Google Earth Employee Speaks

Originally posted by mithfen

Originally posted by enigmaticspirit
This just proves one of two things:

1.The government has gotten stupider over time.

2. The goverment thinks we've gotten stupider over time.

on i side note theres two places that i find strange near area 51, im sure there nothing big I just dont know what 37 40'31.40"N 115 50'53.64"W

also at 37 11'36.44"N 115 56'08.97"W theres a road that leads to a blurry spot if its just the resolution then its still strange because that means it goes to absolutely nowhere.

[edit on 13-8-2008 by enigmaticspirit]

Just an FYI the Dutch government prohibits organizations publishing satellite photography of most of their military bases. Nothing *secret* is going on there - in fact, some of the bases listed allow visitors to take a full blown tour of the facilities.

You can find inconsistencies like the "road trees" all over our terrain layout. Any savvy user willing to read through our field notes will realize that the satellite view is far from being a perfected technology. As for the methods we use for covering up locations...who cares? We choose to use copy/paste trees because it's quick, easy, and gets the job done. We're not about to pull out high dollar graphic designers to please the 1% of internet users who dispute what's REALLY hidden under there.

With that said, I currently work at Google and was employed with Keyhold Corp (the satellite technology) before the acquisition. Every few weeks we have what the exec's call a Logic Workshop - believe it or not we use this very message board to pull examples of average minded people completely neglecting the ability to use common sense and logic. You guys have actually become a common office name...often being used mockingly to point out how you can give some companies/governments enough credit to pull off the most mastermind conspiracies and in the same sentence point out how stupid they are. It's a riot!

We love you guys!

I write this with the assumption that the above poster is indeed employed by Google. This quote is from this thread, "GoogleMaps: bad job at hiding 'sensitive information' guys.... (picture)":
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Wow - that's all I can say is... wow.

Irony is gonna be a bitch on this one. Your assumptions about "average minded people completely neglecting the ability to use common sense and logic" are gonna cost you.

I cannot speak for others who read and post on this message board, but I for one am certainly not an average minded person, having an IQ of almost 150 and also a current Mensa member.

Certainly there are some "out there" posts here regarding interpretations of GE imagery, for one thing. A lot of people here have an imagination that seems to have no bounds. I read posts here that make me believe the person at the posting end of the keyboard is totally delusional, or has the intelligence of a small soapdish, or both.

Regardless - I find it offensive that you and your cronies in the "Logic Workshop" have a name for, and mock the posters on this website which by default includes myself.

So much so, in fact, that I am going to recommend to the GIS management staff where I am employed, that they take "Google Earth Enterprise" off the list of candidates of replacements for our extensive Mapguide network.

I have the pull to do that. Not bad for no common sense and logic.

[edit on 19-8-2008 by FosterVS]

[edit on 19-8-2008 by FosterVS]

[edit on 19-8-2008 by FosterVS]

[edit on 19-8-2008 by FosterVS]

Hi FosterVS,

Would it have not been common sense and logic to post this in the original thread that mithfan made him comments?

That said, please rest assured he does not work for google. No employee would make a derogatory comment regarding the inner workings of a business so sensitive about their image on a public board that Google themselves could easily glean the posters IP address from.

He's just a google campus wannabee who probably backed Altavista! :-)

Cheers

Robbie

indeed yes i have to agree with my friend stratsys-sws,

if he was an employee, he would not post such comments on a public board.

very foolish if he is .....


snoopyuk

I'm going to agree with the previous replies. He isn't a Google employee. I also found your thread title misleading, because it turns out it was an ATS member's post with unverifiable claims, whom you believed all too easily.

Foster, I commend you for calling this guy out, whether he is legit or not. Hopefully we will get to the bottom of this real soon.

Sounds fishy to me.

For one thing would he misspell the corporation he claimed to work for?

Keyhole Corporation

Google employees are nothing if not precise, so I doubt it.

Whilst I do have a certain opinion about you using the IQ and Mensa claim for ''not being average minded'' (For example, we have a guy in my class who's a total idiot and totally gullible person, but when it comes to IQ tests he's a mastermind.)

Please do define ''average minded''.

In any case, the way I see it he was more referring to the people who are handling a situation like the OP of the other thread.

They ask ''what's being hidden here?!'' when some things can be found on teh internetz. (that is, if the army bases mentioned for example, are in fact located in that area as well)

[edit on 20/8/08 by -0mega-]

Originally posted by -0mega-
Whilst I do have a certain opinion about you using the IQ and Mensa claim for ''not being average minded'' (For example, we have a guy in my class who's a total idiot and totally gullible person, but when it comes to IQ tests he's a mastermind.)

Yes, I went through the same thing in college and first years in computer business as a tech. "paper CNE" was the term we used back then. Guys that could pass the tests with flying colors, but when it came to the actual work they failed dismally, they couldn't even get past the common sense tasks.

I also know of a college professor who built his own 10 ft. satellite dish in his basement. Guess what he discovered when he was finished.

Please do define ''average minded''.

"average minded people completely neglecting the ability to use common sense and logic"
Perhaps I read more into this than I should have. In the example I gave above, even the best and brightest can't see the forest for the pasted-in trees.

In any case, the way I see it he was more referring to the people who are handling a situation like the OP of the other thread.

Well, it's human nature to want to know what's behind door #1. And if I see a blocked out section on GE, I immediately assume there must be something super sekret behind it. Does this mean I have no common sense or logic?

Section Z is blocked out
|
V
There must be something in Section Z they don't want me/us to see
|
V
Logically that "something" by definition is secret

OP's original comment:
I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation for Google Maps getting all clone-happy in this part of Holland. Alien base? Secret Test facility? What amateurs.....
Upon rereading this, I can somewhat understand why this Google guy might be a bit defensive. However, if you do an obvious paste job, again the issue comes up - what is hidden under there? Why go to extra effort to paste trees, when other areas are obscured by mosaic?

They ask ''what's being hidden here?!'' when some things can be found on teh internetz. (that is, if the army bases mentioned for example, are in fact located in that area as well)[edit on 20/8/08 by -0mega-]

Obviously a lot of posters are lazier than others. Being a military base nut, I do a Google search to find out information on that particular area. Then the nice top-down aerial shot of what I am looking at makes more sense.

Perhaps naiively I took for granted that what I see in GE is what is actually there. The service is free with the basic Google Earth proggy, so maybe I shouldn't complain. But frankly it really pisses me off that my view of the world is being censored by someone else, whose agenda is somewhat unknown.

EDITED TO ADD:
en.wikipedia.org...

[edit on 20-8-2008 by FosterVS]

Originally posted by violet
I'm going to agree with the previous replies. He isn't a Google employee. I also found your thread title misleading, because it turns out it was an ATS member's post with unverifiable claims, whom you believed all too easily.

I haven't seen any credentials either, that is why I started my post with "I write this with the assumption that the above poster is indeed employed by Google". The possibility exists that he/she isn't, but I have a strong suspicion they are. And some backpedalling is going on.

hi there FosterVS

you should check this thread out for reasons of censorship:

www.abovetopsecret.com...


see my last post in that thread.

thanks

snoopyuk

reply to post by FosterVS


Foster,
Is the Google Earth Employee referring to "you guys" as ATS posters, or "Google Earth / Maps forum posters" ?

-

Originally posted by prevenge
reply to post by FosterVS

 

Foster,
Is the Google Earth Employee referring to "you guys" as ATS posters, or "Google Earth / Maps forum posters" ?

How the h*** would I know?

It was posted in this forum, so read into that what you will. Only "mithfen" knows the answer to that one.

Originally posted by FosterVS

Originally posted by prevenge
reply to post by FosterVS

 

Foster,
Is the Google Earth Employee referring to "you guys" as ATS posters, or "Google Earth / Maps forum posters" ?

How the h*** would I know?

It was posted in this forum, so read into that what you will. Only "mithfen" knows the answer to that one.

eeeeasy there buddy.

this WWIII (pronounced "weee!") coming to a head, economic collapse, gettin to ya yet?

Fosta's...
Austraaalian for FEAR





just kiddin.

-

Originally posted by prevenge
this WWIII (pronounced "weee!") coming to a head, economic collapse, gettin to ya yet?

It's "fee ah" not fear, btw.

Yes I have a huge collection (about 200GB) of Illuminati, Freemasonry, 911 Conspiracy, Global Warming, Peak Oil, New World Order, UFO/Alien documentaries that I have snagged off Torrent that I watch far too often.
I draw the line at David Icke or Alex Jones stuff - can't stand those guys.

Speaking of economic collapse, especially with the mortgage company and bank collapse(s) in the US, everyone should really watch this documentary. It is rather scary. I just put it up on Torrent again.


"The Day the Dollar Falls"
www.mininova.org...

reply to post by FosterVS


thanks for the link FosterVS,

looking forward to viewing it,
Did you see my post re google earth censorship ???
snoopyuk

Originally posted by FosterVS
Why go to extra effort to paste trees, when other areas are obscured by mosaic?
[edit on 20-8-2008 by FosterVS]

I apologize if I came off harsh or insulting. You didn't have to go through the extra effort displayed in the aforementioned posts...

Look - the process is simple. Why bother putting so much thought in to it? It isn't a surprise to anyone when I say Google has tons of employees and locations. With that said, the possibility of more than one person working on a specific project is extremely high.

The point I was getting at was this:

A common practice that many people praise on campus here is time management. If an official from country "so and so" informs us that satellite imagery of their government facility is prohibited then we respect that and react accordingly in a quick and painless manner. This is where the simplicity kicks in:

1. staff lead for said area is informed via HR that the imagery has to be censored

2. staff lead informs (most likely) closest employee to him/her to cover it up and not spend a lot of time on it

3. employee covers up with mosaic, trees, squiggly lines, a picture of an alien...WHATEVER it may be. There isn't much thought involved, we accomplish what is asked of us - censorship. In the event that they want something more "pretty" then perhaps we'll put more effort in to it. Some of the replies suggest that Google is partnered with every government throughout the globe; resulting in a huge conspiracy that ultimately leads to our corporation taking over the world...ahhh!!!!!!


P.S. I know it's a sin to spell "Keyhole" incorrectly. Call me fat fingered, I don't care. Hopefully I'm not terminated over this!!!!

Why are you worried about that spot? Flow the road south by south west, why does the road just lead to a depression/crater. Google map coordinates are 37.188519, -115.936462. Upon looking at the flowing spot, you see theres the road, just to the north connected to the road it appears that there something there due to the clearing of land.

Weird place to have a road lead to, a depression in the earth???

Originally posted by mithfen
3. employee covers up with mosaic, trees, squiggly lines, a picture of an alien...WHATEVER it may be.

I really think that you should use the following symbol as censor tags...




You think I am kidding...

And good on you for coming back and apologizing for your unclear statement...

Oh...and if we send you a list and a time window, would you lift some censored areas?



[edit on 21-8-2008 by MemoryShock]

reply to post by FosterVS

Well yes, no-one can prove he's actually a google employee.

One other thing I wondered about the google mapping, which personally I find intrusive on one's privacy, is why are some locations around the globe not able to access the same images? For example I sent a friend an image I saved from my google earth, he looked it up using the exact coordinates, and didn't get the same resolution as I got. Mine was higher resolution. Also having reviewd this same location again, after it updated, mine isn't so detailed anymore. I have both images saved and they are clearly not the same.

I also note, apart from some regions not having been mapped (or they're blacked out) that some cities in the same region differ in resolutions.

Also, is there any way of knowing when this satelite(s) goes over and takes the images? Is there a schedule one can check? I assume more than one satelite is operating ....

reply to post by FosterVS


So, his post hit a little close to home, eh?