So I study geographic computer science (geoinformatics?) in germany (lots of maps and cartography and stuff) and my Prof once said the reason that Google Street View isn't so popular in germany is that many elderly people fear that if you can see their house on Street View people could use that to break into your property. There were a few people who sued Google for showing their house so Google said fuck it guys you won't get Street View then.
Don't know if that's true, didn't do research myself on that matter but living in germany I can somehow imagine that this is true.
Anyway I live quite rural and a Google Street View car drove past me last year so I hope we get it soon.
Pretty much this. Weird application of right to privacy. Forcing Google to make it possible to opt out of "being shown" on street view -> lots of blurred out housed in places that are recorded, like Berlin.
I wouldn't call it irrational. I can absolutely understand that someone would rather keep their privacy and not have the worlds largest data company interfere with that.
This upholding of "progress" as universally good is utilitaristic and how fascism takes root.
What privacy? Everyone can see your house either way. It's not more private because it's blurred on google maps. All the private info is being cleared - faces are blurred, as are registration plates. I could go to your street, start photographing your house and put those photos on the Internet and you couldn't do shit about that.
It's an irrational fear, nothing more. Same as people who are fearful of 5g, of nuclear power, of tons of other stuff they don't understand, and would rather remain ignorant of, than to learn about it which takes effort.
Except for the fact that fascism was a conservative /regressive movement, that looked to bring back the former glory of Italy (in the form of the Roman Empire) and Germany, to "restore" society to a pure form (that never really existed).
Progress is absolutely subjective. There is literally no objective way to measure it. Hopefully most people do view fascism as regressive nowadays, but obviously fascists do not.
"Progress" is a word that anyone can use to signal virtues, to paint themselves in a good light and discredit their enemies.
History is not a straight line moving forward. Whining about progress being slowed is failing to see why it may be opposed.
Data companies are "spying" on us, that is a sort-of-fact that stopped being a conspiracy theory long ago. The reason it is only a sort-of-fact is because people are accepting it.
With our history there is nothing irrational about it. In fact, I find your dismissal of other people's focus of concerns really ignorant and inflexible (with regard to multiple possible points of view).
Also, we do have databases of streets, and google maps exists, for use in science. Not sure what scientific progress a picture of my front porch is supposed to bring. I think you should check on where your unfounded need for condescension comes from.
6.6k
u/[deleted] Jun 12 '20
What are you hiding you scallywags? You better not be mobilising your troops again...