General Discussion

FrodosPet

(5,169 posts) Fri Oct 24, 2014, 04:25 AM Oct 2014

Is Google Street View good or bad? [View all]

I love Google Maps Street View. By merely dropping a little yellow icon on a map, I can be instantly transported to many places across the country or around the world, to have a nice little walkabout. For example, supposing I want to visit an authentic Thai cafe:

http://goo.gl/maps/QCEEf

I really enjoy the Street View experience. But I have heard complaints that it is an invasion of privacy. People have been spotted in places they did not want to be spotted. And they definitely screwed up when they collected wifi information.

My opinion is, if you are out in public, there is no practical expectation of privacy. But I am curious about the opinions of others. By taking virtual vacations through Street View, am I enhancing my connection to places and people around the world, or am I feeding some corporate privacy invading monster?

61 replies

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Highlight:

Is Google Street View good or bad? [View all] FrodosPet Oct 2014 OP

Is the internet good or bad? jberryhill Oct 2014 #1

Pr0n- need I say more? KittyWampus Oct 2014 #17

Side? jberryhill Oct 2014 #32

I rather like it and I don't often look at people or license plates Warpy Oct 2014 #2

before I leave my house to get to a new place hollysmom Oct 2014 #3

You can ask google to blur you out. Erich Bloodaxe BSN Oct 2014 #20

with phone cameras which are instantly uploaded and shown to the public JI7 Oct 2014 #4

Faces get blurred on street view. JaneyVee Oct 2014 #5

negative, you street view the house I just bought you can see previous owners snooper2 Oct 2014 #46

Really? Wow. Usually blurred. In 2012 I found myself... JaneyVee Oct 2014 #47

On the street view for my house, the next door neighbor is shown standing in djean111 Oct 2014 #6

You can see my husband clear as day for our address RockaFowler Oct 2014 #36

The cameras are high enough to look over fences so local burglars can check out your grill. Spitfire of ATJ Oct 2014 #7

Do the local burglars covet your grill? FSogol Oct 2014 #18

They brought up the "looking over fences" thing in Japan.... Spitfire of ATJ Oct 2014 #43

Interesting question. bvf Oct 2014 #8

Millions of world tourists Shankapotomus Oct 2014 #9

A good argument in favor. bvf Oct 2014 #11

Thanks Shankapotomus Oct 2014 #12

Well, I might have created a gmail account years ago, bvf Oct 2014 #23

I got a call from a California area code, the person claimed to be at a WI rural property HereSince1628 Oct 2014 #10

A second-rate hack attempt. bvf Oct 2014 #13

Blurred faces Catherine Vincent Oct 2014 #14

My uncle is walking their dog in the street views of their house. ScreamingMeemie Oct 2014 #16

You can see my neighbor bigwillq Oct 2014 #22

I am street view.. sendero Oct 2014 #15

That's weird. I used to be able to 'street view' my street. Erich Bloodaxe BSN Oct 2014 #19

I dont like it marions ghost Oct 2014 #21

No, it's of the public streets treestar Oct 2014 #24

I like it - LiberalElite Oct 2014 #25

Ohhh, I do that too. I go way back in my childhood and look around. I find it RKP5637 Oct 2014 #27

I use it to see places I could never visit. I also use it to see what's in my neighborhood where RKP5637 Oct 2014 #26

Good. I just walk out the door and flip the bird of the day. lonestarnot Oct 2014 #28

While walking my dogs a while ago ... Tracer Oct 2014 #29

I use it often ... Scuba Oct 2014 #30

I wish it would've been around when I started as a PI NightWatcher Oct 2014 #31

I use it a lot for travel jberryhill Oct 2014 #33

Last year, when visiting my parents, who were 89 years old MineralMan Oct 2014 #34

I'm in two shots on GSV. OilemFirchen Oct 2014 #35

Well, it does let you walk inside the TARDIS! demmiblue Oct 2014 #37

I live on a "Circle" lpbk2713 Oct 2014 #38

If you do my address you can see me and my girlfriend sitting on the porch. dilby Oct 2014 #39

I was ecstatic when my street was added. Ykcutnek Oct 2014 #40

There are some scary people out there marions ghost Oct 2014 #41

I'm missing the added risk whatthehey Oct 2014 #45

No not random marions ghost Oct 2014 #48

So she did not know where you lived without street view? whatthehey Oct 2014 #53

Here is a cool interactive site that shows the power of Street View with HTML5. dilby Oct 2014 #42

That was saw wheat! FrodosPet Oct 2014 #56

Yeah I was pretty impressed with it when I first saw it 2 years ago. dilby Oct 2014 #58

I tried mine whatthehey Oct 2014 #44

Is reality true or false? seveneyes Oct 2014 #49

It could be good or bad. ozone_man Oct 2014 #50

You talk about being in public... malokvale77 Oct 2014 #51

Any time I am caught on camera... FrodosPet Oct 2014 #57

I was thinking about my daughter... malokvale77 Oct 2014 #60

Overall it's good. Renew Deal Oct 2014 #52

Is writing good or bad? (nt) Recursion Oct 2014 #54

Yes FrodosPet Oct 2014 #59

bad. it creeped me out to have a co-worker who is also a realtor magical thyme Oct 2014 #55

I found out my son lives in a fire-trap of a dump - LOL LeftInTX Oct 2014 #61