Opinion

Go ogle with Google

Google Street View was launched in Australia this week and while it's early days the Hunter has fair cover already.

Yesterday, for example, I checked out the house of friends in Balcolyn, in western Lake Macquarie, and Dungog, as well as many in Newcastle suburbs. Apart from playing with it for the sheer amazement, I have an immediate use for Street View.

My wife and I are considering buying another house, downsizing as our at-home family is soon to become three from a high of seven, and we'll save ourselves much time and petrol by checking out from home houses listed as open or for auction.

It's simple to use. Click on Maps on the Google page, punch in the address and when you're there with Google Maps click on the Street View link.

The streets that are available on Street View will be outlined in blue.

Suddenly you're at eye level in the street and able to turn 360 degrees as you would if you were standing there.

The moving image as you turn is exactly what you'd see if you were there turning. Drag the mouse or click on arrows to move along the street, to zoom, to turn. Extraordinary, even more so that Google Earth.

The film, by the way, was taken by a battalion of cars with a weird contraption fixed to the top.

The privacy nutters who emerge from hiding in their bunkers whenever they get an unsolicited letter or phone call have been shrieking, of course.

While Street View shows nothing more than can be seen from the street, the fact that the world can see the front of their home has them close to hysteria.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if Street View carried a list of the names and addresses of privacy objectors so we could check out their homes, and it would be even more wonderful if we could leave a little calling card to show that we had!

Google has tried to placate these fools by blurring faces and number plates, which is denying our right to uncensored film taken from a public place.

If one of these privacy nutters has been caught in an embrace with a neighbour we want to see it, don't we!

Are you one of these crackpots?

What can we do to help you confront your lunacy? What's your address, for starters?

And in the unlikely event that you're a reasonable person with a reasonable concern about Street View, what is it?

Posted By: Jeff Corbett on 6/08/2008 4:06:54 PM | Comments (10)

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07 Aug 08:

Google Street View comes to Hunter

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Houses for sale are shown in real estate advertisements. What conceivable public benefit does this outlandish intrusion offer the private citizen in return for the gratuitous exposure of his/her castle to the world at large? What species is "private citizen"? you may now well ask. Perving on all and sundry may be the new internet sport, but I call it voyeurism, idle curiosity and mischief-in-the-making. Look at moi! I can request an unlisted phone number, reject junk mail, refuse unsolicited phone calls and other "free offers". I also simply prefer not to have a so-called "free" image of my property, its immediate surrounds, the address, the colour of my garbage bin and my visitor's car dispersed worldwide as a matter of course. It is the same principle. And expect a discount on the price of selling your house, Jeff, now that the images are available for free. Not.

Posted by Fruitfly, 7/08/2008 10:03:39 AM

What's your address, Fruitfly, so we can check out your castle?

Posted by Jeff Corbett on 7/08/2008 10:34:04 AM

Why is it, in your column, that you rail against the concerns of privacy advocates, and then state that you have a private phone number? If you have no issues with privacy, Jeff, why not make it public for all to see? In anticipation of an answer that you are a 'public figure' and so need privacy, do you really think you are the only person with such concerns? Although the scenes are visible from public roads, this makes it 1000x more accessible to anyone as they don't have to actually go anywhere in the physical world to check things out, or be there at an inopportune moment to see something they shouldn't.

Posted by Jimmy83, 7/08/2008 5:47:57 PM

I can not believe some people. These images are not an invasion of privacy, anyone driving down your street can see your house, or the colour of your garbage bin. No one knows who owns the house, and there is nothing wrong with people virtual driving down your street. You still have your privicy. I can't see how this affects anything about your privicy at all.

Posted by Nathan Clarke, 8/08/2008 9:32:27 AM

I can't see any problem with street views being available. As someone else said, you can drive down these streets at any time and see the same stuff. This just saves fuel. Our house is on it along with both myself and the wife working in the gardens. The pic of the wife is less than flattering but she doen't have any issues either. There are people who will complain about anything, particularly if they can't access the facility and view it.

Posted by Gazza, 8/08/2008 10:16:16 AM

Whats your address, Gazza, so we can all check out your house and you and the wife working in the garden? At what stage does google street view become an invasion of privacy? How about when someone uses reverse directories to check the street address and then finds out your name and any other information they care to search and find. Would you care then? I dont have an issue with street view at this point in time but who is to say what uses it can be put to in the future via the use of new technology that has not been invented yet?

Posted by tidemaster, 8/08/2008 10:36:07 AM

if you dont want your house to be viewed from the google street image go to Street View 'help', and click on that and you will see 'report image'. here you can have the image deleted if you wish. in some suburbs whole streets have had their street file image deleted.

Posted by tidemaster, 8/08/2008 11:33:36 AM

Come on tidemaster, what whole streets have been deleted? I doubt its been on line long enough for that to happen. There are streets not shown yet as the images haven't been processed but they'll be there soon.

Posted by Gazza, 8/08/2008 2:52:45 PM

gazza here is one link re streets being deleted from google maps but there are plenty of others http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24142107-661, 00.html

you still dont want to give us your address?

Posted by tidemaster, 8/08/2008 4:11:46 PM

Hi Tidemaster, So a couple of the Hollywood based stars want their house removed. I don't have a problem with that. If a whole street was wiped out, it would take every resident of that street to do it individually. That's the bit that I think you won't see much of. I don't need to give my address. That's the bit where my privacy is protected. Anyone can find it from what I have said but it would take a lengthy search, perhaps all the houses in NSW (that's narrows it down to a state). But they still can't find anything they wouldn't find by driving down a street. In fact, I think I would find out more by standing in front of a house, perhaps talking to the neighbours than I would looking at a photo. Google Earth could show more than a photo of the front of a house.

Posted by Gazza, 8/08/2008 7:44:54 PM

do you think councils will use google street view to check for illegal building extensions, carports, pergolas etc or to see if pool owners have removed pool fencing etc? they would be able to check all this without having to leave their desks.

Posted by tidemaster, 9/08/2008 5:59:08 PM