Google Street View: Really Cool or an Invasion of Privacy?

June 13th, 2008 | 7:12 am | Posted in Computers | 2 Comments »

As I’ve detailed before, I’m a frequent user of Google Maps.

It’s amazing how much you can visualize from a satellite photo. As a result, I now find regular street maps to be rather boring. There just isn’t enough detail. (Shhhh — don’t tell my Garmin.)

Well, earlier this week, I noticed that they recently expanded their “Street View” option to large sections of the country.

Yeah, San Francisco, the Las Vegas strip, and much of Manhattan have been this way for a couple of years now — the idea is nothing new — but now my quiet little side street is included too! We’re in the club! Woo-hoo!

From the looks of the photos, based mostly on the foliage, the Google Street View team drove by my house some time last fall just before the leaves changed color. Probably early October — the neighbors have a pumpkin on their front step.

I realize some of the paranoid out there are very much against this whole project — worried about their privacy or something — but quite honestly, if someone *really* wanted to get a picture of your house, you know, like a stalker or something, they could very easily just look you up in the phone book and hop in the car. It’s not that big of a deal. To me, at least.

Anyway, in case you were interested, here’s the Street View photo of the house that smelled like dog piss:

Glad I didn’t move into this place… It would have been far too small, and even though they’ve since paved half of their front lawn, it still would have been a struggle for us to get all of the cars lined up nicely. I wonder if it still smells?

Anyway, it was kinda neat to see my house on the internet. My car in the driveway. My car in the parking lot at work — amazing, I was in two places at the same time!!! My favorite grocery store. My high school. My parent’s old house. The seedy neighborhood I’m afraid to even drive through. I’d show you all of it, but I doubt it would be that interesting.

But there are a number of sites out there that post interesting and funny shots that the Street View camera’s have caught, so if you have a few minutes, it might be an enjoyable waste of time!

As a sample, here are a few of my favorites from Street View Fun:

The Street View car is, well, speeding.

Crime in progress? Something fishy is definitely happening here.

Hubba, hubba…

Ichabod Crane had better keep an eye over his shoulder…