I'm not so sure. As an American myself, I rather think that most people are proud of their houses and want them to be seen. I can't imagine any scenario where you'd see the same level of outrage in this country.
In the case of Germany, though, it's no longer a case of some random objectors demanding to have their houses blurred. Because of the furore Google has canned SV in Germany (and a few other countries). What imagery already exists is being allowed to stand, subject to any future additional blurring orders, but is not being updated or expanded.
From looking around the Internet, not all Germans are pleased at this development by any means.
I wouldn't put an unlisted number on the same level as blurring one's house. When people request unlisted numbers there's usually a good reason such as marketing and crank calls, and then obviously a listed number, by definition, is associated with your name.
"...er... you know... at least until someone in the neighborhood starts getting creeped out by their just standing there and staring at it. Still, given that, I completely understand why it's so difficult for so many people to understand what is the big deal about someone's home be viewable in Google's Street View."
This is a false analogy, however. For all the hoopla, the nature and use of SV bears little if any comparison to a stranger setting up a camera on your corner and taking pictures for even one day. The day after the Google car drives through, its pictures begin to go out of date, at least until the area is photographed again. It doesn't allow anyone to stalk you or to monitor your behavior.
If it were just blurring private houses I might be able to get behind it, but now vast public areas in cities are being blurred right here in America too. There are always pedestrians and number plates visible in any busy street. Downtown L.A. is just one huge blur these days.
"In another sense, just because you inherently cant hide something from a very small group of people (those walking down my street) does not make it ok for millions of people to see it (everyone on the internet)."
It's *still* a very small group of Internet users who would happen to see your street. I'm not denying that, if your house isn't blurred, everyone in the world with a computer *could* look at your house if they wanted to, but they wouldn't do that, plain and simple. Nobody's that interested in your house or street, and unless you live right next door to a famous historic or cultural monument, virtually nobody in another city or country is going to look at your house. Just as the real people who drive or walk down it are most likely simply on their way to somewhere else and couldn't care less about your house.
If privacy can't be defined except as a negative, then it's a dangerous concept on which to formulate policies to deal with public information.
With regard to those who acknowledge the public's right to walk or drive down their streets, yet get hysterical about somebody using Street View, I have to wonder if it's more about their attitude toward whoever is doing the looking. If someone can just drive over to your street, then they live near you and are perceived as the right kind of people. Poor people across the ocean, who can't afford to travel, are the "wrong" kind, and don't need to be catered to.
From what I've observed lately, even in public areas SV has become next to useless.
I'm really sorry about the noise I brought to your 'quite' neighborhood--my browser really needs a tune-up, and I think there's a memory hole in the muffler.
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Re: Wrong Country
Re: Re: Re: I'm a blurrer right here in the US.
From looking around the Internet, not all Germans are pleased at this development by any means.
Re: Unlisted numbers
Street View isn't remotely like that.
Re: The sheer numbers is the elephant in the room
This is a false analogy, however. For all the hoopla, the nature and use of SV bears little if any comparison to a stranger setting up a camera on your corner and taking pictures for even one day. The day after the Google car drives through, its pictures begin to go out of date, at least until the area is photographed again. It doesn't allow anyone to stalk you or to monitor your behavior.
Re: Blurring houses
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7469/15928545339_20bc63c13d_o_d.png
Re:
It's *still* a very small group of Internet users who would happen to see your street. I'm not denying that, if your house isn't blurred, everyone in the world with a computer *could* look at your house if they wanted to, but they wouldn't do that, plain and simple. Nobody's that interested in your house or street, and unless you live right next door to a famous historic or cultural monument, virtually nobody in another city or country is going to look at your house. Just as the real people who drive or walk down it are most likely simply on their way to somewhere else and couldn't care less about your house.
Re:
With regard to those who acknowledge the public's right to walk or drive down their streets, yet get hysterical about somebody using Street View, I have to wonder if it's more about their attitude toward whoever is doing the looking. If someone can just drive over to your street, then they live near you and are perceived as the right kind of people. Poor people across the ocean, who can't afford to travel, are the "wrong" kind, and don't need to be catered to.
From what I've observed lately, even in public areas SV has become next to useless.
Re: Re: The sheer numbers is the elephant in the room
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