The Somewhat Ambitious

IT Security has posted up a rather interesting list entitled “51 Things You Aren’t Allowed To See on Google Maps”. While the name loses points for creativity, it is nonetheless fairly descriptive. Some favourites:

3. Dick Cheney’s House: The Vice President’s digs at Number One Observatory Circle are obscured through pixelation in Google Earth and Google Maps at the behest of the U.S. government. However, high-resolution photos and aerial surveys of the property are readily available on other Web sites.

Now doesn’t that just smack of a man who knows he’s doing something wrong?

18. The Boring Home: Aaron and Christine Boring of Franklin Park Pa. claimed that Google Maps’ Street View feature violated their privacy, devalued their property and caused them mental suffering by posting images of a private road in front of their house. The Borings said that the images of their home must have been taken from their long driveway, which is labeled “Private Road.”

Oh, their name is Boring. That is too good.

19. Bahrain: In August 2006, Bahrain’s Ministry of Information instructed the country’s Internet exchange to block access to Google Earth servers. The ban lasted three days. Internet rumors claimed that the ban’s goal was to keep poorer citizens from viewing the elaborate residences and private jets of the country’s rich, in order to keep secret the inequity of wealth distribution in Bahrain. Cyberactivists circulated an email that contained a PDF file with annotated Google Earth screenshots of the supposed Bahrain sites.

Ah Bahrain, you’ll never beat the Internet. But you have private jets, so I assume you don’t really mind.

27. Central/Eastern village of Yona, on the Pacific Island Territory of Guam: It’s unknown why this location is censored.

There’s only one possible explanation for this, and it involves aliens. Aliens and island rhythms. Fun fact for the day: Guam’s motto is ‘where America’s day begins’. Mmmm, that’s some sweet, tasty colonialism right there.

Also, apparently the Dutch are rather security conscious, having blanked out no less than 7 separate areas. Which of course begs the question: who exactly is trying to kill the Dutch? I mean, not that I necessarily have anything against the concept, but I just didn’t realise that they were topping out so many terrorist hit lists…

/Luke