Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2019 October 15

= October 15 =

Indian Images
I have spent months and months searching through Google Maps images much akin to the following link. My question is why are there so many pictures of what appears to be people and/or places from the Indian Subcontinent put into pictures which should relate to places elsewhere in the world. Below I am providing just one example but I have come across a plethora of these, to the point where I am almost able to say that there are few without Indian pictures in them. I can’t simply be an "Oops! I click the wrong button” because then there would be this with all nationalities, Americans posting in Africa and Africans posting in Asian etc, but the phenomenon appears to only be Indian people posting in other places. Is this a deliberate action taken on government level?  https://www.google.com/maps/place/Wales,+AK,+USA/@65.6091667,-168.0874999,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m8!1e2!3m6!1sAF1QipOFegmvCYJEGPYAo5yMgdN53bHusMkwszZuSszB!2e10!3e12!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipOFegmvCYJEGPYAo5yMgdN53bHusMkwszZuSszB%3Dw203-h270-k-no!7i2448!8i3264!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x596984812d524ae9:0x39c94ce7e19c065b!2sMagadan,+Magadan+Oblast,+Russia!3b1!8m2!3d59.5611525!4d150.8301413!3m4!1s0x5735e8f19fca48c3:0x737d164c7ae7c6f5!8m2!3d65.6089822!4d-168.0880737 Thank you Anton 81.131.40.58 (talk) 13:25, 15 October 2019 (UTC) Further examples as I am sure someone will be saying that I am mistaken... https://www.google.com/maps/place/Shishmaref,+AK,+USA/@66.2549161,-166.070014,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m8!1e2!3m6!1sAF1QipPSjFYHRuhY4sl5iy0oUKboRyA-EtSlId70EVr5!2e10!3e12!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipPSjFYHRuhY4sl5iy0oUKboRyA-EtSlId70EVr5%3Dw203-h152-k-no!7i1280!8i960!4m5!3m4!1s0x57337888734f02b5:0x665336ea22e8bc2e!8m2!3d66.2566289!4d-166.0720825

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Aksu,+Xinjiang,+China/@41.168779,80.260605,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m8!1e2!3m6!1sAF1QipPnNtz8TzApNbtYwyxLVhBGGLHoFDcCk6NO_lVt!2e10!3e12!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipPnNtz8TzApNbtYwyxLVhBGGLHoFDcCk6NO_lVt%3Dw203-h270-k-no!7i1920!8i2560!4m5!3m4!1s0x3863c81351ba79e5:0xbd42a56f2f96e4d5!8m2!3d41.1683169!4d80.2606201

https://www.google.com/maps/place/N'Djamena,+Chad/@12.1348457,15.0557415,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m8!1e2!3m6!1sAF1QipMq-5CyLKUfWdkgiOwF0ZheE02jGcS0ON22JX4w!2e10!3e12!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipMq-5CyLKUfWdkgiOwF0ZheE02jGcS0ON22JX4w%3Dw203-h114-k-no!7i2560!8i1440!4m5!3m4!1s0x111963cd18fcf74f:0xb8a3e92c76d2aa3b!8m2!3d12.1360052!4d15.0567627

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Apia,+Samoa/@-13.8506958,-171.7513551,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m8!1e2!3m6!1sAF1QipMglAggQqGbWnRJkaAVuhcGqOqaxxnfXdiBiDwU!2e10!3e12!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipMglAggQqGbWnRJkaAVuhcGqOqaxxnfXdiBiDwU%3Dw203-h270-k-no!7i3120!8i4160!4m5!3m4!1s0x71a513a364ec1003:0x893cc8c8c70af762!8m2!3d-13.8594139!4d-171.7602539

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Prudhoe+Bay,+AK,+USA/@70.2268224,-148.4012277,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m8!1e2!3m6!1sAF1QipOjeE4doGbxci8cAgreG-ltmoMJyvWBEK2a8yU9!2e10!3e12!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipOjeE4doGbxci8cAgreG-ltmoMJyvWBEK2a8yU9%3Dw203-h270-k-no!7i480!8i640!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x596984812d524ae9:0x39c94ce7e19c065b!2sMagadan,+Magadan+Oblast,+Russia!3b1!8m2!3d59.5611525!4d150.8301413!3m4!1s0x5120759875720bb9:0x9b76efe3a7385345!8m2!3d70.226028!4d-148.4033203 https://www.google.com/maps/place/Apia,+Samoa/@-13.8506958,-171.7513551,3a,75y/data=!3m8!1e2!3m6!1sAF1QipNJ_XDzfW1G50dlWM8uxaqlEV1t7JtRSoaqlM-Q!2e10!3e12!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipNJ_XDzfW1G50dlWM8uxaqlEV1t7JtRSoaqlM-Q%3Dw203-h270-k-no!7i1944!8i2592!4m5!3m4!1s0x71a513a364ec1003:0x893cc8c8c70af762!8m2!3d-13.8594139!4d-171.7602539 — Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.131.40.58 (talk) 14:10, 15 October 2019 (UTC)


 * I don't understand why there are selfies and posed photos of people in Google Maps at all, regardless of the people in them. Have they recently added this feature ? As for the subjects being from India, it's a populous country, and many work abroad, so I would expect many selfies in locations outside India. The Samoa pics could actually be Samoans, though, as they do both share dark skin and black hair (and sharing your skin isn't easy !). I agree that they look like they are from India, but they are close enough that I could be mistaken. SinisterLefty (talk) 16:51, 15 October 2019 (UTC)

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Prudhoe+Bay,+AK,+USA/@70.2268224,-148.4012277,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m8!1e2!3m6!1sAF1QipOjeE4doGbxci8cAgreG-ltmoMJyvWBEK2a8yU9!2e10!3e12!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipOjeE4doGbxci8cAgreG-ltmoMJyvWBEK2a8yU9%3Dw203-h270-k-no!7i480!8i640!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x596984812d524ae9:0x39c94ce7e19c065b!2sMagadan,+Magadan+Oblast,+Russia!3b1!8m2!3d59.5611525!4d150.8301413!3m4!1s0x5120759875720bb9:0x9b76efe3a7385345!8m2!3d70.226028!4d-148.4033203 — Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.131.40.58 (talk) 17:17, 15 October 2019 (UTC)


 * I live in New Zealand and neither of the two examples look Samoan to me. And their names definitely do not sound Samoan. I'm not sure it's possible to say for sure from the limited details shown whether the photos were taken although for one of them, it looks like there is some Brahmic script on a sign in the background which would seem a bit weird for Samoa. The other one has structure which also look a bit weird for Samoa and while I guess someone could have paid to have these made for something, I'm not sure how likely that would be. Nil Einne (talk) 20:17, 16 October 2019 (UTC)