Thursday, November 21, 2013
The Ethics of Google Earth
I thought that this was a very interesting reading because it covered a topic I hadn't given much thought. Google earth really is a wonder of modern technology and the result of many intense years of hard labor for many people: and yet this is still a flawed system. The scientists are actually getting upset because the public is using the source for things that just are not reliable. I thought it was interesting that Sheppard was mainly criticizing the environmental activists groups, because sometimes we might see them as just out there advocating for a good cause. We never realize that sometimes the data that they may be showing, although backed up by a "scientific source" could be inaccurate. And that really is the topic of discussion here. It's that even after all those years of work, there just can't be a completely accurate representation of the globe as what is really there. And maybe it will come with time, but I guess for now I'll just feel grateful that I have this great tool at my disposal with the mere click of a button.
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I had never thought of this same issue before this weeks readings/lectures along with this post, and I agree with you completely. Google Earth is an amazing thing, but it is not necessarily perfect, and I think that comes from that fact that we can zoom right in and see exactly which cars are in our driveway, we feel that it has to be completely accurate. However like you pointed out, it is not a true "scientific source." Its really a wonder that how in depth Google Earth is, it should not be used as concrete evidence. Yet it regularly is used to as supporting evidence on claims, and raises a question in my mind, what should Google Earth do to prevent this. Should they invest the time and money into perfecting the system and creating a newer Google Earth that is 100% reliable, credible, and accurate, or should they make a disclaimer more obvious to the user that information may not always be true? It is a very thought provoking week of readings/lectures because of topics like this especially because I have used Google Earth countless amounts of times.
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