Robert's Rants

John Cleese is awesome.

If one is going to complain about companies when they have a negative experience (cough American Airlines cough), one should also praise companies when they have a positive experience.

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There's beginning to be a pattern here (see my last post about Texas and Vista). I am from England and today I started receiving e-mails from friends asking me if everyone in England is an idiot.

The BBC (and other sources) are reporting that a Google vehicle that was recording imagery for Google street view was blocked and harassed by angry villagers in Broughton. The villagers felt that their privacy was being invaded.

Let's look at the reasons why this is nonsense:

First, a building does not have a right to privacy. Complaining that someone taking a picture of your house is an invasion of privacy is nonsense.

Second, they claim that the images peer into their windows. Anyone that has used Google Maps Street View knows full well that the resolution is not particularly high, and a picture taken from the street would reveal less than a pedestrian walking by could see. Unless you are in the habit of standing in your driveway with your genitals exposed and thrust forward, you really don't have anything to worry about.

Sigh.

Update: Revenge is sweet.