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If you're going to cite the Streisand Effect, don't forget to cite the Streisand Effect. There, FTFY.

Yes, the DVDA attempt to prosecute anyone who even linked to a host of the deCSS "liberated" decryption key was the first case of the Streisand effect. It evoked an outraged response from the community, including a very effective EFF Blue Ribbon campaign for Freedom of Speech Online, which is still active. I still own several t-shirts with the CSS key printed on the back. This was way back in like 1999 or something.

But it wasn't named the Streisand Effect until Barbara Streisand sued the California Coastal Records Project (an awesome site) for publishing pictures of her estate on the coast of California. When this news hit the web, the pictures were copied far and wide in support of CCRP. And Streisand lost her lawsuit.

How is this different from a LANDSAT photo? From NewsCopter 1 over a fender-bender in the Maze? From me flying 1,000 feet overhead in a rented Cessna and taking pictures? (Smile!) From setting up on a hilltop with a monster telephoto lens and an 8 megapixel SLR? Barbara Streisand? If it's just resolution... Cessna@1000 or telephoto lens beats out any spy satellite. If it's law... well, no, it isn't. See previous Cessna/Streisand reference.

The only difference is who is taking the pictures. If the NSA/CIA/NRO etc. are taking pictures, I'd like to see mine. I want to make sure they get my good side. * drops pants *

In all seriousness. With LANDSAT becoming a thing of the past, we need a source of high-quality overhead images to get real work done. As the articles mention, this is gold for people doing work with flood control, forest management, fire abatement, urban planning, ice pack monitoring, wildlife surveys (best way to count migrating wildebeest! Especially those New Jersey wildebeest). Gimme some infrared wavelengths that penetrate water vapor, let's do highway traffic flow analysis and realtime metering signal control or highway patrol dispatch, rain or shine.

Plenty of legitimate, useful, fully legal uses. Think of it this way: it's a civilian benefit from a military budget. How cool is that?

The only way this is going to go away is when people lose interest . . . which isn't going to happen any time soon now that there's constant media coverage because she was foolish enough to file suit.

The only way this is going to go away is when people lose interest . . . which isn't going to happen any time soon now that there's constant media coverage because she was foolish enough to file suit.

At what point will Barbra Streisand file a lawsuit against them, for posting pictures of her Mars colony?

http://www.californiacoastline.org/streisand/lawsu it.html

Here's an example where you can compare development at the Big Dipper roller coaster here in Mission Beach between 1972, 1979, 1987, 2002, and 2004. (The 1989 dataset starts about two miles up the beach).

Staying on topic, here's a nice view of the San Onofre nuclear reactor up the coast in Camp Pendleton before construction, during construction, and as it stands today.

Here's an example where you can compare development at the Big Dipper roller coaster here in Mission Beach between 1972, 1979, 1987, 2002, and 2004. (The 1989 dataset starts about two miles up the beach).

Staying on topic, here's a nice view of the San Onofre nuclear reactor up the coast in Camp Pendleton before construction, during construction, and as it stands today.

Here's an example where you can compare development at the Big Dipper roller coaster here in Mission Beach between 1972, 1979, 1987, 2002, and 2004. (The 1989 dataset starts about two miles up the beach).

Staying on topic, here's a nice view of the San Onofre nuclear reactor up the coast in Camp Pendleton before construction, during construction, and as it stands today.

And let's not forget about the California Coastline project (helicopter taking VERY high resolution images every 500' along the entire California coast.

I found some sort of easter egg there. Zoom in on that center photo, then look in the bottom-left corner of the image, right up near the waterline by the tidewall... is that a mannequin of a naked woman (with hair too!), or is that painted on the landscape there? Or is it really a cadaver? A sunbather? I can't quite tell...

And of course, there's Map24, which has, hands-down the best mapping UI out of anything I've ever used.

Now I just wish some of these sites would support "mobile" directions and maps. Hrmph, Google's "Directions" link on maps.google.com doesn't even work at all, it just reloads/refreshes the main map view in anything but MSIE. What a waste.

And let's not forget about the California Coastline project (helicopter taking VERY high resolution images every 500' along the entire California coast.

I found some sort of easter egg there. Zoom in on that center photo, then look in the bottom-left corner of the image, right up near the waterline by the tidewall... is that a mannequin of a naked woman (with hair too!), or is that painted on the landscape there? Or is it really a cadaver? A sunbather? I can't quite tell...

And of course, there's Map24, which has, hands-down the best mapping UI out of anything I've ever used.

Now I just wish some of these sites would support "mobile" directions and maps. Hrmph, Google's "Directions" link on maps.google.com doesn't even work at all, it just reloads/refreshes the main map view in anything but MSIE. What a waste.

Reminds me of the California Coastline Project that got launched a few years ago. The idea behind it was to help people spot environmental crimes, building violations, etc. I wouldn't be surprised if Google's maps will soon be used for similar things - although it would help to have a more frequent update than 18 months, and to be able to browse in the past. While that information is available now (for a fee), it'll have quite a different impact once it's free.

You beat me to it! Damn you! :)

Babs got slapped back under California's anti-SLAPP statute. After losing her $50 million lawsuit, she had to fork over north of a hundred large for attorney's fees after some guy had the temerity to post an aerial photograph of her palatial mansion that would make Ken Lay jealous. Her attorney's name - I'm not making this up - was John Gatti.

You beat me to it! Damn you! :)

Babs got slapped back under California's anti-SLAPP statute. After losing her $50 million lawsuit, she had to fork over north of a hundred large for attorney's fees after some guy had the temerity to post an aerial photograph of her palatial mansion that would make Ken Lay jealous. Her attorney's name - I'm not making this up - was John Gatti.

This isn't my web site but I wish it were:
http://www.geosnapper.com/

There exist Japan only (not ever marketed in the US) point and shoot cameras that already record GPS data directly. (Rioch... and some other brand I haven't heard of.)

And of course various Nikon pro models have this capacity, such as that used here:

http://www.californiacoastline.org/

In the same vein, check out:
http://apps.ecy.wa.gov/shorephotos/index.html

I haven't evaluated this: http://www.robogeo.com/home/

But I do own this, and it works well, as advertised to get a GPS read for each time at which you take a picture: http://www.geospatialexperts.com/

At the above location, they happen to sell the Ricoh model that can record GPS out of the box.

http://www.californiacoastline.org/ /www.californiacoastline.org/ According to the site, Barbara lost and had to pay him about $150,000 for legal costs. And they used a Powerbook w/Firewire connection to the camera, the computer also had a connection to the plane's GPS.

Just be sure to turn your camera off when you drive past Barbra Striesand's House.

An environmental group already built a database of houses along the California coastline to prove that homeowners were building without permits or blocking public access to beaches, a mjor political issue. It annoyed Barbara Streisand so much that she sued, but lost.

An environmental group already built a database of houses along the California coastline to prove that homeowners were building without permits or blocking public access to beaches, a mjor political issue. It annoyed Barbara Streisand so much that she sued, but lost.

Why not just use a plane or satellite?

I can walk out my door right now, with my camera, and snap pictures of every house on my street.

What'll that get me? Not much, except a bunch of pictures of houses on my street.

Umm... That is highly likely to get you at least a conversation with cops.

That might also get you sued (see e.g. http://www.californiacoastline.org/streisand/lawsu it.html). That might also get you arrested (I, personally, have been arrested for taking pictures of an industrial plant from a public sidewalk).

California Coastal Records Project

Barbara's lair

California Coastal Records Project

Barbara's lair

A bit of googling turned it up...

http://www.californiacoastline.org/

Enjoy

Gr*g

http://www.californiacoastline.org/

has a link to the latest in Barbra Steisands lawsuit.. Her house is on the coast and is included in there CA coast photo collection.

This is the page on the lawsuit with links to stories and a picture of her house on it.. Funny those guys. I hope they win.

This site is being sued because one small portion of one (out of 12,000) photos of the california coastline happens to contain a photo of her house.

Damned conservationists!

I can see my house, where I used to work, people on the beach, Ocean Avenue in Carmel, Bubba Gumps in Monterey (and all of Cannery Row), Monterey Bay Aquarium, Pebble Beach, etc.

I'm tempted to grab all the hi-res pictures and creating a slide show moving along Del Monte beach all the way to Carmel Beach. You can see the house that Frank Lloyd designed (that Sammy Hagar used to live in) here.

Ok, I'm bookmarking this. You can even see the Monterey Presidio that they shut down slightly before Sep. 11th (security was tightened from an unknown threat?). Interesting, indeed.

I can see my house, where I used to work, people on the beach, Ocean Avenue in Carmel, Bubba Gumps in Monterey (and all of Cannery Row), Monterey Bay Aquarium, Pebble Beach, etc.

I'm tempted to grab all the hi-res pictures and creating a slide show moving along Del Monte beach all the way to Carmel Beach. You can see the house that Frank Lloyd designed (that Sammy Hagar used to live in) here.

Ok, I'm bookmarking this. You can even see the Monterey Presidio that they shut down slightly before Sep. 11th (security was tightened from an unknown threat?). Interesting, indeed.

I can see my house, where I used to work, people on the beach, Ocean Avenue in Carmel, Bubba Gumps in Monterey (and all of Cannery Row), Monterey Bay Aquarium, Pebble Beach, etc.

I'm tempted to grab all the hi-res pictures and creating a slide show moving along Del Monte beach all the way to Carmel Beach. You can see the house that Frank Lloyd designed (that Sammy Hagar used to live in) here.

Ok, I'm bookmarking this. You can even see the Monterey Presidio that they shut down slightly before Sep. 11th (security was tightened from an unknown threat?). Interesting, indeed.

This is cleary explained on the site:

Privacy Concerns

We are aware that we have photographed a number of homes in the process of documenting the California Coast. The California Coast is a unique and beautiful place, and those people who have chosen to live on it have made the coast a part of their lives, and their lives a part of the coast. It should come as no surprise that the public at large would be attracted to view this beautiful place some call home. We have little sympathy for those who would feel that in order to enjoy the beauty of the coast that they must deny others access to it.

All of the photographs on this site have been taken from a public place and in compliance with applicable Federal and State laws. (emphasis mine)

Please be sure to review some of the highest resolution photographs before forming your own opinion. You cannot see much detail, for example, identify individuals or see into a house. Also, as discussed in the next section, this information is available elsewhere.

A very good book about how technology will affect the privacy of all of us is The Transparent Society: Will Technology Force Us to Choose Between Privacy and Freedom? by David Brin.

I think encouraging Trey and Matt to do an(other?) episode on people who think they should be ruling the world is an excellent idea.

By the way, here's the direct link to the high-res mansion shot: huge image

Actually, a bigger problem here are landslides. What you call a "cliff" is actually a mountain, and in wet (el nino) years the mountains tend to "erode" a little faster. In the picture (easier seen in the big picture) you can see a landslide that took out a bunch of houses here a few years ago. Notice how a chunk of the hill has slid into town. I hope it wasn't where the poster lived!

Maybe they would have had more hits if they'd have gotten a better picture of the nudist beach.

Great place, was there for the 4th.

I couldn't make the boulders out well in the newspaper's photograph, so here is the medium size image of the Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay , the beachfront, and the boulders taken from the website.

It is identified as: N37 26.03 W122 26.84 Image 6133 Mon Sep 30 16:05:57 2002

For the past few months, I've been trying to figure out where I was when I took this picture.
It's been bugging me since I got back from vacation this summer.

Using this site, I was able to match it in a few minutes!

Now I just need to figure out the name of that park...

I wonder if there isn't some other motive here, requiring high-res images

My guess is that they just wanted to get some really cool desktop pictures out of the thing.

http://www.californiacoastline.org/cgi-bin/image.c gi?image=6133&mode=sequential&flags=0

Sorry I forgot to put A tags in the first one.

Tim

holy crap, you can see my house!

• Main Site
• Malibu
• The beach where Charleton Heston found the Statue of Liberty in "Planet of the Apes"
• San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station

• Main Site
• Malibu
• The beach where Charleton Heston found the Statue of Liberty in "Planet of the Apes"
• San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station

• Main Site
• Malibu
• The beach where Charleton Heston found the Statue of Liberty in "Planet of the Apes"
• San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station

• Main Site
• Malibu
• The beach where Charleton Heston found the Statue of Liberty in "Planet of the Apes"
• San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station