I was walking my dog this morning when I noticed an orange van with strange equipment on its roof: an array of cameras pointing in all directions. As it passed, I read “TeleAtlas: We’re mapping your world!” on the side.
The company is partners with Google, so I have a hunch I may be showing up on Street View before too long. (Los Angeles doesn’t have Street View yet, but they’re no doubt working on it.)
This site is run by screenwriter John August. Mostly, he answers reader-submitted questions about the craft, but occasionally he goes on tangents that run far afield of writing and filmmaking. You'll also find info on past, present and future projects.
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July 16th, 2007 at 8:05 am
Have no fear! Google is keeping you safe!
July 16th, 2007 at 9:05 am
Now your dog will be famous! Oh yeah…and I you if Google doesn’t photoshop you from the pictures…which would be kinda funny. In a “guess-what-John-August-used-to-be-there-but-they-put-a-tree-in-his-place” way.
July 16th, 2007 at 9:06 am
And “I you”? I meant that sans the “I”.
July 16th, 2007 at 10:06 am
I can just imagine this shady van with all the cameras sticking out of it rolling by my street, and some guy with a megaphone sticks his head out of the passenger side and says “Everybody act natural! Say cheese!!”
July 16th, 2007 at 11:01 am
I’m surprised they didn’t have a chase vehicle full of producers collecting permissions. Guess they’ll have to blur out your face… of use the infamous black bar.
July 16th, 2007 at 1:40 pm
I guess saying you got “Google Mapped” is better than saying you got “Google-y Eyed.”
July 16th, 2007 at 2:40 pm
I’m staring at your site, John, and this post only makes your transition from Africa all the more startling to me as a spectator.
July 17th, 2007 at 12:23 pm
I think this happened to me on the way to work one day too. I whipped out my Treo and snapped some photos of the van. http://www.mikevogel.com/2007/06/google-street-view-van_05.html
July 17th, 2007 at 3:05 pm
Oh, hey. Them. I used to work for TeleAtlas out of Lebanon, NH (or rather Geographic Data Technology, a company they took over). TeleAtlas is much farther reaching than GDT ever was.
Nevertheless, I still hate address coordination, parity, GIS linup, and street correction.
July 17th, 2007 at 6:07 pm
Naw. You just passed a well disguised drug surveillance van.