i have to admit, i'm a little creeped out...

...by Google's newest addition to their mapping product. I was trying to verify a patron zip code today and since I was in a hurry, I just typed it quickly into Google. If you haven't used Google for maps or directions, it's very simple--you just type the address into the Google search box. Alternately, you can click on "Maps" and go there directly. Today, something new popped up along with the address and map--something called "Street View" with a thumbnail photo. Curious, I clicked on it and immediately felt like I'd invaded someone's privacy. I then typed in my own address, and lo and behold, there I was staring at a photo of my own house from the street. Freaky. You can click on the screen and rotate the view 360 degrees, as well as travel up and down the street. We think our picture is from the fall, because you can see pumpkins on our porch. If you look across the street, you can see our neighbor's trailer, and he moved away in December, so sometime between late September and early December, the Google car went down our street. Our cars are in the driveway, and our garbage can is out by the street, so we figure it must have been a Sunday afternoon. I repeat, freaky.

Read more about the how, why, and where here. You can see a picture of the Google camera car, and see what they have to say about privacy concerns. I think it would be really useful in some situations, like house-hunting (especially in distant cities), going to a new doctor's office, and stalking. :)