I live in a tourist town, I was really creeped out when I saw how many people upload their photos from home, and seeing said home and address. This is stalker fodder. posted by furtive at 5:39 PM on December 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
Pervasive geotagging is pretty disturbing. posted by odinsdream at 5:55 PM on December 1, 2012
This is weird and I meant to stop looking at it 10 minutes ago and yet I am still looking at it, so I guess mission accomplished. posted by kbanas at 6:24 PM on December 1, 2012
I'm not really that weirded out by geotagging in general, and I suspect that the fears about it are a bit overblown, and I geotag my own stuff much of the time, but watching this feels super-creepy. posted by !Jim at 6:27 PM on December 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
I'm kind of surprised how many of them are from people's homes. I thought instagramming was something you did while out and about and at events doing stuff--which I think would've made this feel a lot less weird to me. posted by !Jim at 6:28 PM on December 1, 2012
Is Street View going inside random buildings now? I knew they had, like, the White House, but I saw one that was a panorama of some seemingly nondescript jewelry store. posted by threeants at 6:36 PM on December 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
This is fucking awesome, thanks. posted by fungible at 6:53 PM on December 1, 2012
I suspect that the fears about it are a bit overblown
It's a risk vs reward scenario. Even if the risk is tiny, it still outweighs the completely non-existent reward. Why does your "dude, I was like" derpface pic need to be geotagged? posted by DU at 7:01 PM on December 1, 2012
Wow ... it's like a webcam for the whole world! posted by Twang at 7:25 PM on December 1, 2012 [2 favorites]
Why does your "dude, I was like" derpface pic need to be geotagged?
Because it's easier to leave it on all the time than turn it off and on as needed. posted by mendel at 8:00 PM on December 1, 2012
For extra bonus creep, put in the name of your city and see if you recognize the places or the people. posted by arcolz at 9:17 PM on December 1, 2012 [3 favorites]
Is Street View going inside random buildings now?
The first time I saw this was being done was when I was looking in street view for the exact location of Manhattan Fruitier and was surprised to find the arrow took me right inside and around the shop! I loved it. Google Street view is wonderful for people like me who can't even take a walk anymore--I can have a simulated walk around the streets of Oxford or any of scores of places I would like to visit. I'm a greedy media consumer, as well. This #Christmas mashup just makes me want Google to have seasonal street views available!
I really like this whatever it is you call this (mashup?) and thank you, special-k, for such a nice new toy to play with. posted by Anitanola at 9:23 PM on December 1, 2012 [2 favorites]
It gets a little less creepy when you load the hashtag for your own city and find that a lot of images aren't tagged where they were actually taken. Picture from 4th and Pine in downtown Seattle was tagged at the top of Queen Anne. Another from near Seattle Center was tagged near a hotel in Tukwila.
On the other hand, the places they were tagged were probably where the photographers went home to, so it can still be creepy. posted by litlnemo at 10:51 PM on December 1, 2012
Does this only work if you choose to add the image to your photomap? Or do all Instagram uploads include geoinfo by default? posted by estlin at 12:45 AM on December 2, 2012
This is brilliant. It satisfies a deep deep yearning for wanting to know just what's in the world right now, and just how myopic our view of it becomes as we move through the limited perspectives of our own locale's and lives... so blown away by this. It's nice to see how much of the world is at peace and more or less okay. The world, is mostly okay. And in most places bright with light. And smiling people.
OMG, something weird is in my coffee or something, cos I'm getting all verkemlpt over here, talk amongst yourselves... posted by Skygazer at 5:38 AM on December 2, 2012
Of course, that's until you hit this sort of thing, and you realize the world is still filled with #Eurodouches.
So, what I wrote before? Yeah...nevermind. The world is still the same old lame world. I'm going back to bed.
My next mystery novel is going to be called Eurodouches in Williamsburg. posted by Skygazer at 5:42 AM on December 2, 2012
Fabulous idea. Wish it had a pause button, and a means to drill deeper. Stalking is such a negative verb. posted by stonepharisee at 5:56 AM on December 2, 2012 [3 favorites]
I don't see how this is stalking at all when you basically have no way of stalking any particular person. If this is "stalking" than sight-seeing is stalking.
In which case, I think the Statue of Liberty in NYC, is the most stalked person in NYC, and should probably get an order of protection against all immigrants who've ever arrived in New York to, um...you know...get all hot and bothered glaring at it. posted by Skygazer at 6:01 AM on December 2, 2012 [1 favorite]
Ok, #creepystalker gave me a shot of someone's house, paired with a screenshot of a text message saying "i know wr u live".
How much more creepy could that be? None. None more creepy. posted by mrgoat at 9:27 AM on December 2, 2012 [2 favorites]
The world, is mostly okay.
At least for people with access to Instagram. posted by crossoverman at 5:48 PM on December 2, 2012
I'm tellin' ya, y'all. That mountain man thing is looking better and better… posted by ob1quixote at 8:02 PM on December 2, 2012 [1 favorite]
Hey guys, guys, I just figured out why all the pictures are so damned sunny and bright and cherry: It's cos Google only sends out the Google car in GOOD WEATHER!!
posted by rhapsodie at 5:35 PM on December 1, 2012 [2 favorites]