Google Street a Slice of Dystopian Future?

An anonymous reader writes "According to a recent CNET article, Google Street View 'is just wrong'. The short piece which makes up part of a larger feature about 'technology that's just wrong' goes on to explain that Google Street View is like a scene from George Orwell's terrifying dystopian vision of 1984 and that it could ultimately change our behaviour because we'll never know when we're being watched. 'Google? Aren't they the friendly folk who help me find Web sites, cheat at pub quizzes, and look at porn? Yes, but since 2006 they're also photographing the streets of selected world cities and posting the results online for all to see. It was Jeremy Bentham who developed the idea of the Panopticon, a system of prison design whereby everybody could be seen from one central point, with the upshot being that prisoners learnt to modulate their behaviour — because they never knew if they were being watched. And that doesn't sound like much fun, does it?'"

Comments

It could be worse

[CopaceticOpus]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=fPgV6-gnQaE

Re:If Google Wants To Watch Me

[moderatorrater]

I own two cats, you insensitive clod!

Re:Bizarre and hysterical rant

[Archangel Michael]

"Yeah, but wasn't there something a while back about google street also getting snaps in as high as second story windows and of girls sunbathing?"

Citation Needed .... and Pictures if possible.

Re:Bizarre and hysterical rant

[Chyeld]

You obviously aren't a member of the Illuminati or you'd know of the secret live update version of Google Street. In fact, this version is so powerful, it's not limited to streets.

I'm watching you right now.

JESUS! Will you put a shirt on that back?

Re:Yet another panic-y article from no-clue crowd

[snl2587]

Yup, funny that they think that the 24/7 video system in the UK is not big brother esque.

But it's for your protection! If the government doesn't know when you're eating, watching T.V., or masturbating, how can they protect you?

Oh no! Online for everybody to see!?!

[ivan256]

That's terrible! We haven't even figured out how to prevent these buildings that are out in the open and easily observable from public places from being seen by every day passers-by. And now we can see them on the internet too? What is the world coming to?

Oh, and open the borders, and photographers should have rights to take pictures of copyrighted works displayed in public.

Re:Yet another panic-y article from no-clue crowd

[moderatorrater]

And the simplest, fastest, cheapest way to [monitor those monitoring surveillance video] that is to install a surveillance camera in the office of the people who watch surveillance footage. That's an infinite loop just waiting to happen...

Re:Bizarre and hysterical rant

[teslar]

JESUS! Will you put a shirt on that back?

How do you know my name? The only place in here where that's written down is in my underw.... oh.

Re:Bizarre and hysterical rant

[Z34107]

Please disseminate this knowledge across my campus.

I live in a dorm that has two wings - one for the men, one for the women, and a common lounge/entrance/exit in the middle connecting them. Makes sense, right?

The dorm is U-shaped, (Men-> |_| <-Women from the Google satellite view) and the women never seem to close their shades.

Not that I mind, of course, but it's bad if I forget to close my blinds when friends or parents visit. The view can be interesting at certain times...