Street level viewing in Google map

I am fascinated by the satellite pictures that were merged with Google map information to provide the program called Google Earth. I've even used those photos with my geocaching hobby as it can provide information about the terrain and groundcover in an area where a cache is hidden. I had also heard that Google was driving along streets and taking street level pictures that would be merged with the Google Earth program. Then I find out that it is the Google Map program which is getting the street level pictures. I also found that it is well along the way in many parts of the country and really hit and miss in others.

Some of you might recognize this house or the Mercury parked in front of it. The picture has been taken at such a distance that it would be otherwise difficult to distinguish.

When Google Maps acts the way it should, you will get a little box with Street View in the upper right hand corner of the map view. If you're zoomed out like the above map is, you can see the area (highlighted in blue) that has already been filmed and integrated with Google Maps. As you can see, San Francisco is pretty well covered but the central valley including Sacramento hasn't even been touched.

Zooming in for a closer look you can see which streets are filmed for street level viewing (those lined in blue) and which streets aren't (the others).


Some of the pictures are wonderfully clear. This one could be used to spot a turnoff from a curvy mountain road. Even though the smaller turn off road isn't itself photographed, this picture alone would be so helpful in knowing you've found the correct road.

Google has received numerous letters and email questioning whether these pictures violate the right of privacy. Their response is two-fold: (1) the pictures are all taken from public streets and roadways during broad daylight so there is nothing they have photographed that any member of the public couldn't have seen; and (2) if they by chance photographed something that is inappropriate there is a feedback process to ask them to delete or redo the street level view in a certain area.