Google fills in the blanks on North Korea map data Google has announced comprehensive new mapping data on North Korea, enlisting a team of citizen cartographers to chart the country's gulags, nuclear facilities and golf courses. The reclusive dictatorship has been one of the few areas of the world where the Chocolate Factory has not managed to poke its beak in, but thanks to …
How do Google know that the data is reliable? How does it know that the data was supplied by citizens, and not a room full of North Korean intelligence operatives?
How does it know that it was even *North* Koreans submitting the information? If you were a North Korean, that was lucky enough to receive dispensation from the NK governement to even *have* an internet connection (you can't phone your ISP and ask them to pop 'round and connect you up) do you think they'd risk their lives, and that of their family by performing "spying" duties for foriegn countries?
I call balls on this one.
The same way you validate any crowd sourced data - by comparing the submissions from multiple people.
While it is possible for a major conspiracy to taint the data, typically a large number of individual contributors will supply the same point data, and the law of averages allows you to work out how much you trust that data.
As for "spying duties" - Google Map Maker doesn't list this as one of its purposes, so your average user wouldn't think twice about using something that was going to help their community - and Community help is what Google is selling, isn't it? (rhetorical)
And besides, I doubt the Merkin Armed Forces are going to be using it - they have their own data sources which they choose to trust.
As soon as he left the country they announced plans to hit the US with their missile, coincidence? Maybe the puffy leader hoped he brought in some chocolate from the Chocolate Factory - that's why he was allowed to enter - and when there was none the puffy leader got angry and asked a missile to hit Google...
...there are already trolls posting reviews on landmarks in North Korea. One of my favourites is for the Golf Course of Yanggakdo Hotel:
"Communist Great Leader defeated Capitalist President Tiger Woods in sword fighting on this course. Capitalist President Tiger Woods then lost his wife, his family and his groove. His game has never fully recovered from the sword beating received by Great Leader."
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