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Google's Schmidt says Street View-phobes "can just move"
Good news, everyone! Google CEO Eric Schmidt has a solution for you: just move. Yes, it's the brilliant solution he offered months back when responding to the "what if I don't want Google tracking me?" question. The Onion, of course, had a field day with that one.
What should we expect from the man who told us the only people with online privacy concerns were naughty boys and girls who were doing things they shouldn't?
... We should probably expect more mind-numbing quotes like this one from The Atlantic: "Google policy is to get right up to the creepy line and not cross it." Right... Because standing on the precipice of creepy couldn't possibly make you appear creepy to all of us, right, Eric?
Comments
9
Subscribe to comments8complexOct 25th 2010 9:56AM
Wouldn't creepy be taking pictures of your BACK yard? The front is viewable from a public road and could possibly be seen by 0-10,000,000 people per day. Does the person who lives facing a major highway in a major city (New York, L.A, Chicago, etc) get up in arms that people can see their property? You've CHOSEN to live where you can be seen.
JohnMWhiteOct 25th 2010 11:46AM
That's kind of missing the point. I don't think it is a particularly big deal to have your front lawn visible on google maps, because there's not really anything anyone can do with that which they couldn't do by just driving to your house. But there is a big difference between being visible from a public highway and having someone driving by photographing your home to add to their collection. It's not illegal, but it's certainly not polite, and it's fair enough for some people to be unnerved by it. For google to respond with "just move" is a breathtaking lack of tact and shows a complete disconnection with reality. People cannot just up and move, especially in the current economy, and where exactly are they meant to go that google isn't planning on photographing? Area 51?
Nick BiancalanaOct 25th 2010 12:08PM
@JohnMWhite - I do agree in your comment regarding the lack of tact, but it's not like they're taking more than a street view image of your home (if you're on a large enough road for them to even document via. street view). I would get upset at the comment, but it doesn't necessarily mean one man's lack of tact should alter your view of what is fact.
Regarding Area 51... I think they have that taken care of (LOL) -- http://maps.google.com/maps/place?cid=10704111642784007591&q=google+maps+area+51&gl=us&hl=en&cd=1&cad=src:ppiwlink&ei=0qrFTJ3PE5zyML-apYcK&dtab=5
VerbatimOct 25th 2010 12:41PM
The way I feel it is that as far as an image, a video, whatever data is not related to whom it concerns then where is the problem ? Now, if Street View for instance stated putting the owner of the house over the picture of the house then, only, would I start being angry.
JonnyOct 25th 2010 12:39PM
I hate this guy. i've seen him interviewed on tv a bunch of times and he seems like a slimeball.
VerbatimOct 25th 2010 12:53PM
If you dive into his eyes, you may notice it's not a malicious look but that of convictions. This said, one can agree or disagree with the comments but I don't think there is whatever "evil" in the man.
HarshOct 25th 2010 4:04PM
The guy was kidding. Google's images are static and up to 3 years old. If someone knew where you lived based on your street view image, you could just move. A lame old mans joke, but joke none the less. BTW you can request to have your house removed and they will comply without any legal obligation to do so.
And that video has nothing to do with this post and in fact shows that Google are very strict about who they give their data to, even the Government.
AndyOct 25th 2010 4:47PM
But where are we meant to move to???
TurboFoolOct 26th 2010 2:35AM
Just to be clear, here, if approaching the line of creepy, but not crossing it, makes you creepy, isn't that just moving the line of creepy back further? In which case if you then approached, but didn't cross THAT line, you'd still again be creepy, moving the line back further. Eventually NOBODY is not creepy.
I think his meaning was quite clear and accurate. They push their limits without crossing the line. What's wrong with that?