Other legal issues remain like the fact that license plates are in full view near street addresses that probably have something to do with the vehicle’s owner.

I, for one, do expect some level of privacy while out. Security cameras aside, how would an individual who starts snapping pictures of you and your family from the sidewalk be treated? Is it legal to use a terrestrial telescope to peer into your apartment while the blinds are not shut?

I think Google should keep this service out of residential neighborhoods and use Google’s fancy face recognition software to tastefully blur everybody. Furthermore, as cameras become more pervasive we need to consider legislation defining what one can and cannot do with a shot of your likeness without your permission.

As for my point about Street View being “useless” — all I meant was that it doesn’t add anything to my experience of Google maps. Satellite photos and other kinds of maps seem to me profoundly useful — pictures of people walking down Valencia St. may be fun but don’t help me find out how to get from Clipper St. to Market.

If you don’t like it, don’t walk around in front of an open window completely naked and don’t make out on the local street corner.

This is just an attempt to draw blog traffic by making a silly argument that someone else is infringing on your rights by exercising theirs.

All complaints, thus far, are theoretical.

But saying that street views are useless is like saying that satellite images and maps are useless. They are all representations of your surrounding environment and can have many (good and bad) applications. One can only wonder about what Google will use the street views for in the future.