5/28/2005: Google Earth, forced beta testing, and cyber politics
Regular readers of this site know I like Keyhole: I've posted placemarks and tours here & there and have posted screencaps of some cool Keyhole views. I'm also active on the Keyhole user forum (often duplicating posts over there & here, but hey, there probably aren't many who frequent both sites..)
For the most part the Keyhole forums are a friendly spot, with generally more "mature" users than the average net forum (you know the type - "U R sTOoPiD N SOs yER mOM!!!"). It isn't an overly chatty place, and a wealth of information about literally everything on earth can be found there. It isn't necessarily the most welcoming place to newcomers, and a few members can be a bit umm.. snobbish. (There is one old post from a senior member/moderator referencing the new member population as "Awesome in its awfulness, momentous in its ineptness, and shattering in its stupidity" <koff>.. with a p.s. "only joking".. uh-huh) But none of that's unusual for a cyber community, and most of the folks there seem pretty cool.
I'm a relatively newbie there myself, and I stayed out of it a few months ago when Google (who owns Keyhole) came out with Google Maps and its built-in aerial photos, and the forum was agog with conclusion jumping and complaining: "I paid for Keyhole! Why does Google Maps have it free now??" "Why does Google Maps have a better picture of my house than Keyhole??!!!"
Cryptic responses were posted by the forum moderators to "be patient".
I mostly stayed out of it a few weeks ago when Keyhole released a new global database with sharper imagery for most of the world, but less resolution for some US areas, and again the forum was agog: "I am sorry I paid for this now, I can't see my house!!!" "Google really messed up, my house is just a blur now!!!" A lot of new members also arrived at the forum, posting interesting & informative posts along with "I lost my virginity here" placemarks.
Again, cryptic responses to be patient, along with suggestions to get out of one's own backyard and explore the world.. and also easy directions for how to view the old database.
Last week the boards were reorganized, new categories added, and several members became moderators - without announcement, explanation or fanfare. It was all a bit mysterious and made some members feel "unspecial" but kudos to those promoted individuals. I hope it's something they asked for and/or wanted.
Then the name "Google Earth" showed up in the forum, along with questions about it that were eventually answered: it was undergoing beta testing and the testers would be using the boards, which of course generated "Why don't I get to beta test it too??!!" queries.
Today they emailed beta invites to (apparently) every registered Keyhole user with a link to download the new application, descriptions of its new bells and whistles, a notice that installing it would delete Keyhole from your system, but that Google Earth could be uninstalled and Keyhole reinstalled if you wanted to go back to it. Note however, the boards often have posts from disgruntled registered users having problems with reinstalls of Keyhole, new installs on new computers, etc. A GE uninstall/KH reinstall might go smoothly, but then again, it might not.
The download link is at a domain called uptilt.com and the email came from uptilt.com. Uptilt.com is registered to Uptilt, Inc. There is nothing in the email headers that indicate it's from Keyhole or Google, and nothing about this beta test is mentioned on the forum home page. The site www.uptilt.com says they are, among other things, "a leading provider of advanced email marketing solutions" so all things considered, it looks like high class spam. Anyone leery of clicking links in email who wasn't registered, signed in, and reading the boards would likely delete it along with the rest of the day's spam from unknown sources..
However, it seems most people are not as cautious as that, nor concerned about losing a functional program in favor of a beta one. The boards are agog once again with alternating praise and bug reports. And posts are beginning to appear in a new format that can't be read by the current, non-beta Keyhole application.
The Google Earth discussion board can't even be seen if one isn't registered and signed in to the forum, even though the new format files are appearing on all boards.. so it seems as if this is virtually a "forced beta test" - either that, or you just don't get to view many new posts (probably all posts before long) unless you dump your Keyhole program and download the beta. It all seems just a bit unprofessional for a company of Google's standing to me.
If it ain't broke, I've never been real anxious to fix it, and my Keyhole ain't broke. I've never been crazy about upgrading for upgrading's sake, nor for acquiring new bells and whistles just cuz they're available. I will likely get the new application when the old one ceases to work, possibly before, but for now I'm on board with the former complainers and wondering "Google, what have you done??!!" ..though it should be noted that I seem to be in the minority on this one: there are few visible complaints about Google Earth on the forum, and my question there about placemarks being posted in the beta-only format has had no responses as of now, nor has anyone else voiced a similar query.
Google Earth screenshot from today's email:
I'm sure there's some stuff here I would enjoy, but I know how to use Keyhole and Google simultaneously (and often do), I know how to get driving directions, I already have the new imagery database, and I'm not interested in importing GPS data. 3-D buildings might be fun, but *in select cities sounds iffy, and screenshots I've seen just show outlines. In other words, I don't think I want this program yet.
My computer provides my livelihood and I don't like to compromise its stability by downloading much of anything I don't have to, especially beta programs. But if I don't install it, it looks like I'll have to give up seeing most posts on the application's official forum before long. What's up with that?
Incidentally, Google Earth only works on Win XP or 2000, so apparently any registered Keyholers still on Win 98 or its siblings may also be out of luck soon.
