Bill Myers - June 28, 2008

Here's another reason to be careful about using your home address on your web site.

Google Maps has just updated their street view system which allows anyone to get a ground level 360 degree photo tour of a growing number of addresses in the US and Europe.

To get a street view, you simply enter an address in the http://maps.google.com search box and click 'search maps'.

Then click on the street view icon, and you can see what the address looks like from the street level. You can even use your arrow keys to move up and down the street to get a better view.

This can be very handy if you are considering buying or renting a home - as you can use street view to check out the neighborhood and in some cases see the neighbors. For example, you might not want to live in the neighborhood where this street view photo was snapped.

Street view can also be used to check out a business address to see exactly what kind of business you are ordering from.

For example, the street view image of a much advertised New York based camera discounter should give you pause.

Google street view doesn't cover the entire world - yet. But they cover a surprising number of cities (large and small) in many countries throughout the world, and each day they add hundreds of miles of more images.

It's probably a good idea to check to see if Google has a street view of your home or business to make sure it doesn't invade your privacy or put your business in a bad light.

To view Google street view, visit http://maps.google.com and search for any street address. Then click the 'street view' link if it is shown.