong with street view, lets face it if you wanted to see who had a pool you would be better off using the satellite view anyway. . Taking pictures in public is legally allowed and as the pictures used are old when they finally make it on to the site any prospective burglar will still need to view the property before hand to see if the information gained from street view is still current.
lettingo
15-05-09, 09:35 PM
im not so sure....i looked at my mums road on that google and a dear nieghbours face wasnt blocked out. they need to block out the peoples faces. He didnt ask to be on street view so cut him out of it.
jrobertson
15-05-09, 11:06 PM
im not so sure....i looked at my mums road on that google and a dear nieghbours face wasnt blocked out. they need to block out the peoples faces. He didnt ask to be on street view so cut him out of it.
To report a concern follow these instructions:
Protecting Your Privacy
So how can you protect yourself? First, check your address using Street View. To report a concern with Street View imagery, enter the address you desire and click "Search Maps." Then, click "Street View" in the thought bubble that appears on the map. Once the "Street View" image appears, click "Report a Concern" in the bottom left corner of the Street View image and enter the details of your complaint.
I found the above via ttp://www.searchengineguide.com/brian-cooper/google-street-view-continues-to-raise-pr.php
I have still not looked at street view :lol: but on the regualr google map you can see my dog having a wee in the garden :D
I have still not looked at street view :lol: but on the regualr google map you can see my dog having a wee in the garden :D
:lol: Oh my there is no privacy with google around at all is there :o