OpenStreetMap
I've been trying to emigrate from the US since 1998, and stories like California Assemblyman Anderson claiming that uncensored maps are tantamount to yelling fire in a theater, and thus aren't protected speech simply appall me. I simply can't, in clear conscious, consider him or his constituents, my fellow countrymen. There needs to be an international boundary between me, and people that selfish and stupid.
And I thought impeaching a president on drummed up charges because he had a hummer on-the-clock was bad...
Discussion
Comment from mapryan on 15 March 2009 at 09:06
Where would you go? I remember Indian politicians making the same noise after the recent terrorist attacks over there.
The reason you hear less noise from European politicians on this subject is not because they're more intelligent, it's because the US owns all the satellites and would tell them to get lost anyway. The UK military have been making peeved noises about google maps only this week
http://news.google.co.uk/news?ned=uk&ncl=1310074389
Comment from Biogenesis_ on 15 March 2009 at 11:41
There's a big difference from blurring out a single church/school/whatever building (which just screams "we like what's under this, we would be upset if you bombed here) and blurring out a military base. Basically the locations of military bases are fairly well known, but what the military tries to keep secret is the exact layout of the base. Where are the barracks, which building has the armory, where are the tanks parked, etc.
This was the issue with an attack on a friendly base in the middle east a year or so ago (can't remember details, sorry). The attacking force looked at the Google Maps imagery and was able to plan an attack based on what side of the base had the most interesting targets/least defense etc.
But yeah, blurring out a school which has a very widely known and published layout and location is just stupid.
Comment from amillar on 15 March 2009 at 18:42
If you think you can find another country that is free from stupid people, good luck and best regards in your search. If you need an international boundary, you'll probably have to cook up your own. Perhaps you can try Sealand
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principality_of_Sealand
Comment from Baloo Uriza on 15 March 2009 at 18:45
@amillar: The goal isn't to be free of stupid people, I know that's not possible. I'm just trying to rid myself of the dumbest, most self-centered and selfish on this planet.