The Google Car has been spotted in Greenock and other areas in the West of Scotland. I read the article in the localpaper ‘The Greenock Telegraph‘ which focused on the ‘privacy issues’.
I always think that the media seem to over hype this area and manage to get a few unsuspecting people to comment on this when they had never really had any thoughts on it before. ‘Suddenly they are ‘devastated’ – ‘frightened’ – unhappy about the camera looking in their windows. This is the hysteria that they get from mis-information and poor reporting to sensationalise a non story which could have been written in the positive. However as we know the papers have their agenda – ‘to sell more papers’ but fortunately the Internet is weakening their position, hence the reduction in advertising and the power of online groups and bloggers.
It does make me question, why people, when they are going on holiday expect to see as much about the area they are going to online, yet they don’t seem to focus on the reverse for visitors coming to this country.
Much is said about Google Street View being abused by criminals planning escape routes – casing houses etc, with street view and Google earth. This is just ridiculous. The police have mentioned on numerous occasions that many house break -ins are opportunistic – having not been planned in advance.
I’m personally not sure whether it is an infringement of civil liberties, as I am a proponent of better technology, believe that it will more likely help people as we integrate this more with Sat Nav systems, and which I believe this will turn into a Virtual 3D tool on our dashboards to make life simpler.
You can’t stop the world or technology and for me I believe it’s getting more exciting each month with the speed of change using the Internet. However with modern pressures I do think that maybe many people are struggling with the speed of change. For anyone who as ever read the book ‘Who moved my Cheese‘ will understand why this could be stressful to many people.
#1 by Harry at May 3rd, 2009
The Google car passed me as I was waiting to pick up my son from school the other day.
I too am undecided about how I feel about it. I hate the idea of our lives being recorded, and masses of data being accrued by web companies about our browsing habits and personal lives. It smacks of 1984, and I think that Orwell was way ahead of his time and a visionary. He knew what was coming and he was worried about it. It’s here now.
However, like you, I’m excited by internet developments. You’re right, we DO expect to have all the information we want when we search for something on the internet. But unless the data is uploaded we will never have access to it. To me, the internet is amazing, but do we have to accept compromises if we want this level of information at the expense of losing some of our personal freedoms?
The internet is now fully integrated into our lives, and our children don’t know what life was like without it. It’s still in its infancy, but I agree with you Grahame, that it can’t, and shouldn’t, be stopped or even curbed access wise (I’m referring to AT&T’s attempt to make providers charge for accessing their phonelines and pass the cost onto customers.)
Harry
#2 by Teddy Studdiford at February 25th, 2010
Great way to explain it. Can’t say more than to appreciate what you are penned down. can you show how to grab your rss feed? I couldn’t find how.