
How to build a fake Google Street View car - edwinjm
http://fffff.at/google-street-view-car/
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MichaelApproved
Am I missing something? In an effort to "Fuck Google", they're driving like
jerks and endangering people's lives and property.

Edit: This comment is from watching them dangerously cutting off cyclists and
cars on the video.

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JD557
I'm with you on this one.

Also, to me this feels like a really cheap move to try to spoil a brand's
reputation. If they believe that there's a problem with google street view and
privacy, they should try to raise awareness to it, not pretend to work for
Google and act like jerks.

This way, the only thing that they achieved was damaging Google's reputation
instead of making people aware of the privacy implications of cars with
cameras capturing everything.

I believe they could have done something more interesting with this.

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mschuster91
These guys are fucking crazy. In the entire European Union, this WILL get the
driver and likely anyone involved with this behind jail for driving a vehicle
not licensed for street usage!

Basically, you alter the car with not-licensed-for-street-usage components
(these self-made things e.g. alter the ride height of your car from the one
spec'd in the vehicle ID card), which in itself invalidates the car's
insurance (it's not a vehicle legal to drive on a street, thus it is not
insured, thus you are not allowed to drive it!).

It's the same as if you'd change the exhaust for an illegal tuning variant,
add a N2O booster, add under-floor lighting etc. DO NOT EVER DO THIS IN ANY
EUROPEAN COUNTRY.

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leoedin
Mounting something on the roof rack doesn't count as modifying in that way. If
that was true, bicycle racks would be illegal.

I can't speak for the entirety of the EU, but I know for a fact that in the UK
mounting something like this (assuming it's securely attached) is not illegal.

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mschuster91
I got fucked up by the cops in Germany for putting a not-checked-by-TÜV
selfmade wood casing upon the top of my car. These guys did this in Berlin...
man, they're LUCKY to having gotten out without any consequences.

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andor
Was there a Google logo on the side of your car?

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mschuster91
Haha, nope - but I bet Google did shell the ~300€ on proper certification and
registration in the vehicle ID card.

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lvturner
A standard answer to "why?" is "why not?", or "because we can" but I really
can't see any benefit to this? Is cosplay a thing for cars now?

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Andrenid
The aim might be to get Google in trouble there in Germany, since Streetview
wasn't exactly welcomed with open arms?

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andor
Oh come on. It's an art project. They want to see how people react to Street
View cars in various situations.

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topynate
Well, their 'project of the week' was "FUCK GOOGLE". It's right there on the
article page. So, you know, political art. Performance art plus politics, aka
propaganda of the deed. Cutting cyclists off in the name of liberty.

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andor
Yes, it's kind of political. They also say at the end of the video: "we like
all your products, but no single company should be trusted with so much of our
data". By driving around as Google and telling others to "turn off their
cameras", they remind people that Google is basically spying on them.

While not everybody might agree with the message, I think the project is no
less manipulative than the Google branding ads from India, which try to
positively change your impression of a large company by showing you something
very emotional.

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dwild
Your argument is that if Google do it, you could do it? I don't share that
opinion, if you consider that manipulative methods are bad, you shouldn't use
them. Fight the lie by lying even more?

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andor
That depends on who you are:

As a politician or as a company, lying is pretty bad. "Manipulation" through
emotional ads is more or less expected though, it would be unprofessional to
not use the same tools as everybody else. Just watch any tv ad.

Artists meanwhile enjoy complete freedom in what they do. The more creative
and provocative they are, the better.

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topynate
This is of a kind with the guy who decided to pretend to be an arsehole Google
employee at a demonstration against their buses. It goes right against the
points they're trying to make: why pretend to be on the 'other side'?
Obviously because the other side isn't acting the way you claim them to be.

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BitMastro
Two things:

1) IANAL, but I think it's a trademark infringement to use the Google logo on
that car

2) Let's ignore them intentionally bothering drivers and cyclists, but you go
through the pain of building a rig and you don't put a camera in it? A
cellphone with a GPS? Goddammit!!!

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mrspeaker
I love the fffff.at guys - they come up with the most pointless hacks, that
never fail to brighten my boring work life and remind me to do something crazy
every once in a while.

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glynjackson
Can I ask, Why? I don't understand why anyone would do this! The fact they
have PDF's plans suggests to me that other muppets for some unknown reason
want to pretend to work for Google. When did it become cool? Now a MI5 agents
car with heat seeking missiles which blow up lane hogs.... that I would be
interested in!

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twvance
How fucking stupid

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joryhatton
why?

