Germany hates progress. Why are they even on the internet? They never make any English language pages anyway. At least the French had the common sense to make their own national internet (minitel) way back when.

Germany hates progress. Why are they even on the internet? They never make any English language pages anyway. At least the French had the common sense to make their own national internet (minitel) way back when.

Come on. There are “privacy” concerns and then there is just plain paranoia. Do people really thing somebody is using Google Street View to spy on them? What exactly are they afraid of?

If I take a picture of a crowded German/French street, or of a random house, and post it on my blog, am I also subject to privacy suits? Best leave my camera at home when I go visit Germany I guess. (Which I will. I like German people :))

I don’t blame Google for not bothering to provide this free service to a country that clearly doesn’t want it.

Come on. There are “privacy” concerns and then there is just plain paranoia. Do people really thing somebody is using Google Street View to spy on them? What exactly are they afraid of?

If I take a picture of a crowded German/French street, or of a random house, and post it on my blog, am I also subject to privacy suits? Best leave my camera at home when I go visit Germany I guess. (Which I will. I like German people :))

I don’t blame Google for not bothering to provide this free service to a country that clearly doesn’t want it.

My nephew was walking down his street on the way home and was captured in the Street View photos. My brother and his wife didn’t care. I like it because I can use Navigator and see what a place looks like when I arrive. I’ve also used to describe a place over the phone to a friend who couldn’t find a local business.

My nephew was walking down his street on the way home and was captured in the Street View photos. My brother and his wife didn’t care. I like it because I can use Navigator and see what a place looks like when I arrive. I’ve also used to describe a place over the phone to a friend who couldn’t find a local business.

There are many Germans who think that blocking photos taken from public streets and places is stupid.

There are many Germans who think that blocking photos taken from public streets and places is stupid.

Don’t kid yourself – a variety of organizations will use that information to help determine how much money you have. If you own a home and it’s well kept, with a nice garden and expensive landscaping, it’s reasonable to assume that you spend money on those items. If your home is in good repair, but the windows are older – or the roof appears to have issues, someone can use that information to identify you as a sales prospect and determine your income level and potential purchasing power.

Your comment fails. Germans do not hate progress. Otherwise they wouldn’t be the worlds no. 1 export nation, esp. in technology and manufacturing. Nevertheless we are pretty serious with privacy, sometimes too much as I think (esp. in that Google case).

But however, this has nothing to do with making English version of web pages anyway. I see all important German companies offering English versions of their web content. I can’t remember any important English speaking company offering German content.

But someone can just walk up to your house and have a look anyway. It’s a publically viewable space just like any other. The same can be said of clothes that people wear. Should we be worried about people who take pictures of you in your clothes? This is a completely ridiculous debate.

Mexico should be more concerned about street view for the violence we are experiencing with drug dealers and all that. But we are accepting Google’s Street View anyway. The world is changing and we need to change with it. It is changing the way I work as a translator for good. Thanks Google.

noobs.. this is for ur own good!

noobs.. this is for ur own good!

People should have the right not to have their homes, faces, children, published in the Internet for billions of people to see. There are pedophiles, robbers, crazies, and just people who might really dislike you, who you might not want to know too much about you. For the same reason, cell phone numbers are not published and people have the right to opt out of phone directories. Google does not have a universal right to display all this information without people’s consent, no matter how cool it is.

Google street was also banned from my sad, sad country, Portugal, on account of privacy issues. Like me and my friends said back then, there must be a lot of people doing a lot of nasty lillegals around the streets of Portugal…

First, I don’t see the privacy issue. I am not a expert on German Law, but apparently the judge and/or jury in the Germain court didn’t see the issue either.

Second, is there legitimate use? Although this may not be a point of law, my opinion is swayed by it. Taking pictures of peoples property to post on your blog may not sound legit. But posting everyone’s house on a site linked to mapping to create a pictorial map is.

So where I could understand being annoyed if someone was following me around with the google street view car, what google is doing has a good purpose.

Privacy does not mean anonymity. Unethical uses for something does not mean that it should be illegal or abandoned. Otherwise our knowledge, progress and security in the world would be vastly limited.

Like having a phone number listed in indexes of phone numbers. It can be annoying but most uses are positive. And there is adequate facility to opt out of the phone book, and it seems to opt out of google street view.

I think Google is waiting out for any country to figure out when they are ready for this type of technological advancement. Many are concerned about privacy initially especially when it has been breached. Some cultures are more open about it. We all know that all countries have valuable input they bring to the table of technology some aspect take a bit longer to embrace. I was born and raised in Germany and I don’t have an issues with Street View, in the matter of fact I would love to see more of it and certainly more updates.

yep, and more than that…you can be fined for not having a fence around your pool..etc..tax evaders have been caught with boats on their prop. many reasons people may want to opt out.

yep, and more than that…you can be fined for not having a fence around your pool..etc..tax evaders have been caught with boats on their prop. many reasons people may want to opt out.

i’m sorry, but that is just silly…where is your proof that germany hates progress?