Street View / Praying and Caring

Street View
I woke to the news this morning that google has been force to remove some of the views from its street view system. Apparently taking pictures randomly and posting them on the web is an invasion of privacy. I can understand that some people don't like it - especially when it's them, for example:
"Google said it had removed several pictures, including ones that users found embarrassing, such as one of a man leaving a sex shop in central London's Soho neighbourhood, or another one of a man vomiting outside a pub in the east of the British capital."
The BBC chose to mention naked children playing in a garden as something else that was removed.
I can understand that people don't like their photo's randomly published on peoples web sites - people ate church have asked me if its legal, as they wanted to stop it - I don't know the answer - I always recommend that they talk to the people who own the pictures and ask that they are not 'published'. If a magazine takes your picture in a crowd, or coming out of a sex shop, can it publish that image - I expect it can, unless you say otherwise.

The tired old reason for this was of course security. So google have apparently also removed No. 10 Downing Street, and the Houses of Parliament. No. 10 is known as the most famous door in England and is seen everywhere. Follow the link, you may want to save some of these before the UK government has them removed! Interestingly there are very few pictures of the Houses of Parliament from the road, most are from the river. I deduce that terrorist don't use boats.

It is all about fear, today we are SO fearful of terrorist, paedophiles, and strangers that we have to have everything photographed on CCTV, but never published. Anything that is photographed cannot be published. Anyone who takes pictures is obviously up to no good. There have been stories of tourists being arrested for taking pictures in the street, the same is true of train spotters taking pictures of trains.

So any of you who read this on the Facebok import - make sure your pictures are secure, and not public - or aho knows what may happen!

I'm waiting for the Colonel from Monty Python to come on and tell us its all getting too silly.


Praying and Caring

Today's reading was 'They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, [and]...life together...' Acts 2:42 in the discussion that followed about committing our selves and following through or just saying "have a nice day" because we have to was the question "Don't you think that person can tell the difference between the company line and somebody who is genuinely concerned for their welfare? Don't you think God knows the difference?"
We saw the difference for ourselves today. John, the retired minister who was such a great help to us at the end of last year is recovering form his serious illness and was in church this morning. When his presence was announced there was a spontaneous round of applause. While the sermon, and the music were both uplifting today - it was that corporate act that spoke to me most about how we show God's love.