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Google Maps Terrorist's Tool?  (View post)

andrew [PersonRank 0]

Sunday, October 16, 2005
18 years ago

Don't forget the human hand!

Rev.Dr. Spyder X [PersonRank 1]

18 years ago #

Or the human mind which is harder to pinpoint than WMDs!

I feel smarter reading this blog [PersonRank 0]

18 years ago #

I never thought Google employees are so dumb...Can't you understand what president Kalam is saying...Or Do you think all the presidents are alike ;-)

THINK...before making fun of it.

Mark Draughn [PersonRank 5]

18 years ago #

Uh, actually, Philipp is not a Google employee.

I agree, however, that his parody of Kalam's statement is a bit off. The threat from using Google for photos of sensitive sites is more direct and focused than the threat of using a pencil to write a terrorist note. It's more like noticing that kitchen knives can be used to stab people too, or that people can look in your windows while you're looking out.

Actually, that second analogy's not bad. Private satellite photography has been available for over a decade. And countries like North Korea were receiving intelligence from Soviet satellites long before that. Stop complaining about the people looking in the windows and put up some curtains.

Philipp Lenssen [PersonRank 10]

18 years ago #

If this would have been the first time someone's complaining about Google Maps for its potential abuse factor, my post might have contained less sarcasm. Turns out it wasn't:
http://blogoscoped.com/archive/2005-08-07-n86.html

Maybe we should think about what motivates "terrorists" (what a stereotype!), than about all the stuff in the world they could abuse – beause there's just too much of that, and there's always gonna be a weakest link in the chain.

monu agrawal [PersonRank 1]

18 years ago #

Hay,
Mr. APJ Abdul Kalam's concern is valid. Specially for a country like India.
And don't ever think that Kalam is like other presidents. He was principle scientist in defence research & development organisation(DRDO) "http://www.drdo.nic.in
, India and earlier he was in Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) "http://www.isro.org". He knows about use and misuse of satelite images more than you could ever think.

Philipp Lenssen [PersonRank 10]

18 years ago #

Monu, did I say satellite imagery could *not* be abused? No, actually I said that practically *anything* our civilization built up – technology/ tools, accumulated knowledge – can be abused. (Interesting to note here is that Google Maps doesn't even provide previously unseen data, as satellite imagery has been available before...)

monu agrawal [PersonRank 1]

18 years ago #

Well, as I know, satellite imagery was not available to terrorists easily. Just think if al-kayada would be having "Google Earth" when they planned for 9/11.
Well my saying is just that any technology can be abused, but free availability of satellite imagery is much more dangerous than we people thinks.
Since Kalam is an expert in this area, if he is worried about it then it's really a big concern.

Ashish T. [PersonRank 0]

18 years ago #

Hey Phillip,
Parody and fun is all fine....
I just looked up some of airforce stations in bangalore, and yes, it does seem odd that its up there in google earth....

as for "all presidents alike", this APJ you guys are referring to, is one of the main guys who fooled the american satellites while working on pokhran nuclear tests, you know dear US of A was found literally napping about how an exercise of such magnitude be carried out without even a blip on US oh A's satellite espionage..... so there....

Philipp Lenssen [PersonRank 10]

18 years ago #

> Just think if al-kayada would
> be having "Google Earth" when
> they planned for 9/11.

Completing your argument, which kind of contradicts your position, the terrorists were able to plan and complete their attacks even when there was *no* Google Earth available.

Note however that the product Google Earth is based on was indeed available before the attacks:

"Purchase EarthViewer 3D ... Try EarthViewer HTML"
http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.keyholecorp.com
-- Keyhole Corp., July 21, 2001 (according to the Wayback Machine)

Rev.Dr. Spyder X [PersonRank 1]

18 years ago #

Everybody is right! The terrorists SHOULD NOT have access to Google Maps. And those of us who are NOT terrorists should! Simple as that.. And as for 911,it was just a staged event to bring about the police state here. Now you have to show ID to send packages via UPS! They want to make everybody get used to 'showing ze papers'!

Concerned [PersonRank 1]

18 years ago #

Okie,
so may be 911 was not infact related to google earth, should we wait for one???

and if indeed its harmless, what is the problem with US military wiping out military and air force stations from goolge earth???

I see it a bit of contradiction that rest of the countries its fine to have *ALL* information displayed, but not for america...

as for lame argument like "Post-it notes" and "Pencils be banned because of its potential miuse(despite the sarcasm) , you need to thnk is the documents of nasa are not available online, but general information is....just as much that does not put anybody's life at risk...its a free world, but not every lunch is free, and not all information should be public, because you'll never know those guys who are terrorists...
and yes, though internet CAN be used to do anything, you know what happened to the guy who created "mickrowesoft", just search the term and you'll know how free is the world...

Satnam Singh Banti [PersonRank 0]

18 years ago #

Hi
Google is only the best way to search internet to anything you think
you can write your options and carry on a very simple and best way to collect every information you want
I have no more words to say for GOOGLE

East or West
GOOGLE is the best

Support Freedom! [PersonRank 10]

18 years ago #

The 'fine print' for the above posting:

* Except if you live in certain dictatorships, and your opinions or search happen to be in opposition to the dictatorship.

Mr google map [PersonRank 0]

18 years ago #

I think all arguments and concerns are valid..lets just leave it in the hands of GOD...

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