Google Maps Out Dane County For Web Users
40 Metro Areas Include Street View
Updated: 8:42 pm CDT April 1, 2008
MADISON, Wis. -- Google has given the world a whole new view of Dane County. The Internet search giant has visually mapped out the streets in the Madison-metro area.
VIDEO: Watch The ReportMany rely on Internet sites like Google Maps to get directions. A new version of Google Maps, called "Street View," literally takes users to the street. As of recently, users can stroll along and check out almost every address in Dane County -- and even take a stroll down State Street.UW-Madison geography professor Mark Harrower said that mapping technology has come a long way."I would say more has happened in the field of mapping in the last five years than has happened in the previous 50," Harrower said, "It's just been an astonishing period of change."Using cars with four cameras attached on the top, the staff at Google physically drove nearly every street in Dane County."And then when they bring those images back into the lab, they can stitch them together," Harrower said. "That was really the big breakthrough."Each click shows the view if someone was walking down the street. Harrower said it is technology that will help make maps -- online or paper -- more readable for the average person.But some residents said the technology raises some concerns."It's a privacy issue," said Rima Apple, of Madison. "It's getting too close."WISC-TV showed Apple the technology, and her neighborhood, Tuesday. It was the first time she had ever seen it, and Apple said she found the technology a little unnerving."Anybody can type in my address and see where I live, and I find that a little upsetting," Apple said. "The fact that you can see so much by being just at your computer screen -- we don't know who is looking and who is doing what."Another potential problem is keeping all the street view images up to date. The Madison-area images are already about nine months old. Google is working to "Street View" the entire nation. Only 40 metro areas, including Madison, are complete right now.
VIDEO: Watch The ReportMany rely on Internet sites like Google Maps to get directions. A new version of Google Maps, called "Street View," literally takes users to the street. As of recently, users can stroll along and check out almost every address in Dane County -- and even take a stroll down State Street.UW-Madison geography professor Mark Harrower said that mapping technology has come a long way."I would say more has happened in the field of mapping in the last five years than has happened in the previous 50," Harrower said, "It's just been an astonishing period of change."Using cars with four cameras attached on the top, the staff at Google physically drove nearly every street in Dane County."And then when they bring those images back into the lab, they can stitch them together," Harrower said. "That was really the big breakthrough."Each click shows the view if someone was walking down the street. Harrower said it is technology that will help make maps -- online or paper -- more readable for the average person.But some residents said the technology raises some concerns."It's a privacy issue," said Rima Apple, of Madison. "It's getting too close."WISC-TV showed Apple the technology, and her neighborhood, Tuesday. It was the first time she had ever seen it, and Apple said she found the technology a little unnerving."Anybody can type in my address and see where I live, and I find that a little upsetting," Apple said. "The fact that you can see so much by being just at your computer screen -- we don't know who is looking and who is doing what."Another potential problem is keeping all the street view images up to date. The Madison-area images are already about nine months old. Google is working to "Street View" the entire nation. Only 40 metro areas, including Madison, are complete right now. Copyright 2008 by Channel 3000. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
