Yesterday, I decided to check in on Google Earth. It had been some time since I had paid them a visit. Whenever I go there, they encourage me to update to their latest and coolest technology which I always find fascinating. Yesterday's visit had me totally oohing and awwwing, but it also made me stop and think about things.
Have you been to visit them lately? If not, you really should. In fact, why don't you go there right now, if you have the time, and check out what they've been up to. Google Earth. When you go, make sure to ask them to visit your house address. If you are lucky enough to live in an area where they've been hard at work (such as here in Atlanta) you will find little camera icons on your street. Click on one of those babies and see what happens. And if you are really lucky and hit the jackpot, as I did, you will even find a camera with your house number on it. When you click to open it up, it will give you a full 360 degree panaromic view of the front of your house, from the street, and all your neighbors. Really! No kidding!! When did those little gnomes do this? Well, I can figure out from the dead bush next to our mailbox and the crepe myrtle in bloom, it was sometime last summer when we were in the midst of our drought and were not allowed to water.... hence the dead bush next to our mailbox.
Do I like this, I asked myself?? Hmmmm....NO. Hey, if someone is going to take a photo of our house for the world to see, I would like to be notified first and asked permission. We would probably reject the offer, but if we did accept, we certainly would remove the dead bush first. I bet those exclusive sub-divisions with gated entrances don't allow the Google gnomes to take photos at their own whim.
Now, on the flip side, what I do approve of, is the non-residential side of this technology. I took a virtual tour of old York (in England) yesterday. The photos were crystal clear. It was as though I was strolling down the streets looking at the actual store fronts. (There were little camera icons every so many feet....so cool!) Next, I will have to take a few virtual tours of cities I have never been to.
