Getting armed with technology

I have believed technology to be a double-edged sword. Technology is good or bad; it’s the way we use it. My focus in this blog is on the free Google Earth service from our good old enabler Google.

I remember when Google had launched the service; there was a lot of hue and cry about blocking it as it could be a possible security threat. Because it shows the satellite images of the strategic facilities and it might be used by the wrong persons. There was quite a debate then but luckily Google Earth survived it to be used by us to find our house, school, college and what not. I remember getting lot of forwards form my friends with Google Earth images.

Few days back I came across one of the news which really made happy with the way Google Earth is being used. It is related to the SEZ controversy in Maharashtra. The government is trying to get lands from the farmers at cheaper rates saying that their lands are not fertile land. That’s when farmers turned to Google Earth to use its satellite images to prove that the land is question is fertile and they should get higher compensation.

http://www.ibnlive.com/videos/23627/googleearthcomestofarmerrescue.html
http://www.ibnlive.com/news/google-earth-aid-for-maha-farmers/23627-11.html

I did not follow the news after that so do not know if the farmers won their battle or not. But its feels great to see that tools like Google Earth are finding practical use apart the casual use. Every technology has the lot more to it than just what for it was designed for. Google Earth was meant to be an online map and direction service; but here it has been used as a geological tool. It’s with our imagination which sets the limit for the use of a tool.

Today the internet is full of many such tools which are available free. And I must add majority is from the Google stable. Go ahead and explore the www.