Comments on: Google Street Views Gets Negative Attention – Again http://www.pcmech.com/article/google-street-views-gets-negative-attention-again/ Helping Normal People Get Their Geek On Mon, 23 Nov 2009 01:37:34 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: sally http://www.pcmech.com/article/google-street-views-gets-negative-attention-again/comment-page-1/#comment-22399 sally Sun, 22 Mar 2009 17:10:08 +0000 http://www.pcmech.com/article/google-street-views-gets-negative-attention-again/#comment-22399 My house is on google and my two kids can vaguely be seen looking out the window. Using the panaramic view, I can see that there are no cars in the driveway or across the street where we also park! But I can't figure out why the kids are home without anybody else home! Do they video one side at a time? Maybe we went out before the other side was videoed? Also, as far as burglars using it to case out a house, this isn't live or even recent. Things can and do change. Just because there is no security when the video was taken doesn't mean there won't be at a later time. I love googling street views! It lets me know what to expect or what to look for when going somewhere unfamilar. Keep it going! My house is on google and my two kids can vaguely be seen looking out the window. Using the panaramic view, I can see that there are no cars in the driveway or across the street where we also park! But I can’t figure out why the kids are home without anybody else home! Do they video one side at a time? Maybe we went out before the other side was videoed? Also, as far as burglars using it to case out a house, this isn’t live or even recent. Things can and do change. Just because there is no security when the video was taken doesn’t mean there won’t be at a later time. I love googling street views! It lets me know what to expect or what to look for when going somewhere unfamilar. Keep it going!

]]> By: Vic http://www.pcmech.com/article/google-street-views-gets-negative-attention-again/comment-page-1/#comment-20969 Vic Fri, 20 Feb 2009 21:54:25 +0000 http://www.pcmech.com/article/google-street-views-gets-negative-attention-again/#comment-20969 hear, hear! hear, hear!

]]> By: Claudia http://www.pcmech.com/article/google-street-views-gets-negative-attention-again/comment-page-1/#comment-20928 Claudia Fri, 20 Feb 2009 01:26:39 +0000 http://www.pcmech.com/article/google-street-views-gets-negative-attention-again/#comment-20928 What Dr. Gonzo said! What Dr. Gonzo said!

]]> By: Doctor Gonzo http://www.pcmech.com/article/google-street-views-gets-negative-attention-again/comment-page-1/#comment-20916 Doctor Gonzo Thu, 19 Feb 2009 21:19:32 +0000 http://www.pcmech.com/article/google-street-views-gets-negative-attention-again/#comment-20916 I have absolutely zero problem with it. Google Street View takes pictures from the street, which is a public right of way. If we start restricting Google from taking pictures in public, then the next thing that happens is that the government will start restricting private photographers, like me, from taking pictures in public. This is not a path we can go down if we value our freedom. It would be one thing if Google was trespassing on private property to get their photos, but they aren't. Any pictures taken from a public road are 100% fine in my opinion. As for burglars using it to case homes, as Bruce Schneier repeatedly points out, you can apply that same logic to anything. Burglars use phones to see if people are home by calling the house and seeing if anybody answers! Burglars use cars to drive to places they rob! Burglars use McDonald's to fuel their crimes! Let's ban phones, cars, and fast food! The benefits of Google Street View far, far outweigh the costs. Just because bad people may use it doesn't mean we should get rid of it. If we did that for every object a criminal has used throughout history, we would be living in caves. I have absolutely zero problem with it. Google Street View takes pictures from the street, which is a public right of way. If we start restricting Google from taking pictures in public, then the next thing that happens is that the government will start restricting private photographers, like me, from taking pictures in public. This is not a path we can go down if we value our freedom.

It would be one thing if Google was trespassing on private property to get their photos, but they aren’t. Any pictures taken from a public road are 100% fine in my opinion.

As for burglars using it to case homes, as Bruce Schneier repeatedly points out, you can apply that same logic to anything. Burglars use phones to see if people are home by calling the house and seeing if anybody answers! Burglars use cars to drive to places they rob! Burglars use McDonald’s to fuel their crimes! Let’s ban phones, cars, and fast food! The benefits of Google Street View far, far outweigh the costs. Just because bad people may use it doesn’t mean we should get rid of it. If we did that for every object a criminal has used throughout history, we would be living in caves.

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