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Google Terror Threat
bogd wrote to mention a CNN article wherein Indian President Abdul Kalam stated his concerns that Google Maps could be used to aid terrorists. From the article: "The Google site contains clear aerial photos of India's parliament building, the president's house and surrounding government offices in New Delhi. There are also some clear shots of Indian defense establishments. Debbie Frost, spokewoman for Mountain View, California-based Google, noted that the software uses information already available from public sources and the images displayed are about one to two years old, not shown in real time."
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The official religion of Slashdot is Windows 3.1, with the holy scripture known as "TFM" as heralded by the prophets Linux, Mozilla and Natalie Portman. It is not uncommon for Open Source priests to be heard screaming, "RTFM!" Another common chant is, "STFU!" To signify the beginning of holy prayer time called "flaming", where Open Source priests recite passages from TFM also known as the rhetorical facts. All citizens are required by Slashdottian law to have "Open Source" tattoed upon them when they come of age at 13 years old, Chapter F0, verses 7-9 in TFM, which reads as follows:
7. And lo, he must be new here,
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9. And verily, did he say, in Soviet Russia, low IDs have YOU!
This excerpt is also found duped on most government buildings, and citizens are required to salute and sing the national anthem of Canada wh
looks like india has outsourced their equivalent dhs and military intelligence to USA
Open an industrial park in Bangalore and we'll overlook this issue
The Register's competition based on this fact, spawned by the Australian government's worry over the security of their nuclear facility.
So all they should do is put up one of those "Are you crazy?" tests before getting into Google Maps, but they can change the words around to say things like, "Do you enjoy looking at outdated pictures of geography for the places you want to destroy?" [ ] Strongly Agree [ ] Agree [ ] Disagree [ ] Strongly Disagree
I think you have to balance the threat against the public benefit.
"God fights on the side with the best artillery." - Napoleon, Marshal of France - speaking truth to power
Ok then, more easily-accessible terrorist information. I mean, Google could blur out all security-sensitive buildings like the White House but then the terrorists know to bomb the blurry spots, or to go to the local tour agency in D.C and pick up a map of the city. Or buy Microsoft flight simulator and practice crashing planes into buildings (ya, they blurred out stuff too), etc etc. The list goes on. I agree that the information is already available like the Google spokespersons says. Google just makes it more convenient to access, that's all. Everybody has to go to less work for good and bad purposes.
that Google Maps is as evil as Linux, because terrorists might use it?
The worst presidents (and other heads of governments) are those that continuously state that terrorists are a threat, and that everything that could possibly help a terrorist has to be taken down.
Terrorism is about threat, and continously emphasising that threat is only helping the terrorists.
The fact that the images are a few years old isn't really a rebuttal, since government buildings don't tend to move all that often. I think there ought to be areas of the world - e.g. governmental and military installations - that Google Maps blocks out. The level of detail available in many inner city areas would be very useful, it has to be said, to potential terrorists. But we can't run the web presuming every, or perhaps indeed any, user to be a terrorist. That's just daft. Perhaps a sensible compromise in this case - along the lines of what I suggest? - would be a prudent step for Google.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muß man schweigen.
Paper maps proclaimed to be a threat to national security as they can be used to guide terrorists to important government buildings.
Okay - The most recent terror attack I recall was on the Lonodn Underground. This used suicide bombers. We also saw a large attack on trains in Spain, involving planted bombs and another suicide attack involving hijacked planes. There seems to be no evidence that terrorists have any substantial technological capabilities.
All of these were possible without maps.
The locations of most public buildings is already very well known. Government tends not to keep its existence a secret.
I just don't quite see how the information gleaned from google maps is really going to help a terrorist organisation any more than, say, mobile telephones and large bags.
Many organisations and governments around the world have expressed these sorts of fears about GE.
/. crowd is one that's all for open-ness (and the public availability of imagery tends to favour this), but politics is not known for making logical decisions. It will probably take one major criminal incident (aka terrorist attack) to occur where there's proof of GE being used, at that point perhaps google will cave.
Not long ago, the operators of Australia's only nuclear reactor expressed concern about GE.
Korea (both north and south) have expressed their concerns about it.
The Dutch have expressed concern.
Even in Russia they are nervous.
So far google has resisted censoring imagery, but how much longer can they hold out?
The
Personally I hope this never happens, but you can never tell what will happen...
Sparks:Gadget:Beer Maker
You can't blame technology for terrorism. Terrorist will use whatever tools are at their disposal. People don't seem to remember that 9/11 occurred with terrorists using low technology methods take over a plain with Box Cutters (BTW it is tough to actually kill a person with a Box Cutter, But they could get a nasty cut) And they did it without google maps they did it with finding flaws in the Beurorocracy[sp?] of our government. Technology has little to do with terrorism the only major technological advancement that aided Terrorism is the airplane because it removed the water borders between countries that makes it easy for people mad at us half way around the world to come here.
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
But not all the other maps (online and none online)? Perhaps maps.google.com is a a threat somewhere, but most likely it is elsewhere.
Why is it, that leaders everywhere invoke the terrorists notion, and almost always it is during an election or when they want something that is not related? It is becoming like the hitler thread.
I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
So let's just get rid of it! While we're at it, let's get rid of pencils, pens, and sporks because they can be used to stab somebody!
If they answer yes, then redirect them to www.disney.com. Otherwise, allow them access. It's works great for the pr0n industry. You know,the question they like to ask "Are you 18 years of age or older?" This is fine for the politicians regarding pr0n access, why not for Google maps?
Politicians, they are sooo paranoid, except when it comes for fiscal reponsibility.
Evil people don't think they're evil. - George Lucas, Making of Ep III
Most things can be used in a "Terror act".
This information can be gathered at other places but just beacuse we can find it on one place its dangerous? pffft.
... about how evil and "cowardly" terrorists are, how we have to stand firm against them, never negotiate, never give into their demands, etc. And then they want us to limit our lives in assorted stupid ways because if we don't, "Oh no! The terrorists will get us!" Anyone see the contradiction here?
The correlation between ignorance of statistics and using "correlation is not causation" as an argument is close to 1.
Everyone including the terrorists know that the maps are not up-to-date. I assume that terrorists go to the place physically for security reconnaissance and so forth. I can't believe they are blaming Google for aiding the terrorists. It's insane.
"The test of the morality of a society is what it does for it's children." -Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Admittedly I'm not the biggest fan of google, but they have driven innovation that really impact society using the world wide web. The google maps/satellite functionality is a perfect example.
The "informative" response that the maps are already publicly available really exposes how ignorant the people in charge truly are. Yikes!
The only thing I'm surprised about is that the EU hasn't decided to create a "global" organization to control google, and informed us in the U.S. that google doesn't comply they will ban it and create their own search engine and tools.
If you are a terrorist you probabaly haven't been waiting for Google to put up maps and show you how the indian parliament house is built or where it is. I am sure any promising terrorist can use basic language skills or a simple map to locate those structures by himself.
It's not like you wake up one day and think to yourself, "Wow, Thanks to Google maps I can locate the foreign department's offices in new Delhi now, I might blow them up".
Austrlalia's parlimant and prime ministers private residency are accesible throught google maps quite easily, but any self discerning terrorist would probably know where these are long before those become available.
---
Computer Support in Sydney
All these maps are available NASA'a very own WorldWind. Ok Google earth may get some more exposure, but they're not showing anythung new, that wasn't previously unavailable to someone who wants to acquire them fully legally.
Guys, emphasis is mine, but where else can I get this already available information to the public apart from a service similar to what Google offers? I do not know of any!
...I'm comforted by this reminder that most politicians are morons, and that George Bush is not that special.
W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
The Rashtrapati Bhavan, the official residence of the President of India.
9 &spn=0,0&t=k&hl=en
http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=28.614345,77.19947
. . . the rich and powerful never minded when public information was available, so long as it was only available to the elite. Now that it's available to everyone, it's a problem that the alcalde's property tax bill, what cars he owns, and, yes, pictures of his palatial estate, are available to all comers on the in-tar-web.
I too have felt the cold finger of injustice.
Food helps terrorists. Air helps terrorists. Maps help terrorists.
You know what else helps terrorists? Constantly freaking out about how every little thing is either vulnerable to terrorists or helps terrorists.
Seriously, what is it with the people that can't think about anything but terrorists? Don't they realise they are part of the problem? Calm down, chill out, have a cup of tea, and don't be part of the problem.
Bogtha Bogtha Bogtha
life itself... or is that fear itself?
2 /www.worldgame.org/wwwproject/index.shtml
Actually it has been proven that many things can assist terrorist.
From a car which anyone can use to kill another person or persons, etc..
To political propoganda used to gain public support for terrorism and its promotion. US government generated more terrorism in response to 9/11 than what 9/11 did.
And then there is the stock market to manipulate and drain whole regions (like the trillion dollar beat did to south east asia in the mid to late 1990's)....and how that motivated and created support for "terriorism" leading up to 9/11...
So if most anything can be used to generate terriorism, directly or indirectly... whats the exceptions?
How about http://www.unesco.org/education/tlsf/theme_a/mod0
Lets genuinely start fixing things and putting under the microscope that which opposes such a direction.
Google maps can help that direction too.
Choice...which is it?
The geographical information is out there in multiple locations, it's just very accessible on google. If a terrorist was determined enough to find couple year old satelite photos on the internet they could find them even if google didn't have a convenient service. Accessibility shouldn't be hampered just because "somebody" might use it in a "negative" way.
Before governments publicized their worries about terrorists looking at maps of sensitive places, the government could probably make use (subpoenaed/secret/coerced, etc.) access to Google's logs to see who was trying to peek at these places. Cross-referencing anyone who tried to look at super secret "nuclear installation Q-345" with other data might help the government find terrorist cells. Now, after the government complains, 100,000 normal folks immediately go to Google Earth to try to find these sensitive locations and pollute the access log files.
Two wrongs don't make a right, but three lefts do.
> So far google has resisted censoring imagery, but how much longer can they hold out?
Even if Google did censor the images, wouldn't big, blurred/blacked out portions on Google Earth or Maps scream "important target here!" to those wishing to do harm?
Using Google's KML languague, you can overlay more recent photos on a particular area. Of course, if you have those photos, then that's the problem, not Google Earth.
Does this explain why the US school system is so bad? Is it to prevent those people from being skilled enough to read and become terrorists?
/me puts his tinfoil hat on so the evil terrorists dont his stupid photos from past parties from 3 years ago.
We live and die by information. It is our economic lifeblood. The more we stifle the free flow of information, the more we stifle the economy. I realize that those in power would prefer that we only be allowed to know what they think we should know, but that will surely bring about our downfall.
The older I get, the more I am convinced that the founding fathers got it exactly right. Our society cannot prosper without freedom. A huge part of that freedom is the right to know things and to express ourselves without fear of reprisal.
As Franklin pointed out and as Roosevelt quoted him, "Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
The Register's Google Earth contest.
...is always unfair treatment of others - they could always cut down on that.
If Google really cared they would fix Android Chrome to reflow text, instead of discriminating
They should just replace the blacked out areas with images of Bill Gate's mansion.
I've never known anyone killed by a map or satelite image.
As Scott M has said, "You have zero privacy anyway"
The nonsense perpetuated in old Soviet Union where maps were either wrong or nonexistence, INTENTIONALLY. Accurate map was considered a "State Secret." Ironically that is also where United States seems to be heading (Ever tried to look up satellite map of Washington DC?)
ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI!?
What about Skype for free terrorist long distance phonecalls, and private bittorrent password protected torrents?
~jennifer.k~
So anyways the moral of the story is I love living in a "free" continent where security can overtake my freedoms, but me must continue to use the word "freedom" even more fervently as if it is true.
"Why of course the people don't want war... (snip) That is understood. But after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country."
ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI!?
While a case can, indeed, be made about the need for a free flow of information, to call the information in Google Maps as "publically available information", however, is to ignore this double-standard.
More than mere navel gazing.
I just don't get - it is so HARD to understand that it IS a human issue where terrorism rises. It is not nation vs. nation, hell, it is not even human vs. human. It is just a reaction of those sad and bad bastards who have nothing in their lives left but kill and destroy innocent lifes. Why they do that - is there someone who just TRIED to understand it?
What caused World War II? What causes most of war? Money? Only money? Get a grip - that it is VERY complex problem usually and it is too tangerous to left solution to arms - because, hell, it don't resolve anything at all.
user@ubuntubox:~$ stfu This server is going down for shutdown NOW!
... a double standard.
As governments (made up of people) pursue the invasion of privacy of individuals in the name of anti-terrorism than it should not be a double standard.
What would happen if the whole world was able to look at any area and/or spot on the planet in various resolutions and as it currently is (up to date), as well as time lapse sections?
The arguement for invasion of privacy is to prevent wrong doings and identify those pursuing such criminal direction.
So lets apply open source software methodology to the world view of google maps and earth!!!
Lets' identify the fuckers with their war machines and intentions....and when they argue against it, throw them in the prison of total world exposure for being intentional unfair and supporting double standards.
Lets get Google Maps up to speed of being current!
We need it to apply open source software methodology in riding the world of terrorism.
After all, its not like anybody in the world knows where the White House is, or where that nuclear power plant is. I mean, my god, a terrorist could hop on Google and see a picture of the White House! Of course, he could also just visit DC and walk up to the fence, and take a picture of it...
methinks there's probably far more dangerous info available in other forms, paper maps, pictures in various forms of both the outside *and* inside, for a picture from 100-miles up to be exceptionally 'threatening'. that is, beyond just being able to actually walk up to it.
Two weeks ago Omninerd.com reported that Google Maps has turned off detailed imagery of Baghdad, Iraq. Link: http://www.omninerd.com/news/news.php?nid=332
If India just asked Google to turn of detailed imagery, would they?
Iranian and Syrian and Saudia Arabian and Quatarian "parliment" buildings.
Fight crime -- shoot back?
ergo they must use Windows. Also, don't forget, they're terrorists, so not only do they use Windows, they use unlicensed Windows, probably even with the Registry hacked to enable the Enterprise Features.
Stick Men
He is wrong, and so are you.
Google (as stated many, many times) only organizes information that is already public.
Everything a goverment wants to keep secret (and, mind you, governments should NOT do much stuff secretly) it should do underground (Cheyenne Mountain) and isolated from other, non-google type of spying. But mainly, governments shoud refrain from doing anything secretly.
How to make a fission bomb is not a secret anymore; how to refine uranium so it can be used still is, but not for long. The secrets are coming out of the box and we should be able to understand their consequences and deal with them.
I (for one) am waiting for a safer time when everyone is capable of making an atomic bomb (or putting a phaser rifle to overload, with similar results) -- maybe then everyone will think twice before doing so.
It's better to be the foot on the boot than the face on the pavement. ~~ tkx Kadin2048
Obviously MS should bug their Flight simulator to contact the government by the Internet if anyone crashes a plane into a building.
/sarcasm.
And anyone caught looking up popular destinations only in Google Maps, is headed to Guantanamo. Don't bother packing, they'll provide a toothbrush for you.
Saskboy's blog is good. 9 out of 10 dentists agree.
First one display Indian air force base and second one displays prez house http://blogs.cyberciti.biz/hm/index.php/2005/09/27 /google-earth-images-created-storm-across-india/
Terrorism is the spread of fear among people for political control. The fear can be ignited by sabotage or murder, like planebombing the World Trade Center or "ethnic cleansing". The scary act itself is not the terrorism per se - the spread of the fear, and its use for political control is the actual terrorism. President Kalam has harnessed Google's act of publishing easily used satellite photos of India to spread fear, to achieve political ends. Both simply passing laws to censor Google, and any other "extra" items that get packaged in those laws, and all the international political clout he accumulates along the way. His campaign is terrorism, and Kalam is a terrorist. Terrorism is InfoWar, fought in the media, in our minds, and by ourselves against each other.
President Kalam knows all about terrorism - he was a rocket scientist who developed missile technology that puts fear of India's nuclear force into everyone in Asia, and therefore everyone in the world. Nuclear "deterrence" is fear harnessed for geopolitical ends, and therefore terrorism. All militarism is terrorism when used for political control, as it always is.
Terrorism is awful, unacceptable. So is the barbaric destruction terrorists harness, nearly always directed at civilians, either in "total war" or even the orwellian "collateral damage". We're so swamped with terrorism and the rhetoric about it that makes it work that we have to grow up and learn what it really is. The only cure for fear is to dispel the ignorance that lets the fear spread so widely, that lets fear of one threat contribute to control over management of another unrelated one. We have to develop the reactions to people selling fear so we can drop it. That wisdom is the only deterrence to terrorism, which makes it less successful, therefore less likely to be used. As long as terrorists get high ratings, we're doing most of their work for them, and they'll keep pumping out new products, winning, and destroying us. The more we learn to recognize them, the more we'll win. That's how we win "the war on terrorism". It's an infowar that can only be won by winning in our own minds.
I give media execs I'd like to innoculate against terrorism copies of War and Peace in the Global Village. Marshall McLuhan wrote this peppy little book about how every tech innovation in history was followed by a "new kind of warfare", including global telecommunications. Martin Fiore revised it for _Wired_ to republish, with marginal quotes from James Joyce, updating it for the Internet age. Learning its lessons is like taking a dose of terrorism vaccine. If only _Wired_ were more than tech marketing, they'd rerelease it as a Flash movie, and it would virus its way around the Net, spreading immunity as it went. When we're sophisticated enough to see that happen "spontaneously", we might show signs that we'll win the InfoWar against terrorism.
--
make install -not war
the terrorists gain access to one of the rocket launchers from the satellites that they've hacked. Then a lot of Gov installations will have to move.
Scott McNealy to Michael: "Suck my Sun!" Michael Dell to Scott : "Lick my Dell!"
I know it's unfashionable in these days if the Intarweb, but your local public library probably has a good selection of maps, and if they don't have the one you wan't, they'll be happy to order it for you and maybe send you a little postcard to tell you when it's in stock.
Using this method I was able to get some useful computer science books (Sedgwick and the one on 3D graphics) when I was too badly paid by BNFL to be able to afford books of my own.
Here in the UK we have a marvellous resourch which is the Ordnance Survey. They produce a comprehensive and detailed set of maps which cover the British Isles. They are very useful in that they document the existence of most known hostelries and publich houses.
Not muhc use to terrorists, since they're tea-total on account of Allah's fascists laws and their misguided and futile attempts to prepare for a ficticious eterntity because Allah likes deluded young men who inflict pain and suffering on innocent people.
The Christian god sometimes likes this sort of thing too. Just look at the USA. It has some pretty whacky "Christians" just like we have some pretty loony "Muslims."
As my dear departed grandmother used to say, "I don't see much ${RELIGION} in any of it."
Stick Men
But it was modded Flamebait instead. Is that because it's true?
The real issue is demarcating the limits of information, and I don't blame the Indian President - his life is one of those under threat, and there have been bombings of the paliament before.
It's not an easy decision for an individual to take either, about what information should be public and what should be witheld, but it's mostly individuals that have to make a decision.
Here's an example (and my reason for posting anonymously): I removed some information from Wikipedia about a relative of someone who does a perilous job; there have been kidnappings and murders of the relatives of others in a similar position. The threat against the relative is only small; they live in a reasonably safe place, away from the direct threat, nevertheless it's probably a real threat. Low or very low risk, very high impact.
Was I right to remove the information? How do you demarcate the limits of what info should be free and the info that should be public?
Yes, I know it's still in the archive, but it's no longer in the main article, which must be better.
Apologies for posting anonymously, and for talking so generally, but I'd hate to have to think that my talking about it might endanger someone's life, however small the risk.
[There's entropy of information at work here. Once the info is released freely, it's unlikely to be become hidden again. That's a very particular state. The only ways are active supression, which doesn't work if some co-ordinated group thinks supression is wrong, and through loss of the information. Groups of people don't lose information that they think is important. Bound to be an interesting model here.]
It may indeed be usefull for terrorists, but the examples chosen seem wrong. The parliament, president and government are all legitimate military target.
From the article, Indian president expressed concerns about Google Earth, not Google Maps.
This story was posted yesterday at India's largest newspaper, The Times of India (http://www.timesofindia.com/). I submitted a better written story on this with a link last night.
I don't think I am revealing any military secrets by pointing out that paper maps often are subject to military censorship. Not that I think the defense establishment reviews every map there is, but that there are stuff that is normally left out of maps. My experience is that Swedish countryside maps are on purpose inaccurate, leaving roads out, or putting in roads that have never existed (minor roads that is, the E4 is probably correct...).
:)
The idea is of course that russian invasion forces wouldn't be able to advance as quickly if the maps doesn't match the terrain. Unfortunately this has side effects for our side as well...
Obviously, a lot of premises have changed since I did my army service.
I want to know to whom I complain about the loss of my privacy.
I don't want anyone being able to peep into my backyard (without a legal search warrant etc.)
No one asked me if they could 1) take a snap of my backyard and, 2) display it publicly.
They should have.
Cheers,
Ashley
and grand parent too
are very accurate. It's brain-dead easy to find major targets using commercially-available maps in those cities. I've never been to an American city where I thought, "gee, this map is just totally out of whack. I can't find the capital building." Commercial maps leave off the details of American military reservations, but it's always been rather easy to find the details for most of those facilities as well. It seems that the accuracy of maps of the countryside are really of little consequence anyway, since terrorists don't go after low-visibility targets. Their stock and trade is hitting urban targets.
Read the EFF's Fair Use FAQ
As long as it's the tree hugging pussies that are the first ones to die, I've no problem with your appeasement policy. Just appease the fuck out of the Muslims, as long as they're running planes into Hollywood and Berkeley and San Francisco.
As long as it's pacifists that are dying, not brave men and women, I'm all for multi-culturalism.
gee google wants to charge 400 bux a year for google earth pro, for info that can be "found anywhere" and is "2 years old" sounds like a rip off
This really sounds like they are trying to rely on security through obscurity. And we know how effective that is.
Someone needs to wake them up from their cozy safe little dream.
Funny though, I recall someone saying the white house and pentagon don't appear on teraserver, blocked out or something.
I work for the Department of Redundancy Department.
Mapquest has provided satellite photos alot longer then Google maps, so why wasn't this a concern then? This is probably a division of Microsoft "disguised" as a terrorist, and plans to take down Google.
The United Kingdom has a legal framework, which includes DA Notices http://www.dnotice.org.uk/, where it is a criminal offence to publish or add to material material in a way that runs counter to national security. The position on internet based mediums is yet to be clarified by court action, but the law exists and is something that any person or organisation wishing to publish a single or collective item that threatens the national security of the United Kingdom should be aware of. Although Google Maps may not, in itself, be a specific threat to national security, the fact that it is so easily available to the public is a matter for concern, especially if it is likely to form a significant component of the planning of any terrorist or general criminal activity.
Strictly speaking, what you're saying is right. But no one is blaming Technology. You've made a subtle shift here and then defended a position no one is taking. What people are blaming is the availability of technology.
This situation is more akin to someone being alarmed that kids are shooting themselves because gun owners are leaving unboxed guns around and then someone saying "well, you can't blame guns." That's not what's at issue.
Technology is a gun. To boldly mix metaphors--that makes it a double-edged sword that can be used responsibly and irresponsibly.
For Google to defend itself by saying that the sources of the info are public is like gun owners saying that anyone can buy raw materials needed to make a gun factory, and then make their own gun. The problem is that indeed, these things might be available publicly. But not every terrorist is a computer whiz, and there's a big difference between Google maps offering the maps in well-indexed form, and Google just providing 10,000 places you can search for each and every map you want. The former is more like a gun owner leaving his gun unlocked on a shelf in his childrens' room, while the latter is more like worrying the kid is going to get a fake ID and buy a gun themselves. Yes, both are possible, but the odds are still better for all concerned when more safeguards are in place.
Terrorists work on a budget. And the real war with them is not "in principle, can a terrorist with unlimited budget do this" but rather "in practice, are we handing them the tools such that with a shoestring budget, they can turn huge powers against us".
Moreover, as I understand it, the most kind reading of the terrorist agenda I've ever heard is when someone explained that they don't living in a world that is so light on social safeguards--and they're busy demonstrating to us the consequences of the world we have elected. I don't think it's as simple as that. But similar arguments have been made about the Morris worm, ages ago, which did relatively little damage in the grander scheme of things and mostly warned people about much greater problems to come if we didn't attend to the issue of security. We deal with terrorism as if it's done by a specific group of people who if we can get to stand down, will go away. But really it's about the ability of any unhappy person at any time to use a small budget to annoy the masses. And in that regard, it's not about the people but about the opportunities given people.
One answer is to "limit liberty [ironically in the service of 'preserving liberty']". The Bush administration seems to take that approach. I'd like to think we of the technology world can come up with more creative answers than "all technology must be used utterly freely" as our couter-response. I think there's a middle ground. But I see remarkably little public dialog aimed at discussing the abstract issues at this level--technology vs freedom. Perhaps it's just too abstract for most people.
Kent M Pitman
Philosopher, Technologist, Writer
Today, Leaders of several major terrorist organizations warned that GoogleMaps could be used to aid counter-terrorsts. From the article: "The Google site contains clear aerial photos of our secret training centers, my house and surrounding tents. There are also some clear shots of our car-bomb factory, and if you zoom in really far, you can see me having sex with a camel in the back yard." Debbie Frost, spokewoman for Mountain View, California-based Google, noted that the software uses information already available from public sources and the images displayed are about one to two years old, not shown in real time.
help me i've cloned myself and can't remember which one I am
However, I don't think it's wise to be complacent. Just to be sure, I still might paint my roof lime green just to blend into the image a little better.
I have a twisted question regarding privacy: if you argue that satellite imagery should be publically accessible, what's wrong with a camera in every street, and storing the images for a long time?
Nothing would exisit if all we thought was that a group of terrorists might use it for evil. All we would do is hide.
Somehow, I don't think so.
Granted, any Google search service, or any search engine for that matter, makes it easier to locate information (well, usually... I mean, try to look up the XXX movie starring Vin Diesel without getting a glut of pr0n sites). However, this information is available in other places. Okay, so you want to know the exact location of the White House, its square-footage, its exact orientation in relation to point X, its geographic co-ordinates. Sooo... Do some research. Buy a $5 city map, go to the public library and check out the reference section, check out public records branch of the US government, go scout the place out in person carrying a GPS unit for crying out loud. With the exception of the pretty pictures, Google and Google Maps don't provide any information that a bit of traditional research and a teeny bit of logic can't get you.
I mean, how did intelligence agents gather intelligence before the advent of the Internet?
The only way to stop information from getting to terrorists is to stop it from getting to everyone else! In order to protect the country from terrorists, it is the patriotic duty of all Americans not to demand information! In time, the USA will triumph in their quest to become the worst educated industrialized nation on the planet. In order to protect the country, citizens must base decisions on rumor and innuendo as provided by the almighty television, without paying attention to the facts or even thinking that it would be useful to look for facts on the matter in the first place. Only total lack of information will protect the great United States of America!
And in the meantime, people from countries that are pissed off about American foreign policy will go to Europe or Canada for their education/research/spying, and then use that knowledge to attack the States on their own soil.
Give me a freaking break.
Delhi was the first city in India to have in-car GPS map systems available to the consumer. Further, an extremely detailed map of all locations in Delhi is available from several other sources. The only concern here is the resolution of the maps, Google Earth can provide. The potential hazard seems to be the ability to identify independent buildings which are usually less accessible. However, for maps from aerial photographs and satellite photographs, there are companies who claim to have had access to such information and provided services from them like Ridings India.
For one, yes - a Terrorist organisation would have had some difficulty in obtaining relevant maps of locations they target. Dr. Kalam believes that the issue is ease and speed of access to the maps of higher detail than normally available commercially, which might assist terrorists. There was a foiled attack on the Indian Parliament during the tenure of the last Government (in 2001) which was ill-planned.
However one can take a tour of the Parliament building and premises when it is not in session and therefore map it with sufficient ease, though he'll have to wait for sessions to be off. As for residential locations of the President (Rashtrapathi Bhavan) or Parliamentarians or Government Officers, they are almost known to anyone in Delhi. The trouble in a terrorist attack is usually penetrating the "Z-Class" security cover provided to those who are potential targets.
While strategic maps may be significant weapons in an openly declared war (particularly of military installations), in covert warfare methods used by terrorist operatives other factors including "surprise" and "stealth" play more importance; requiring intelligence operatives to monitor any possibilities and be prepared. Another recent attack on a Hindu Shrine in Ayodhya was also foiled due to tight security and collaboration between military, civilian and paramilitary security groups (although the miscreants had access to the maps). Satellite Maps of Ayodhya are yet to be provided on "Google Earth". I am quite surprised that Dr.Kalam has come up with such a comment, having been a scientist for ISRO and DRDO prior.
No Greater Friend, No Greater Enemy! (Lucius Cornelius Sulla)
-- ac at home
Actually the OP (and the Indian PM) has a point ...
If Al-Queda wanted to cause a complete breakdown in the United States' economy, the most ultimate economy shattering that has been delivered in the history of the world - they would go into India and destroy the tech sector by blowing up the tech parks and computer infrastructure. IBM, Dell, HP, Compaq, Microsoft, all the banks in America, all the airlines in America - they are all heavily over-invested in having moved their tech centers to India - and a few back-pack nukes set off in Bangalore destroying all the tech parks there would bring the US economy to its knees.
Forget the goverment offices, forget doing anything on US soil - all they have to do is send a few dozen Al-Queda guys with AK-47s, grenades and torches into India to burn down 50 or so hi-tech buildings and the US economy would never recover. It would make September 11th look like a picnic, and it would be a heck of a lot easier to coordinate and carry off, Google maps blurring the PM's house or not.
Ironically enough, thanks to GWB, Al-Queda doesn't have the resources or strength to pull off that level of attack (which is a good thing, given how bad doing so would destroy America's economy, and how easy and cheap it would be to accomplish.)
Glonoinha the MebiByte Slayer
FOOD !!!! FOOD can help Terrorists to stay alive, while planning attack. Many may agree, the the use of FOOD should be regulated and controled in some kind of way. If this is impossible, we might even consider to abolish FOOD Or even have everyone who has bought or tried to buy FOOD within the last two month before 9/11 arrested and asked some serious questions. I mean, come on - this is dangerous !! And without FOOD 9/11 would not have happened!!
It would seem that DHS and similar have created a new golden opportunity for terrorists everywhere.
In the 'old days' terrorists had to mess with dangerous explosives, or if really ambitious, chemical and biological hazards. The old holy grail, dangerous nuclear material was generally out of reach.
Today, they can create just as much terror in government and the civillian population just by thinking up something a terrorist MIGHT think of and promptly mentioning it to appropriate authorities. The kicker is that by taking that approach, they are mostly indistinguishable from 'the good guys' and still accomplish their goal.
No, I don't. And neither does anyone else.
Hi,
A few things:
1) Abdul Kalam Azad is not elected, he has NO incentive to create a scare about terrorism.
2) This guy was a rocket scientist earlier,was certainly not stupid as one of the posters indicated. Has helped in the development of rockets, was the cheif of the agency that oversaw satellite imagery development in India and such (DRDO- Defence and Research Development organisation: somewhat like the NASA of old days, with some defence contracts).
3) Tried to promote the free use of satellite imagery related to agriculture in a big way recently (about 6 months back) so that the local governments could make best use of their resources. It was even covered on Slashdot I think... Public memory is short.
Ah, so you are a potential terrorist and you want to plan an attack on the indian parliament (heck... THIS DID HAPPEN). What do you want to depend on? Some tourist map that shows you a huge mass of bricks, or some nice detailed imagery that shows you where the guest houses are, where potential security booths are... etc etc? Dont you think it will be important to figure out how long you have to run on foot to get from small point A to a small point B in the area you are interested in?
Let me ask you a few questions:
1) Would you prefer that the maps of nuclear installations near your home be published in this manner?
2) If Non-geostationary satellites were being used, and they took oblique pictures of your house so that WalMart could find out what furniture you had in your house, would you agree that this is part of "keep information free"? Why not?
3) Ask yourself, if you were a terrorist, would a nice aerial snapshot of the Rashtrapati Bhavan help you? Would you apply to any of the satellite companies for a snapshot if you couldnt rip it off an easily available web source (possible)? Would it hamper you if this access was limited to a 30-day waiting period and background check?
4) Do you REALLY fucking care as a peace loving citizen whether you get to see the inner roads of rashtrapati bhavan or not?
People, there is a white area, a gray area, and a line. The practice of making satellite images of potential terrorist targets (and hey, Iraq might have had no terrorists, but INDIA CERTAINLY DOES AND HAS HAD THEM FOR MANY DECADES) is a very dark shade of gray.
Peace,
S.
I was stationed in Sigonella, Sicily and Rota, Spain. Both of those bases are clearly displayed on Google Earth. I worked in a classified area and that is shown on the maps. Even if the images are two or three years old, it is not like we move the buildings.
I like what google has done but did have that same thought the first time I looked up the bases.
Side note: If you look up Rota, Spain and then find the runway then move to the right, someone cut a large peace symbol into the grass.
It is a different question on wether countries and governments need to restrict G Maps info.
but Google cannot say it will block certain areas for one country, while not doing so for another. The blacked out whitehouse area has set a precedent for governments around the world to ask Google to do the same for their buildings.
...such as it is.
It'd be a lot bigger if Kim Beazley hadn't pork-barrelled the Collins class subs off to a bunch of greedy scumbags South Oz, who had no previous experience, no servicing facilities, and completely botched the construction.
The Collins are anything but marvellous despite several serious refits, give us back our Oberons!
Our own exemplarary Premier oversaw the sale of the three most innovative companies in WA (Armadillo Housing, Eagle Aircraft and the OKA Motor Company) off to Malaysia during his tenure, and the previous one left us little but a copper and glass monstrosity cluttering up the Swan foreshore, but I'd still rather have them, than Kim thanks.
Got time? Spend some of it coding or testing
Ok, So where does that leave programs like Streets and Trips from MS, or Delorme, or online at Mapquest, Mapblast, Tiger data, MSN Maps and Data, Terraserv or Yahoo Maps ? For that matter, why not voice concerns about a GPS period? Why single out Google? They have all been around for years.. is there some reason Google Maps are different?
Sounds more like someone is trying to find a reason to point a finger at Google, but purposely overlooking what has been there around for years.
Could the government already be taking action against this? At the end of the '04-'05 school year, we took a school trip to DC. During the summer, I wanted to find out where my hotel was in relation to everything else. I looked up Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC, and found the White House. I looked around for a while, and then decided to find the Pentagon. I started to move away from the White House--when the power went out. It was out for about thirty seconds, and then came back on. Something to think about.
Let me guess, this is not a concern because:
A) All the buildings that show up on the Google Earth site have been moved OR
B) Terrorists cannot read maps accurately.
Let me know which is correct.
It only matters when the threat is targeting the good ol' US of A. Ugh....
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Its this same line of thought that'll cause the GPS system to be turned back down to crap for non-military use. "OMG! They might go to a building and mark where it is, then use a GPS Guided Missle to Blow it up!"
Right.
Because Terrorists never just -drive- a bomb someplace.
Nowhere in the article does it say Google fails to comply on their request of removing the imagery.
Is this once again a case where a gov't goes to whine for the media before finishing an agreement with Google?
It certainly seems so, as the latter with Google refusing to cooperate would have been far greater news.
Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
You don't hear lines like this when people are talking about how great Google Maps are. From reading the "Praise Google" ads (er, I mean 'articles') on /. recently you would think Google invented aerial photography.
Mathematics is made of 50 percent formulas, 50 percent proofs, and 50 percent imagination.
You think these companies run their data centers in India? All they have are some programmers and some call centers. If India dissapears, these companies can easily re-hire Americans at a higher cost to write code and answer phones. Or, outsource to a different country.
Even if you blow up the offices, as long as there are geeks, there will be IT. We can work from home even.
Fool.
Blar.
MJC
So Abdul Kalam is complaining (or stating his concerns) about Google Maps, eh? Well, just wait until he gets a little more technology oriented and downloads and installs Google Earth. He'll write a book then. Again, Google is right. Any organization who wants... up-to-date... aerial photos is going to buy them pretty easy.
Seriously, anyone who, but for access to Google Maps, would not be able to successfully execute a terrorist attack, is exactly the kind of terrorist I'd prefer over one who might actually be resourceful, cunning, and intelligent.
Terrorist organizations that can afford to recruit many people and train them to become suicide bombers would never need such a service. I'm pretty sure that if Google Maps were discontinued, terrorists would be unable to find targets.
Er, you seem to have forgotten the link to the satellite photo of Guantanamo?
Google maps doesn't yet run on Linux. Or Mac OS. So while would-be bad guys can get free satellite imagery, they can't do it on the more secure platforms, and they will spend all their $$ on Windows licenses.
It shows the hypocricy of the poster. Not atypical of slashdot
If you know that the maps are going to be 1-2 years old, take advantage of the fact that you can dupe your enemies who *think* they know you are.
GOOGLE Declines to Publish Other Publically-Available Information
Someone should tell Debbie Frost, spokewoman for Mountain View, California-based Google, that *HER* personal name and address information is *LIKEWISE* available via publically-available sources, and yet GOOGLE seems to be choosing to keep *THAT* information to themselves...
My own view is that governments, acting on the behalf of the people (I'm speaking hypothetically, seeing as how our own government comes to mind...) has a legitimate interest in protecting state property and military interests from undue scrutiny and harm.
While the information may very well be available publically, it doesn't have to be made *EASY* to find just by typing a query into GOOGLE.
SHOULD Information be Searchable Online Even if it IS Publically-Available?
I like GOOGLE as much as anybody and it has definitely become my second-brain half-the-time, but I think there is a realistic point that some information needs to remain more obscure, even if it is technically public, just for the safety of everyone involved.
That said, I also don't think that this should be a good reason for the wholesale obfuscation of information either-- I think it needs to be carefully weighed, preferably by an uninterested, neutral, third-party (like that's going to happen...) who can evaluate the various interests in these cases.
Open-Source Counter-Terrorism
On the other hand-- there is another point-of-view... If GOOGLE would *START* publishing *LIVE* data (as live as it can get) maybe the OPEN SOURCE COMMUNITY could do a BETTER JOB THAN THE !@*^%$# BUSH ADMINISTRATION in finding OSAMA BIN LADIN and the OTHER TERRORISTS.
After all, two can play the "Where do they live" game... and one might consider that 50 million amateur photo-analysts might just succeed where a few professionals working for an administration that doesn't _really_ have an interest in winning anything, can't.
As long as the Bush administration is fighting the "War on Terrorism", they have a ready-made and pat excuse to hand Haliburton and all of their @#$!@&* Buddies no-bid "sweetheart" contracts and otherwise RAPE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
Does anybody really KNOW that the Bush administration did not secretly PAY Bin Laden to step up the terrorism? Afterall, it sure is working-out very conveniently for some pretty well-placed companies and people! And I find the fact that we _haven't_ found him in almost four years to be patently absurd.
For time travelling terrorist. Aren't most of the images old ? like 5 or 6 years old ? And why isn't the GIS and mapping software being tagged as terrorist threat? or just mapping in general? or just satellites with power cameras?
AlQaeda #1 link in favorites, oh yeah using firefox while running Linux, http://explorer.altopix.com/
RUPERT! I TOLD YOU TO WATCH THE BAGS! You were looking at the boys again, WEREN'T YOU.
... in other news, it has recently been discovered that pen and paper have been used to plan several terrorist attacks. A law to ban them is currently being drafted.
The Cloud - because you don't care if your apps and data are up in the air.
Many, if not all, of the call centres in Hyderbad, Bangalore, etc. do integrate "accent and regional terminology" instruction into their employee training. Maybe the person you speak to is new, and is still trying to get the new accent down (I'd ask "How's YOUR Hindi, but given 15+ years of The Simpsons, and people imitating Apu, I figure that 90% of Americans do a pretty damn good Indian accent...Mine is awesome... :/ )
It's not about speaking English. English is a major language in India. The accent, hey, nothing wrong with nicely asking the tech to repeat, and then even to say it back to them once you get it...They'd probably listen to your pronunciation of it and try to better say it like that.
I read all the flack India's call centre population get, and I don't understand it...I've got mad respect for that whole scene. Granted, the choice of giving "them" "our" jobs, I can understand as being a bitching point, but we should aim that at the folks who in a greedy negative move, decided to screw over their countrymen for a buck. But the bright side is that they also accidentally did something good by giving localities in such an economically screwed, yet, intellectually RICH country a chance to come out into the tech sector like this, and really improve local economies that definitely could have used a little jumpstart..In a few years, when all those Indian call centre employees are working for (or perhaps owning) the giant Indian software megalith corporations that will soon be emerging, the call centre jobs will come back to the US...Maybe when they do, you'll even be getting trained to speak at your call centre job with a more understandable INDIAN accent.
I can't wait to visit India...Stopping into a call centre is one of my plans... (Getting screaming drunk with as many of the techs as I can is another)
Thank you, come again.
All you need is lurv.
I wish Chinese had guts to publish their own satellite images at baidu, including areas censored on Google Earth (U.S./others military bases), thus saving Google from these pressures. Gee, at least our beautiful planet should be freely photographable.
:P
Why are we so feared of terrorism? Why aren't, let's say, Swedes, as massively scared? Let's see.. well.. there just isn't any terrorist threat in Sweden. There isn't terrorist threat because generally nobody has any extremely bad experiences about the country in any aspect. From the internal point of view: Excellent public education and social security provides everyone fair chances to pursue one's dreams in life. From the external point of view: Swedish people are generous and unselfish when it comes to foreign aid, the number of people whose sister was blowed up by Swedish government is relatively very small, their government transparency has guaranteed human civilization that it hasn't set up secret torture centers all around the world, and they generally play a lot for the common interest, at least comparing to most nations. Now, I cannot really say any of the previous things when it comes to this nation...
Here in America people have a weird idea that terrorists were some sort of natural born devils who choose their target for no clear reason. The fact is, people ready to blow up things for killing a few American fellows are just a side-effect of extreme global imbalance in economics while we not only let them have nothing meaningful to do (like studying or working) but also go bully them and try to rule for the interests of our own wealth. Only way to remove terrorism against us is to help at balancing the economies (like, giving resources to global education, removing protectionism and our ip laws devastating economies starting from nothing). Alternatively we can build a fortness and set up access control everywhere, that will work to some degree, but...
hammers and screwdrivers
and WTF are boxcutters still being sold
back in the day we didnt have no old school
Do you expect president of any other county( including Dubya Bush ) to know what Google Earth is? And this guys knows his google from yahoo
In other news, paper, portable fire, and the internal combustion engine may be used to aid terrorist activity. Film at 11.
---
WARNING:Slashdot karma not redeemable in the afterlife.
Do governemnts really care about these things? India has A-Bomb, and it's no problem for them to use it(otherwise there was no need to build it). Do you remember war on Iraq? High resoloution pictures from satelites were uses to kill innocent people in Fallujah and many other cities in Iraq. So these things are not so important. Do you remember who INVENTED taliban? Ameriacans made it, while the Russia's war on Afghanistan. And they still use them for convincing people on their govermental terroristic attacks on Iraq and Afghanistan. 9/11: Do they care about people safety on air travels? Yes, of course... Read this if you don't remember: The USS Vincennes shot down an Iran Air passenger aircraft similar to this Iran Air Airbus, killing all 290 passengers and crew on board.
looks like india has outsourced their equivalent dhs and military intelligence to USA
After reading the "arguments" of the Indian president, I would rather think that the US has outsourced government cluelessness to India.
Thomas-
how many articles are there going to be about google maps aiding countries/terrorist groups to do bad things?
country X doesn't want place Y to be shown, blah blah.
we get it already.
the sunshine bores the daylights out of me
Spot on. Heck, many politicians can think up six impossible things before breakfast.
Google Earth doesn't have any more useful lat/long information than a Rs.8 Survey of India map of Delhi (for example). What is really shocking is that for the first time I can see the vast scale of poor/incompetent/criminal urban planning disaster that is Delhi in glorious 24-bit texture mapped anisotropically filtered perspective. Sure, viewed first hand from the ground you can tell that certain areas are really ugly and worth avoiding (or ignoring as the case might be) but the enormity of the scandal is only apparent when you view the whole thing using a zooming scroll wheel. You can tell that most of it is quite possibly unavoidable and quite fixable. If I were in the government I should be scared that the public is going to find out how they have been looted left, right and center. Case in point: look at the area north of New Delhi airport -- a huge slum area larger than a small town housing probably a million people. Area south of the airport: huge farmhouses occupying roughly half the area yet housing a few hundred well to do. This kind of eye-popping revelations can shake governments. No wonder the (nominal) head of the government is voicing his concern even though he is using the bogeyman in vogue today -- 'terrorism'.
Cars can be used as car bombs !!
........
Outlaw cars !!!
It's like outlawing knives, knives don't kill ppl, ppl kill ppl .
google "32 trillion offshore needs IRS attention"
Google said: "The images displayed are about one to two years old, not shown in real time." Exactly how many days does it take to move all the government buildings? Any stupid Terrorist knows that, there is no single country who moves their governing or sensitive building every spring-break. If this is the case, The White House should be around somewhere in Alaska.
1) The US has not outsourced all, or even most important functions. Banks keep financial records in the US. Really, I've seen the computers on which they do it. No point in sending them over to India, legal problems aside, you aren't going to save any money. Most outsourcing is lower-level stuff, call centres and the like. R&D is still largely US based.
2) India is a real, no shit, well-armed nation. If Al-Queda started trying to pull off attacks in India, they'd work to stop them, and by and large succede. Also note that India doesn't have a bill of rights, the authorities get more latitude when dealing with criminals over there, and many things considered cruel and unusual in the US are normal there. What's more, in a matter that was national security related, they'd have even less restrictions.
3) Al Queda NEVER had the resources to pull of an attack like that.
So please, let's cut the mad-tinfoil-hattery here. India has better security than to allow every US intrest in India to be destoryed and if you blew up all the call centres, the world would not stop turning.
She was over there teaching English. Basically they have a program to bring over US English teachers (Chinese lanugage skills not necessary) to go help teach teachers there how to teach English. It doesn't pay much, I don't think it covered the cost to go there and back, but hey it's a trip to China for a couple months with room and board paid.
At any rate, one day the American teachers decided to do an excersise at the grocery store. Labeling foods in English and such things. However, for whatever reason, this appeared suspicious and after a few minutes they were being watched closely by a number of "undercover" police (I use the term loosely, mom said though they didn't have badges or anything, they couldnt' have been more conspicious if they tried) and the students told them urgently it was time to go NOW.
Who knows what the authorities thought they were doing wrong, but it certianly got offical attention.
any entity, be they an individual citizen, or government institution, or corporation ought to have the final say in whether or not they will be included in a map, especially one of this scale. it's similar to removing your name from the phone book. my friends and i don't like the fact that our homes are visible from space, and we've requested our homes be blurred out too.
it just makes sense.
www.spotimage.fr they runa number of commercial imaging satellites. You can even pay them to task them over things you'd like to see and get up to date pictures.
For US stuff, USGS has tons and tons of overhead photos, topo maps, and so on. That's all public domain, just go down to your local USGS branch and ask, you'll get what you want for the price of copying.
Note that Google attributes all its' sources, you can look at an image and see where they got it. All that GE does it tie a bunch of different sources in to a really slick and easy interface. They aren't actually getting any information themsevles. Google doesn't do that, they are basically a giant information hoover. They aren't a primary source for information, they just gather and catalogue tons of information from other sources.
the government ignoring the evidence of the impending 9-11 attack, both from their own intel agents and from foreign intel sources is a much bigger "threat" than what they push.
And al queda, meaning the base or database of enlisted mujahedin, was a joint construct of the UK, USA and Saudi governments, who then used them to fight a proxy war against the USSR in afghanistan. Many of these same "al queda" got governmental training when we waged war on serbia in favor of the narco terrorists of the KLA from albania. And saddam was a propped up and completely supplied puppet of the UK and USA for years as long as we cold use him to fight Iran. and he was just as evil then as he always was, but no western guys in dark suits gave a care then. And we got into a beef with Iran when they finally kicked out the shah and his SAVAK torturers, after the US set him up after some spooks masterminded the assassination of Irans legit elected leader and got the "peacock throne" royal goons in there as puppets, who then turned around and instigated the first OPEC oil embargo against the west.
And yada yada yada, you can go back to before WW1 and see a lot of examples of the Anglo/US axis of maximum profits just *constantly* meddling with those people and setting up tinpot dictators who eventually all go "rogue", so the process can repeat. It's all just data, history.
Frankly, I am amazed at those people's restraint against the west, and it's no wonder the fundy mullahs have such an easy time recruiting now..
In other words, we are surely reaping what we have been sowing for a few generations now. And we keep being told we need to "support" the latest batch of corporate/political meddlers to go over there and harass, kill and exploit those people.
I'll pass.
Learn from history or repeat it, binary choice
I don't think it would.
I don't think this thought would even make the top 3 list of most people who try to see new developments in the context of how they might change the world and how we do things. Not unless you were working in some sort of security related field.
Things have changed a lot in just 5 years.
Shit...
smash.
I run: Windows, OS X, Linux, FreeBSD. Just because you have a hammer, doesn't mean everything is a nail.
High resolution image of Lucas Heights from Google Maps.
Did you know that taking pictures using your dinky point-and-shoot is not allowed from commercial airplanes in India? the idea is once again "security", but I really think pictures from a plane with an ordinary camera are far worse in detail than ANY picture you could take from inside a tall building. (Actually - it might even be worse than hand-drawn maps ...).
Try explaning that to the cabin-crew on Indian airliners.
There are many many sources for satellite photos. If they have places they want censored, they can ask Google as the US government has done on a few occasion, and they'll probably blur or edit the location, but then terrorists, or more likely, anyone else interested in photos of those locations, can just get them from elsewhere.
You mean governments fear that technology gives people access to information? Oh the terror!
Let me bring to your notice the threats that are faced by India. Unlike the US/West which had the first real encounter with terrorism just a couple of years ago, India has been fighting terrorists since the last two decades. These terrorists have crossed over from the other side(I don't I need to mention fron where) and have highly advanced inventory and communication systems.
The problem is real out here. The only reason the West never knew it because they didn't want to know it, for if they did, they wouldn't be able to sell the million dollar worth of arms and ammunition to the countries that support the terrorists. Al-Qaeda is very new terrorist organization compared to the Mujahideens and others who have been fighting a proxy war in India. And believe me if you want to, the terrorists use the arms and ammunition supplied from the West. They dont make it on their own. The West woke up to terrorism only after the 9/11. But I guess it was too late by then. As the Bible says, 'As you sow, you shall reap'
Call it flame, paranoia, but truth always stings.
The only thing I can ask for is that nobody blows my cover of maps.google. Other wise I may face some opposition when I reach my final stages of pillaging the moon with my close knit group of fellow pirates. You can fucking keep earth, I got bigger plans. Thanks google, tool.
Have you seen muh baseball?
Google Maps uses information which has been semi-publically available for a long time, there is nothing special about it other than the UI.
:D )
This article sounds like something this guy would write... (and, the anti-that-guy