Uncovered: Charlbury's secret Papist plot

Tue 17 Nov 2009, 09:44

AS has been stated earlier, there is an opt-out function that Google does offer, but only once your property is featured.

Sun 15 Nov 2009, 22:49

Thanks everyone. Am pleased to learn I've not been inadvertently breaking the law!

Fri 13 Nov 2009, 14:36

It's certainly sometimes possible to identify an occupant from StreetView photos: icanhascheezburger.com/2007/06/19/o-hai-googlz/ ...

But yes, Diana and Ian are correct in that what they're doing is legal. The magazine I edit prints hundreds of photos taken in public places every month, and we have never asked for permission nor have we been told to.

I'm just annoyed I didn't spot the StreetView car in time - I'd love to have cycled around it all day wearing a T-shirt saying "Google sucks, use OpenStreetMap instead".

Fri 13 Nov 2009, 12:22

My understanding is that there are only two types of reasons to stop you taking a photo in a public place: you are behaving suspiciously towards children, or you are suspected of links to terrorism. Especially the latter, as a result of new legislation, has caused a lot of debate amongst street photographers (professional and amateur), as police have been stopping a lot of decent people for all the wrong reasons. See for example: www.bjp-online.com/public/showPage.html?page=869033 - this also gives some clear guidance on what to do if someone tries to stop you taking photos.

Fri 13 Nov 2009, 12:13

So long as you take your photograph from a public place (and there are no overriding bye-laws (such as taking a photograph of a military base), there is no law against taking a photograph of anything, in the same way as you cannot tell someone not to take your photograph (obviously, that can cross a line into harassment).

There is an opt-out for Google street view, although you can't opt out in advance.

Fri 13 Nov 2009, 11:09

I would have hoped it was obvious, but maybe not...

I'm engaged at present on a major literary project, a very small part of which involves photographing the houses in which a famous author used to live. These photographs are purely for my own personal use, as an aide-memoire, and…

Long post - click to read full text

Wed 11 Nov 2009, 09:54

As it is impossible to identify the occupant from Google's streetmapping exercise, just whose civil liberties are being infringed Derek?

Tue 10 Nov 2009, 18:45

It must be very time-consuming (and tiresome) for the man from Google to have to knock on the door of every single house in Charlbury, asking the owner's permisssion to photograph their house so as not to infringe their civil liberties. I wouldn't want his job!

Tue 10 Nov 2009, 08:16

The Google Street View car must be back for a second pass - it was parked in the Spendlove car park a good few months ago.

Mon 9 Nov 2009, 23:41

Though Google StreetView might be detailed, I think it has a way to go to match the level of information in Charlbury station's very own photographic route-planner...

Mon 9 Nov 2009, 22:36

It drove up Crawborough towards the school at 1pm today too!

Mon 9 Nov 2009, 18:32

Spotted the Google car with its camera turning from the Slade into Ditchley Road at 1.20 today. Hey, Ditchley Road exposed to public view! Pity it couldn't get into the Quarry.

Mon 9 Nov 2009, 16:10

Heehee. In my spare time I fiddle around with webmaps quite a lot and spotted that the other week. The Fiveways Takeaway is on the wrong side of the road, the Cotswold View campsite has relocated from Banbury Hill to the Cotswold View 'street' (i.e. off Thames Street, round the back of Armada Cottage), the Bowls Club and New Barn Garage have both moved, and Crawborough has sprouted an extra "Road" at the end. And, it being Google Maps, there aren't any footpaths.

Apart from that, it's spot on.

OpenStreetMap is much more like it: www.openstreetmap.org/?lat=51.87235&lon=-1.48016&zoom=16 .

Mon 9 Nov 2009, 13:24

The Bull has also relocated

Mon 9 Nov 2009, 13:19

Has anyone gone to Google maps lately?

Zoom into Charlbury, then scroll over St Mary's church. Keep on zooming till you see the church name.

So has Judy gone over to Rome without telling us?

Has a secret Vatican landgrab been accidentally leaked?

Or does Google just take 500 years to update?