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Streets of Intrigue
Posted 26th December 2007 at 6:38pm by M1ke, tagged as Google | Commenting Closed

Many people know about Google's Street View feature on Google Maps, but more do not. Street View can be described nicely as impressive and more pessimistically as Orwellian. It came about after Google got hold of a black VW Beetle, stuck a fancy panoramic camera (capable of taking 360° photos) on top and drove it round some American cities, taking photos at regular intervals. They then placed these photos into a handy viewer on Google Maps and Street View was born. In essence it allows you to move down any street in a city featured, choose whether to go forwards or backwards, choose which junction to take and view all around yourself at any point. It certainly is rather amazing.

Google Maps: Street View

If you've had a browse already (I really recommend that you do) then you may have noticed something interesting in one of the photos - either something obvious or something a little more subtle. As is to be expected from any website these days people everywhere are posting links to funny or embarrassing situations that they've found - from people apparently breaking into houses to a little deviation from the road as the driver went for lunch. The Times collected their ten best photos, and also link to some other sites that provide many more.

The Times: 10 Bizarre Sights

Sadly the fact that it allows people to see such inobservable and occasionally personal things could be its downfall. In one area it caught men emerging from a strip club, which I'm sure the wives wouldn't have been too pleased about. What else could be noticed through Street View that people would find less than desirable? Indeed the law in the UK might even prevent Google from bringing the camera car over here, or at the very least scare them with thoughts of legal battles should any provided photos damage peoples' lives.

Street View and the law

I must say that I do love this service - its an impressive continuation from being able to view aerial photos of the whole world, giving more of a realistic perspective of an area. An interesting continuation of this would be if people could come up with head-mounted panoramic cameras and wander round their local area. It does take the idea of spooky surveillance to a whole new level, but really with the speed that photos, videos or just descriptions of events in the smallest areas and communities can get onto the internet these days, are we even out of the spotlight of the web's watchful eyes in our own homes?

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