Google’s street view just came out in New Zealand. I spent far too much time wandering the streets of my neighbourhood, spinning 360degrees—nothing very exciting to see, really. I haven’t come across any of the unfortunate or weird scenes that have been reported when street view has been launched in other locales. There is one thing that is noticeable through its absence–where is Blanket Man? I walk by him at least twice a day regardless of the weather. Yet I can’t find him on street view.
I wrote here about the distinction between virtual worlds and the actual world, and how the distinction between the two is primarily methodological. If there is any sort of boundary between the two, it is a very fluid and permeable one. I’ve looked at plenty of cities via google’s street view, but it is a different experience to see your own city and your own street captured and recreated online. My actual world became virtual… OK, not a virtual world, but a virtual representation of my everyday world. That notion of having a boundary at all eroded a bit more for me today.
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