All fair points. I am not a big software patents guy, so I don't really like the idea that you can patent this type of thing. Thus I don't like to encourage be

All fair points. I am not a big software patents guy, so I don't really like the idea that you can patent this type of thing. Thus I don't like to encourage behaviors whose exit strategy is patent troll, but that's another story. Your solution might be technically superior, but the less-technically savvy way (ugc or such) is still as useful. Also clearly streetview is designed with the idea of becoming the ultimate landmark-based navigation. I will yield that I know jack squat about the mapping industry or about what your company does (as that wasn't really what your post was about). I was just using your post to illustrate a point about something I see happen frequently. It saddens me to see so many people's startups get (predictably) crushed.