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Community => General Discussion => Topic started by: scottws on Saturday, May 15, 2010, 06:15:06 AM

Title: "Don't be evil"... yeah right
Post by: scottws on Saturday, May 15, 2010, 06:15:06 AM

Check out this story:  http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8684110.stm

Germany caught Google's street view capturing cars farming data from open wi-fi networks.  They are saying it was a mistake?  Um... how?  The car is supposed to go around and take pictures.  Why does it even have equipment and software capable of capturing packets sent across wi-fi?

Title: Re: "Don't be evil"... yeah right
Post by: Cobra951 on Saturday, May 15, 2010, 10:13:49 AM

You're right.  I don't get it.  Why would they need to sample wifi data at all?  I can understand there being laptops in all those Google cars, but how does private wifi data relate to the mission of photographing and mapping the streets?  That can't be just a question of going too far with something useful to their purpose.

Title: Re: "Don't be evil"... yeah right
Post by: Quemaqua on Saturday, May 15, 2010, 12:13:08 PM

Have I mentioned how much I hate Google?

Title: Re: "Don't be evil"... yeah right
Post by: Ghandi on Saturday, May 15, 2010, 12:24:00 PM

Yes, yes you have.

Title: Re: "Don't be evil"... yeah right
Post by: Pugnate on Saturday, May 15, 2010, 01:01:29 PM

You could start any sentence with "Have I mentioned how much I hate", and we would give you an emphatic yes. :P :P

Title: Re: "Don't be evil"... yeah right
Post by: gpw11 on Sunday, May 16, 2010, 11:19:55 PM

Mapping hotspots? Although it would make more sense for Navteq to do that rather than Google itself. It'd also be pointless and there'd be better ways to do it.

Title: Re: "Don't be evil"... yeah right
Post by: Cools! on Monday, May 17, 2010, 10:10:36 AM

Yeah, mapping hotspots was my first guess. I love how they blame an engineer for it. :P