by MATT HUGHES
J-E News Editor
Observant residents may have noticed that the Google maps Street view car has been moving around Webster County during the last week. Even those who were not familiar with what the car was would have noticed the white and green car topped with something that looked like a cross between a soccer ball and a giant lady bug.
Google map’s Street view is a web-based program that allows you to pull up a map of just about any location in the world, and then zoom down to street level for a complete 360 degree view of that location from ground level. This is achieved thanks to a fleet of conspicuous cars that roam the highways and byways of nearly every country on the planet.
But, the Google company is very tight lipped about their Street view program.
“We unfortunately aren’t able to provide interviews or ride-alongs with our drivers because they’re folks who are familiar with local roads and work for us on a short-term basis, but might not be familiar with Google’s overarching project or mapping efforts,” the Google Press team said in response to a recent email. The drivers are outsourced through a third-party.
The Google spokesperson said there was currently no exact date on when the new photos from Providence will be updated on the site.
“Updating our Street View imagery is something we do from time to time as part of our effort to provide users with the richest, most up-to-date maps possible. You can see a list of general areas where we’re driving here. For certain locations, we also offer the Street View Partners Program, where individuals can submit a request to have their unique location mapped by Google Street View.”