Comments on: Japan: Debate over Google Street View continues

By: x-ray « my wonders in medialand

x-ray « my wonders in medialand — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 22:22:41 +0000

[...] Ikeda citado no artigo Japan: Debate over Google Street View continues (2008) de Chris [...]

By: Modern Media Japan » Blog Archive » Google Street View: A World of Reactions

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 18:34:38 +0000

[...] Japan: Less than two weeks after Google rolled out Street View in Japan, debate continues in the blogs [ja] over whether the new service is an appropriate match for Japanese…. A letter addressed to the people at Google [ja], written by IT professional Osamu Higuchi, drew a [...]

By: Global Voices Online » Japan: Street View and the Burakumin

Global Voices Online » Japan: Street View and the Burakumin — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:29:05 +0000

[...] Google's new Street View service [GSV], aside from arousing indignation among some and sparking debates over privacy issues among others, has also led some bloggers to discuss the relationship between areas photographed in [...]

By: Global Voices Online » Japan: Street View and Public Space

Global Voices Online » Japan: Street View and Public Space — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 02:35:29 +0000

[...] Global Voices Online » Japan: Debate over Google Street View continues [...]

By: Global Voices Online » Japan: Street View’s Missing Streets

Global Voices Online » Japan: Street View’s Missing Streets — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 08:04:58 +0000

[...] Street View service in major Japanese cities brought with it considerable controversy and debate among Internet users, particularly with regard to the scope of coverage and lack of local [...]

By: Joseph K

Joseph K — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 03:02:44 +0000

The same thing that a pedestrian can see? Where is that advertised?
I tend to find it pretty unsafe to go walking down the middle of busy highways, myself… though I guess some people might undertake it on occasion.
The idea has intrigued me though: what is the height comparison between street view and someone driving a small truck, like the kind you might rent to move house? Obviously the view from one would not be 360, but it may allow you to view over walls inaccessable to pedestrian sight…

By: Ichiro

Ichiro — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 01:28:11 +0000

I think the Google Streeview privacy Japanese are not just limited to Japan. That being said, when I brought up the subject with some of my Japanese friends, none of them expressed any deep concern.

By: Jay

Jay — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 11:29:59 +0000

Thanks for keeping this debate information about this topic flowing. The more people know the better, and it seems some people are a little misinformed about the nature of Streetview. Maybe it would be helpful if Google did a little Streetview and Google Maps PR.

The Japan Times also picked up on this story recently, hinting (incorrectly) that Google may be liable if someone robs a rich person’s house after locating it somehow on Streetview.

If people are really concerned about their homes on Streetview, they can simply contact Google to discuss it. There have been cases in which people, places, or things were deleted from Streetview upon request.

Maybe

By: Chris Salzberg

Chris Salzberg — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 12:39:34 +0000

@可愛い奥様:

Quick translation:

Location View offers their service within reasonable bounds.
Google is different.
This difference is reported on here:
http://takagi-hiromitsu.jp/diary/20080815.html

Photos [from the perspective of] a pedestrian
http://takagi-hiromitsu.jp/diary/fig/20080815/4.jpg

Location View
http://takagi-hiromitsu.jp/diary/fig/20080815/5.png

Google Street View
http://takagi-hiromitsu.jp/diary/fig/20080815/3.png

By: Chris Salzberg

Chris Salzberg — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 12:29:50 +0000

@ひﾟょん♂:
Quick translation:

グ～グルのストリ～トビュ～では、撮影カメラの位置がかなり高く家の塀や生垣、外の通行人から見えないように設置した目隠しの上から中を覗くように撮影されている。　
In Google Street View, the position of the camera is very high. This allows you to peek over fences and hedges — [obstacles] which are put there to hide [this view] from pedestrians — and see inside people’s homes.

日本グ～グル社は、「ストリートビューは、日本の法律にもとづいて公共の通りから集められるイメージのみを表示しており、例えば道を歩いていて見ることができるイメージと同じです。」と主張するが、現実には　日本には存在しない　身長２．５ｍ以上の長身からの視線を世界に公開しており、グ～グル社は配慮に欠けている。
Google Japan is insisting that: “Google Street View presents only a collection of images which are taken from public streets, based on Japan’s laws. This is the same as what a pedestrian sees when walking down the street.” But in reality, Google is presenting a view to the entire world [of Japan] from the eye level of a person who is over 2.5 meters high, a person like none who actually exist in Japan. Google is not being considerate here.

By: 可愛い奥様

可愛い奥様 — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 09:32:23 +0000

Location View は節度あるサービスをしております。
Google とは違います。
違いはここでレポートされています。
http://takagi-hiromitsu.jp/diary/20080815.html

歩行者の写真
http://takagi-hiromitsu.jp/diary/fig/20080815/4.jpg

Location View
http://takagi-hiromitsu.jp/diary/fig/20080815/5.png

Google Street View
http://takagi-hiromitsu.jp/diary/fig/20080815/3.png

By: ひﾟょん♂

ひﾟょん♂ — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 09:07:05 +0000

グ～グルのストリ～トビュ～では、撮影カメラの位置がかなり高く
家の塀や生垣、外の通行人から見えないように設置した目隠しの上から
中を覗くように撮影されている。　
日本グ～グル社は、「ストリートビューは、日本の法律にもとづいて公共の通りから集められるイメージのみを表示しており、例えば道を歩いていて見ることができるイメージと同じです。」と主張するが、現実には　日本には存在しない　身長２．５ｍ以上の長身からの視線を世界に公開しており、グ～グル社は配慮に欠けている。

By: ひﾟょん♂

ひﾟょん♂ — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 07:39:51 +0000

The resolution of the graphics served by locationview is acceptable. No zoom up function is available.

By: Chris Salzberg

Chris Salzberg — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 05:54:31 +0000

@static:

I had seen a comment mentioning Localview, but since it didn’t seem to be mentioned anywhere else I figured that it hadn’t made much of an impact in the local context. But thanks for bringing it up.

@太郎:

Translation:

“I don’t know about that. Localview is not nearly as well-known as Google, and Yahoo, [a company] which is well-known in Japan (and knows Japan well) would not start a service like this.”

@pettis:

I think the prominence of the company is certainly an issue, personally. As 太郎 pointed out, Yahoo, who is the company in Japan closest to Google in terms of its profile, would not roll out a service like this one in the way that Google did.

I also tend to think that the “cultural” reactions go deeper than “the terms in which they are posed”. Osamu Higuchi’s letter was going a bit overboard (as he himself has admitted), but the basic message that “culture matters” is still very relevant, in my opinion.

By: pettis

pettis — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 17:37:20 +0000

＠太郎: Is the prominence of the company offering such a service really an issue? Even if one deems a Street View-style service unacceptable, the size or visibility of the company offering the service shouldn’t alter one’s opinion–it’s either acceptable or unacceptable. Or are you suggesting that because Google is a large, well-known company it should show more restraint concerning potential problems with personal privacy, that we should hold it to a higher standard?

I don’t understand why these objections must be focused on cultural essentialist arguments. I think you’d be able to find plenty of Americans (or those in other countries) who share some of the same concerns expressed by Japanese who are weary of this technology and its potential uses and abuses. The only thing “cultural” about these reactions is perhaps the terms in which they are posed.