by Search Copywriter
K. Todd
Google Street View burst onto our screens last month and caused much amusement in the bigmouthmedia office as adventurous bigmouths explored favourite streets and locations - including the lovely Edinburgh HQ itself. K. Todd
However, it's not all been fun and games for many people in the 25 UK cities added to the service. Most recently in the news was the plucky town of Broughton, which said "no!" to Google Street View, going as far as to physically block the car from entering its streets and gladly watching the hapless driver about turn and drive off.
Many more cries to attention have outed since Street Views inauguration into the UK, from the crude to the scandalous and just plain bizarre - according to the Telegraph, some Street Viewers seem to think they've found a ghost in Cardiff.
Despite all the naysayers, privacy advocates and calls for cancellation, Google has planted its googly foot firmly on British soil and said that Street View isn't going anywhere. In an interview with The Times, Google Maps head John Hanke said that the service is here to stay.
He said: "As a company we may not make 100 per cent of everybody happy in all situations but I don't think you can live your life as an individual or as a company not wanting to step on anybody's toes."
Mr Hanke expressed that Street View was well within Google's code of ethics and, importantly, the law. Google Street View allows you to take in 3D views of public roads without leaving your computer, something that allows for journey planning and househunting without burning up petrol.
The Google Maps boss is quick to cite the benefits of the service: "Generally the side of openness is one that serves us well as a society, in terms of enriching our lives by better information and better choices."
On the evils of the service, Mr Hanke acknowledged that it could be used for some less than savoury actions, but added: "We know it is really popular and people are using it broadly and I am totally convinced that they are not all using it to plan robberies.
"I tend to think that societies like ours come down on the side of information being good for the economy and good for us as individuals."
