NationStates Jolt Archive

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/20/technology/20image.html?ei=5065&en=fca84aa48ed6bb3b&ex=1135659600&partner=MYWAY&pagewanted=print

I rather like Google Earth, and my children like it, too. It gives them an ability to cross reference maps with photos in a way that was unavailable to the general public just a few years ago.

Some of the photos are years old, so I don't see it as a completely up to date system, but it is nice.

I don't see any harm in it - and that's coming from an old military hand. Anyone can pay a foreign satellite service (the French run one) to get photos of nearly any spot on Earth you like - and it will be up to date.

Why are various nations upset about this?
What do you think about this?
When Google introduced Google Earth, free software that marries satellite and aerial images with mapping capabilities, the company emphasized its usefulness as a teaching and navigation tool, while advertising the pure entertainment value of high-resolution flyover images of the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben and the pyramids.

But since its debut last summer, Google Earth has received attention of an unexpected sort. Officials of several nations have expressed alarm over its detailed display of government buildings, military installations and other important sites within their borders.

India, whose laws sharply restrict satellite and aerial photography, has been particularly outspoken. "It could severely compromise a country's security," V. S. Ramamurthy, secretary in India's federal Department of Science and Technology, said of Google Earth. And India's surveyor general, Maj. Gen. M. Gopal Rao, said, "They ought to have asked us."

Similar sentiments have surfaced in news reports from other countries. South Korean officials have said they fear that Google Earth lays bare details of military installations. Thai security officials said they intended to ask Google to block images of vulnerable government buildings. And Lt. Gen. Leonid Sazhin, an analyst for the Federal Security Service, the Russian security agency that succeeded the K.G.B., was quoted by Itar-Tass as saying: "Terrorists don't need to reconnoiter their target. Now an American company is working for them."

Google should block out sensitive buildings and bases with the picture of a bullseye ;)

I like it a lot. It's an amazing program. I was thrilled to read in my Jan. 06' National Geographic that their markers on GE will soon expand to outside Africa.

Google should block out sensitive buildings and bases with the picture of a bullseye ;)

There's a mysterious black area in the New Mexico desert. ;)

There apparently have been reports of Iraqi insurgents using goggle earth to find the layout of Allied bases.

But the register did have a nice article about spotting black helicopters using google earth and got a fair few of them (and a couple of Sr-71s parked up and a couple of U-2s in flight...)

I found my workplace and house. :)

The Australian Parliament building looks interesting ...

New Zealand is just a long shot. I can just make out a large park near my house, and pick from there around about where main roads are, but there is no real detail compared to other places.

The centre of Stockholm is very detailed. I can see my office building very clearly.

http://www.google.com/maps?q=stockholm&ll=59.329840,18.069474&spn=0.003031,0.014514&t=k&hl=en

Google Earth is nothing more than one of the most detailed atlas' ever made.

What pisses governments off is that, as it's photographic, they can't ask the author to just not include what they consider "sensetive" areas.

You know, those sensetive areas that if you have more than two brain cells, you can find really easily just by the big fences and hearsay?

most of the west of sctoland is crap the only good detailed bits are loch lomond, paisley and greenock...

Although glasgow airport does get covered fairly well.

I know it freaks the hell out of my (always paranoid) parents. You can see their quarter section in minute detail...the derelict cars used for target practice, the army net draped over a stand of willows, covering more derelict cars...my mom has completely given up growing pot out back. I think Google Earth is really neat...but I'm going to be living on that quarter section one day soon, and I don't like the idea either that people can see anything we build, where we park, and so on with such ease.

most of the west of sctoland is crap the only good detailed bits are loch lomond, paisley and greenock...

Although glasgow airport does get covered fairly well.
The coverage of most of Sweden is also rubbish. But then I guess, how close up do we really need a picture of a load of trees to be...

However, they don't have road maps for Sweden either.

*waits for Mac version to come out*

*waits for Mac version to come out*

try maps.google.com
a internet browser version (i think it should be mac compatible...)

This doesn't supprise me. The first day I used it we sucessfully found Groom Lake AFB. It has a few Kingair 200's and 737-200's sitting around. I was also looking for some MiG's and found them at a small airstrip in Havana Cuba. They have a line or aircraft with MiG-21's, MiG-23's, and it looks like AN-24's with thier wings removed.

Heh, I love this program! It makes plane spotting so much easier.

try maps.google.com
a internet browser version (i think it should be mac compatible...) Yes, I remembered my parents showing me something like Google Earth on a Mac. I'll take a look at it, thanks. :)

I quite enjoy it - I like finding "questionable" things in remote areas.

For instance.

Take a look at these coordinates: 45 degrees 01'30.80" North,
by 64 degrees 49'25.59" West

I think it is a missile in flight from a nearby military base.

I find it absolutely invaluable, because I'm the "go to" guy when my family and friends are lost and need someone to call.

It's great, because if you know which road they are on, you can just ask them what the next exit is, and there you are. You know exactly where they are, and can find exactly which route will get them where they need to go.

Plus it's nice when in a new town and your looking for a bar, nightclub, restaurant, or gas station etc. etc.

BTW, does anyone know how to make .kmz files?
I guess you can mark any spot, turn it into a .kmz files, and post it as a link, and when you click on it, it automatically runs G.E. and takes you there.

Just not sure how to do it yet.

Yes, I remembered my parents showing me something like Google Earth on a Mac. I'll take a look at it, thanks. :)
I'm using the maps.google.com... works on my Mac... but you're right, it's poor that one of the biggest IT companies in the world isn't producing all its solutions with a Mac version.

my mom has completely given up growing pot out back.

Holy shit, I never thought of that side effect.

Damn, that hippie commune i'm planning will have to have a big aluminium shield over it or something.

*begins rolling a massive ball of al-foil*

I'm using the maps.google.com... works on my Mac... but you're right, it's poor that one of the biggest IT companies in the world isn't producing all its solutions with a Mac version.
A Mac is nothing but an overpriced graphics machine. It'll be dead soon.

My dad and brother love Google earth but i havnt even checked it out yet. Is it realy that neat?????

My dad and brother love Google earth but i havnt even checked it out yet. Is it realy that neat?????
My friend, it's the cats meow! ;)

Oh..... that explains so very much lol. My brother was always freaking out about google earth and making my dad tell me stuff about it so i didnt want to check it out. I blame my brother j\k. Ill be sure to check it out sometime soon.

Holy shit, I never thought of that side effect.

Damn, that hippie commune i'm planning will have to have a big aluminium shield over it or something.

*begins rolling a massive ball of al-foil*
Yes well, if that little shield or shed emits too much heat (if you can take topographical satellite pics, you can certainly check for heat sources) expect a visit from the piggies...

Why are various nations upset about this?
What do you think about this?

Because nations also have a right to privacy. Especially countries which face terrorist attacks day in and day out.

The thought of a high res top view of the Rashtrapathi Bhavan (the president's residence) available for free gave shivers to our security people.

There's a mysterious black area in the New Mexico desert. ;)

And a mysterious pixellated area in Washington DC next to the British Embassy Chancery - what on earth could we be hiding?

I do think it's a brilliant program. And so what if it shows bird's eye views of government buildings?

Anyone would think it gave a detailed plan of the Houses of Parliament - which you could find on the internet anyway.

Some people just overreact.

I was only disappointed when I found out that images of non-major towns and cities aren't as detailed as the major ones - the high detail area is about 5 miles away from my house: that really irritated me.

Yes well, if that little shield or shed emits too much heat (if you can take topographical satellite pics, you can certainly check for heat sources) expect a visit from the piggies...

*cries*

Ooh, I know.

A greenhouse inside an igloo. It's perfect.

Just get yourself a really big canvas and write "There's nothing here" on it. Then you extend it over the "sensitive spot."

I adore Google Earth, I could sit with it for hours and just go from one place to another. It's awesome. :)

I quite enjoy it - I like finding "questionable" things in remote areas.

For instance.

Take a look at these coordinates: 45 degrees 01'30.80" North,
by 64 degrees 49'25.59" West

I think it is a missile in flight from a nearby military base.

I think you may be right...

I seem to remember that the White House and, I think, the Capitol were mysteriously in much lower resolution than the rest of the city.

Well I think that the program is great however no matter how much I love to see anywhere in the world I agree that some places should be blocked. For example I looked right down into Pearl Harbour and could see the positioning of every building etc. If I can do that then so can terrorists and such characters so I think they have gaps where you cant see sensitive locations.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/20/technology/20image.html?ei=5065&en=fca84aa48ed6bb3b&ex=1135659600&partner=MYWAY&pagewanted=print

Why are various nations upset about this?
What do you think about this?
These are nations that don't value individual freedom. I'm not sure one can even own a national flag in India.

Screw them.

Hey, I like Google Earth. I found the house I lived in for a year in North Carolina and I found my ex-girlfriend's home as well. That was so cool :)

The only thing I don't like about it: Its system requirements suck. I run Win98SE and am not going to upgrade to WinXP or Win2K anytime soon, so http://www.studip.uni-goettingen.de/pictures/smile/pukey.gif

These are nations that don't value individual freedom. I'm not sure one can even own a national flag in India.

Screw them.


I've seen international cricket played in India and the crowd is filled with flags..

Yeah, I've played around with it a bit. Looking at Major USN bases is kind of cool.

However, I figure some of the information isn't that detailed. It's a composite of several years worth of photographic data.

So don't get too paranoid!

Yeah. They blotted out all the sensitive areas in the US though. And apparently, area 51 isn't one of them. Though they did at one point snap a picture of an experimental airplane, but they blotted that one out within a week.

Hey I can see my house from here!

There's a mysterious black area in the New Mexico desert. ;)
Why don't you try being a little more vauge?

I was only disappointed when I found out that images of non-major towns and cities aren't as detailed as the major ones - the high detail area is about 5 miles away from my house: that really irritated me.

The high detail area is about 150 miles from my house :p

My friend got this program when it debuted. Area 51 wasnt blocked then. It has a basebal field. :D

For instance.

Take a look at these coordinates: 45 degrees 01'30.80" North,
by 64 degrees 49'25.59" West

I think it is a missile in flight from a nearby military base.

It looks like a model rocket, but then again from that high up it could be a missile.

It looks like a model rocket, but then again from that high up it could be a missile.

Can someone please post a screen shot, I dunno how to bring it up on the web browser verison.

Found it. It is kinda weird looking. Wonder what that farmhouse thought.

I hadn't used it in a while, so when I went on today, I was extremely surprised to find my house, my local shopping centre, and all the main roads. However, because they haven't mapped Australian roads yet, I had to get a street directory and connect parts of the street directory to the Google Earth photography. I'm pretty happy though.

As for the countries which don't want their parts of the world shown, how about Google uses really really blurry photography like they use in Scotland, and some parts of Australia?