GIS Monitor Reviews a Google Earth Review

This week's issue of GIS Monitor reviews a French research firm's (EADS Fleximage) review of Google Earth. Editor Matteo Luccio's article makes for intereseting reading.

GIS Monitor points out the problems of the report contradicting itself, but GIS Monitor also amplifies the issues raised by the French report. For example, the report is concerned about the high accuracy of the photography, but then complains that large areas of the earth are displayed in low-res.

(My town of Abbotsford is shown is low-res, but the neighbouring town of Chilliwack get the hi-res treatment. Other areas are blanked out, such as the strategically-insignificant town of Steward BC, near the Alaska border.)

Another problem is the lack of accuracy. Try this: turn on Borders, and then zoom into any point along the Canada-US border along the 49th parallel (such as at 49, -122). Notice that (1) the border line moves back and forth (should be straight), and (2) it doesn't coincide with the border, nor with 49 degrees markers.

And that's the crux of the EADS Fleximage dilemma: Google Earth should be sufficiently inaccurate for terrorists, but highly accurate for all other purposes.