I've always enjoyed visiting the Google Earth site...originally I was able to get an aerial view of my house, or a friend's house or a house that I once lived in. It's all a bird's eye view, maybe a low flying bird, but it feels non-personal and uninvasive to me. HOWEVER, I have recently found an astonishing and rather creepy feature (is it new or did I just accidentally find it?)...maybe you've already discovered it, but it really did make me feel, well, stalked!
If you haven't downloaded Google Earth, it's easy. Just go here:
http://earth.google.com/ and download the free version. It really is an absolutely remarkable way to view the world.
That said, now for the interesting, spooky part...on the lower left under LAYERS, make sure the first 5 are checked: Geographic Web, Roads, 3D Buildings, Street View, Borders and Labels. It's the street view item that will give the effect I'm talking about. Now at the top of the page at FLY TO, type in your destination....make it your own home address. You will be virtually wisked to the area and be in the sky looking down on your rooftop. You will see little camera icons on the street; double click on one of them close to your house. You will then be whisked down to street level and in a matter of moments you will be standing on your street and can use the mouse to navigate around 360 degrees and can see the very front of your house AS IF YOU WERE STANDING RIGHT THERE!
I don't know the astonishing technology behind this...it's as if someone has been driving up to my house and spinning around taking photos. But I don't know who it is and I never see this....uh...stalker!!
There are probably other camera icons along your street. Double Click on them and then press the left button on your mouse to make the hand icon grab the photo and move around on it.
I thought this might only work on my home back in Tucson, a BIG city, but it also works in the "sticks" where I live now in Mississippi.
It's cool, creepy, scary, fabulous technology at its very best! But it does have a spooky big-brother-is-watching kind of feeling.
If you try it, let me know...if you have trouble, ask me and I'll try to help. It's worth a look-see!!
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7 comments:
This technology is a bit over the top--almost an invasion of privacy. A friend of my son said his mom's house was on something similar to this (in the early days of them doing that) and the photo of the front of her house showed HER, his mom, unloading groceries. I do believe THAT was corrected. I'll check on your link later when I have a bit more time,though! Dana
Thank you so very much for visiting my blog.
I too think, with the state this world is in, this is a very creepy violation...if I had little children at home I would never show pictures of them on a blog unless it was private and I don't know if I would really want to show pictures of my house or at least never give my address.
I don't know if I told you but a few years back they thought I might have ms and still have some signs but the mri's do not indicate it. I keep up with all the issues of ms and you sure are on my daily prayer list.
hugs
debbie
I went and did this and it is amazing. Not all the houses have cameras. It seemed to me to be the ones that have been for sale recently and I wonder if it is added during upgrades by the county for taxes??? Very strange. Thank you for sharing.
Have a Great Friday!
Roberta Anne
I consider it an invasion of privacy myself. But it IS a public street, city, burg...what have you so I guess it's to be expected with the technology of today.
Love your garden entry below too. That's a huge cactus flower!!!
Happy Friday my friend!!!
oh that does sound a bit scary, I will get hubby to check it out later, technology has come a very long way. Kathy.
Yeah I used to have Google Earth but I don't like seeing my house up CLOSE...it freaks me out.
can you see your self in your yard
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