Did You Know That Anyone With A Computer May Be Able To See Your Home?
By villageanne
@villageanne (8553)
United States
June 26, 2007 8:14am CST
Yesterday, I did an article on googling your phone number and getting your address to come up. That is scary that just anyone can find out how to get to your home with just your phone number. You can read here if you missed it.
http://www.mylot.com/w/discussions/1167356.aspx
Today I want to let you know of more danger to your safety. Google Earth is a free download With it, you can type in an address and see an aerial view of that home or area. I have heard some people say that some of them is so clear that you can count the entries into the home. I put this to the test last night. I typed in my daughters address and sure enough, it came up. I could count the trees along her driveway and the pine on the side of her home. I then typed in my address and it was too blurry to even see my home. I am just learning to use Google earth so there may be a way to make it clearer. I am not sure but I thought you may want to check this out for yourself and see what info strangers, friends or enemies can find out about your home.
You can download the program for fee at this link. You may need to copy and past it as it does not seem to want to make clickable like for this one.
http://earth.google.com/
This is just frightening that so much personal info is available to just anyone with a computer.
8 people like this
12 responses
@GardenGerty (160883)
• United States
26 Jun 07
After I catch up on discussions today, I may try it. I tried it one other time with no success. I am wondering if a place like mine, with lots of trees and shrubs around it would be more blurry and come up harder to discern detail. Is this only an option for those in the United States, or does it work all over the world? I would love to be able to see some general localities, but not necessarily intrude on people's privacy. Is there a way to block this, do you know?
3 people like this
@keepermykitty (2573)
• Canada
26 Jun 07
Thank-you for letting us in on this info , your right it is scarey .
2 people like this
@Thoroughrob (11742)
• United States
26 Jun 07
I guess when they do these things, they don't think of the criminals out there. It is sad that you have no privacy anymore.
2 people like this
@RobinJ (2501)
• Canada
26 Jun 07
Hi Anne. I had not thought of this I knew there were ways to find people , and that is only one of then, do you realize that your cell phone has a GPSS unit in it, they have been putting them in phones for years.I am not sure if the general public has access to this , but i do know that the police have traced a few people this way. frequently you hear of abductions and they are found by their cell phone, and it doesn't even have to be on.As for the other I live in a condo and my name is on the list out side the front door, so it can't get any more public than that, but I am also listed in the phone book. I do not worry about it that much. if some one is going to rob me , they will be very disappointed in the haul they will find, the only thing that I have that is worth while is my computer, and it is only valuable to me, on the market if you get $25 for a used computer you have done well. and there are so many much better pickings around than mine.
2 people like this
@consander (33)
• Portugal
26 Jun 07
The Internet is a "world in a litle box" you can do everything....if a have a Internet connection
2 people like this
@smartbrain69 (2790)
• Canada
12 Nov 07
Yes i know the website and it is quite common. I have even located my house and locality on it. It is real fun searching different places.
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
4 Oct 07
That is why I do not like people asking too personal questions, especially those of past histories that might enable the person to track down who you are, or get a good idea who you are. If you do not give your phone number or address, you will not have any problem, but if for instance someone here asked about history or you inadvertently gave part of it out (usually to show people the dangers of following your lifestyle) there might be someone who may recognize you by your avatar, and can also backtrack, know where you used to live, and can go forward from there. After all, they did find the birth parents of adoptive children on less.
Mind you, unless you live in a mansion and have threatened people and had lived a wild life, you have nothing to worry about. But of course the spammers have no scruples, and even hiding your phone number will not help.
@gurumoorthy88 (245)
• India
27 Jun 07
Oh god!Is this true?I am simply amazed....The power of internet is at its best and still growing on.All of us are watching it in awe and trying to stay up to date with the changes in internet.
