# Googlemap "satellite" photos... who/what/how??? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 18, 2010, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/googlemap-satellite-photos-who-what-how/536568 "2010-04-18T22:33:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2010, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/googlemap-satellite-photos-who-what-how/536568/21 "2010-04-19T00:30:27Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Couldn’t this be answered by Googling for Google? 🙂 [Sure, live dangerously.](http://www.galactanet.com/comic/view.php?strip=378) ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2010, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/googlemap-satellite-photos-who-what-how/536568/22 "2010-04-19T00:36:12Z")
They’re Googlemapping the bike paths where I live right now. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzlL79v-0yU&feature=player\_embedded#](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzlL79v-0yU&feature=player_embedded#)! ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2010, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/googlemap-satellite-photos-who-what-how/536568/23 "2010-04-19T00:45:53Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Google has a [mechanism](http://maps.google.com/help/maps/streetview/privacy.html) to request that an image be removed, if someone believes that their privacy is at issue. But as others said, it’s really useful. I’ve used it when I was looking for a store I’d never been to before. And my parents used it to look at a house they’d been invited to visit to see if my father would be able to get from the driveway into the house with his walker. On my Droid (cell phone powered by Google) if I use the GPS when a get to about a block from my final location it displays an image of the destination. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2010, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/googlemap-satellite-photos-who-what-how/536568/24 "2010-04-19T03:54:17Z")
There are actually several companies that have the intention of eventually driving every single street in the whole world (starting with the most important countries, e.g. the U.S. and Western Europe) in order to gather the infomation necessay for the more-and-more sophisticated mapping and navigation systems that are out there. Google is only the best known . ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2010, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/googlemap-satellite-photos-who-what-how/536568/25 "2010-04-19T07:20:54Z")
What’s great is they recently went through the whole of the UK, so you get to see a whole bunch of quaint English towns in sunny weather. Here’s a [lucky shot](http://is.gd/aN0Tk). I have a lot of fun looking at potential locations for our little film shoots, or using it as a guide when I visit someone. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2010, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/googlemap-satellite-photos-who-what-how/536568/26 "2010-04-19T07:43:14Z")
You’re just now freaking out about this? I remember freaking out a few years ago when I saw my mom’s car parked in the driveway using Googlemaps. I use it quite a bit. It’s a wonderful tool. ---
**Author:** ![Moonshiner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@Moonshiner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonshiner)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2010, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/googlemap-satellite-photos-who-what-how/536568/27 "2010-04-19T12:09:22Z")
Sorry to be pedantic, but Google Maps is two words. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2010, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/googlemap-satellite-photos-who-what-how/536568/28 "2010-04-19T14:39:12Z")
Looks like they’ve added a lot of theme parks recently. You can wander through Universal parks in Orlando and Alton Towers in the UK. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2010, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/googlemap-satellite-photos-who-what-how/536568/29 "2010-04-19T14:43:25Z")
> [@Moonshiner](#): > > Sorry to be pedantic, but Google Maps is two words. ‘Google’ and ‘maps’ _are_ two words. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![BrandonR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@BrandonR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandonR)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2010, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/googlemap-satellite-photos-who-what-how/536568/30 "2010-04-19T14:49:27Z")
Getting freaked out by Google’s Street View is [soooo 2007](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Street_View). Also, what rock and/or cave have you been living under/in? What’s really cool is now Google is also starting to do “street” view for theme parks. Here’s [Alton Towers](http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&q=Alton,+Stoke-on-trent,+Staffordshire,+United+Kingdom&sll=51.404736,-0.516364&sspn=0.003249,0.008256&ie=UTF8&cd=3&geocode=FXJbKAMdwRrj_w&split=0&hq=&hnear=Alton,+Stoke-on-trent,+Staffordshire,+United+Kingdom&ll=52.990695,-1.891&spn=0,0.016512&t=h&z=17&layer=c&cbll=52.987148,-1.89618&panoid=-D19afCvLNrUh1FVEDn1_w&cbp=12,175.52,,0,-10.44), for example. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2010, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/googlemap-satellite-photos-who-what-how/536568/31 "2010-04-19T14:55:51Z")
> [@2gigch1](#): > > [Click here & pan up for the Pliars of Doom!](http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Foxoak+St,+Cradley+Heath,+West+Midlands+B64,+United+Kingdom&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=13.283564,27.817383&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Foxoak+St,+Cradley+Heath,+West+Midlands+B64,+United+Kingdom&ll=52.470103,-2.08251&spn=0.003366,0.006791&t=h&z=17&layer=c&cbll=52.470165,-2.082675&panoid=BI32I2U_eu0IucKblb4Tqg&cbp=12,306.41,,0,12.09) So \* that’s \* where I lost them! ---
**Author:** ![This\_Just\_In\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@This\_Just\_In\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/This_Just_In_2)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2010, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/googlemap-satellite-photos-who-what-how/536568/32 "2010-04-19T15:36:59Z")
Where I live in the Portland, OR a whole bunch of city and county agencies get together and pay a company to take aerial photos of the entire metro area annually. The data is later shared with Google (or anyone else willing to pay a few $$$ for it). Sharing GIS data is the way of the future - I mean Google itself puts it out for free. So I doubt Google rarely is ever hires many airplanes/satellites themselves, as other agencies already are taking the pictures. Eventually, people are not going to want old street level pics. It seems like Google should just get volunteers to install a camera/GPS on the car and then have regular people drive around during their normal lives taking updated pictures the whole time. Fed Ex or UPS trucks would be great for that. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotGrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9dc877/32.png) [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2010, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/googlemap-satellite-photos-who-what-how/536568/33 "2010-04-19T15:50:51Z")
They also covered some of the [ski slopes](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=7th+Heaven+Blackcomb&sll=50.136975,-123.113995&sspn=0.070527,0.181789&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Whistler+Creekside,+Whistler,+Squamish-Lillooet+Regional+District,+British+Columbia,+Canada&t=h&layer=c&cbll=50.096191,-122.882457&panoid=LIYDrQudHDwrXG6k1a93vg&cbp=12,157.52,,0,-10.63&ll=50.092379,-122.886608&spn=0.010077,0.01545&z=16) and other areas around the Winter Olympics venue. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2010, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/googlemap-satellite-photos-who-what-how/536568/34 "2010-04-19T16:05:00Z")
> [@BrandonR](#): > > What’s really cool is now Google is also starting to do “street” view for theme parks. That’s soo 10 minutes ago. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2010, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/googlemap-satellite-photos-who-what-how/536568/35 "2010-04-19T18:02:09Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I did notice just the other day, though, that they don’t seem to have anything at all in the Republic of Ireland. Their vans have been spotted here so I think they’re just still collating the information. ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2010, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/googlemap-satellite-photos-who-what-how/536568/36 "2010-04-19T18:02:11Z")
> [@This\_Just\_In\_2](#): > > Eventually, people are not going to want old street level pics. It seems like Google should just get volunteers to install a camera/GPS on the car and then have regular people drive around during their normal lives taking updated pictures the whole time. Fed Ex or UPS trucks would be great for that. Sounds like a great revenue source for the USPS. Imagine getting the Street View updated every day. I like the Bird’s Eye View in Bing Maps where it is available. It is much more useful than a regular aerial view and sometimes more useful than the Street View. Sometimes it is hard to spot the store you want to go to from the street view. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2010, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/googlemap-satellite-photos-who-what-how/536568/37 "2010-04-19T18:29:12Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > What the heck are those??!! It’s obviously a Vogon constructor ship, cunningly disguised as a pair of side-cutters. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2010, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/googlemap-satellite-photos-who-what-how/536568/38 "2010-04-19T18:30:37Z")
Google Street View photographed our house during some renovations, so there’s a portable toilet immortalized on our front lawn. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2010, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/googlemap-satellite-photos-who-what-how/536568/39 "2010-04-19T18:36:50Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > They’re Googlemapping the bike paths where I live right now. > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzlL79v-0yU&feature=player\_embedded#](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzlL79v-0yU&feature=player_embedded#)! > [@PatriotGrrrl](#): > > They also covered some of the [ski slopes](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=7th+Heaven+Blackcomb&sll=50.136975,-123.113995&sspn=0.070527,0.181789&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Whistler+Creekside,+Whistler,+Squamish-Lillooet+Regional+District,+British+Columbia,+Canada&t=h&layer=c&cbll=50.096191,-122.882457&panoid=LIYDrQudHDwrXG6k1a93vg&cbp=12,157.52,,0,-10.63&ll=50.092379,-122.886608&spn=0.010077,0.01545&z=16) and other areas around the Winter Olympics venue. I’ve long thought the logical next step is Google Backpack, covering every hiking trail and shortcut in the world. I see I’m not too far off. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Tyger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2010, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/googlemap-satellite-photos-who-what-how/536568/40 "2010-04-19T18:48:30Z")
> [@ghardester](#): > > I don’t know, but if you go to spokeO and enter your real name they will show a list of address’ including a Google Earth picture of your house. Enter a friends name and see their house. Kind of disturbing. > > [http://www.spokeo.com/](http://www.spokeo.com/) Holy shit! There’s another me, in the state I used to live. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/googlemap-satellite-photos-who-what-how/536568.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/googlemap-satellite-photos-who-what-how/536568.md?page=3)