The question should be directed to GoogleEarth if that's even possible now. Before that company gets subjected to a fictitious conspiracy theory, and the potential for a Homeland Security investigation, has the problem been corrected?

I'm aware that mappers, geographers, and many people in the world make mastakes (sp). However, has the media, anyone, bothered to contact GoogleEarth for a statement? Has the problem been assigned to the media, maybe 60 Minutes, Inside Edition, CNN, FoxNews, or just blogs, podcasts, and other circuitous chatter that doesn't deal directly with the source?

I opened GoogleEarth, New Orleans, this morning and unless I'm mistaken the image currency appears to have been corrected, i.e., blue tarps on roof tops. I see a lot of blue tarps on the roof tops. Do we still need to know when that image was posted? The actual photo date of the New Orleans image would be helpful.

Do we need an oversight committee with investigations by our elected officials, and recommendations to develop quality control standards, and government review of what gets published by Internet companies?

Maybe that's the big picture, the intent of all this scrutiny, and the claim of subterfuge; if we ever believe a bogus explanation such as that we're part of the problem.

Bottom line: Are all the New Orleans roofs repaired, all the blue tarps removed? I still see blue tarps; has New Orleans been repaired, to some degree. Has the city been restored, somewhat. We already know that.

What agenda have we accomplished with the spotlight on an Internet mapping company which provides a global service to everyone, and for free? Sure, GoogleEarth could use a better method for reporting errors, photo dates, i.e., feedback, and user input; would we even have this conversation with the photo date posted? Probably. We need current information.

We all make mistakes, accidental, some intentional; what's the intent of this company? Prove it! By all appearances GoogleEarth has corrected the item with or without the sensational attacks posted and without a reprimand of company employees who published the image; a fair, and good company decision despite a few barbs and conjectures, a tempest in a tea pot.

We now suppose a proposed regulatory agency to review Internet companies, and services for protocol, QA/QC, would fix this problem; for example, a USGS government watchdog on GoogleEarth, and MSN Virtual Earth for that matter; then all Internet companies, and publishers, would be scrutinized as a solution; that's a solution?

If you wish to forward any comments, errors, omissions, and solutions to GoogleEarth, be positive! We still need to focus on the victims of Katrina; that appears to be of secondary importance in this podcast, blog.

We've wasted more time and energy on this topic than the topic deserves. Help in a positive