According to Ianevitch, who runs 'Weird Google Earth,' there "wasn't any particular inspiration" behind the project itself. "Google Maps was new [back] then and many of the things that it showed looked out of place," he told Bored Panda via email.
The curator gave us a few notable examples of the weird and mysterious things that he and others spotted. He drew our attention to the circular irrigation rings in the desert or bomb targets in Nevada, the pink bunny in Italy, and the Japanese bird people.
"I soon realized there were loads of locations that are weird, out-of-place, even provocative," he said. " I started collecting those and very soon had enough to share with others. So the project kind of 'just happened.'"
Bored Panda was interested in getting Ianevitch's thoughts on why the project draws internet users' attention. "The content resonates with many [people] because it is always fresh, captivating, in short, bite-sized pieces, easy to consume, and easy to share," he told us.
"Also, I always make sure that real coordinates are posted, so people can go to Google Maps or Street View and poke around for themselves. Map embeds are also always there," he shared how this sort of convenience helps people enjoy the content even more.
We were also curious how the curator of 'Weird Google Earth' would classify a truly good post, worthy of the entire project. "A truly good post is one that people come back to over the years," he said that something that really takes the cake for him is the snapshot of the Japanese bird people.
Meanwhile, the content that enjoys the most success tends to either hit a nerve or to starts a discussion. "A little controversy is great, too!" he told Bored Panda.
"It is very rewarding to have such posts and see them have a life of their own. The best ones are those where people have discussions in the comments!" he said, giving an example of a flying rabbit.
Ianevitch said that new fans of the WGE project should simply come to the site, browse it, and enjoy themselves. "Oh, and if you like it—share it with your friends!" he urged.
"I love it when people submit their finds on the website—in fact, we get quite a few of our posts through that mechanism. So if they have things to share, they should not keep those to themselves.
#9 "Confessions To The Chicken Farmer". Location: Newbury, New Hampshire, USA
The ‘Weird Google Earth’ project has been up and running for over a decade now, which shows how dedicated the curators are and how much they enjoy what they do.
The project’s Twitter page, for instance, was launched all the way back in April 2013. Since then, WGE has carved out a small but significant niche for itself online: it has a dedicated community of followers who enjoy the freshest finds.
Over 2.2k people follow the project’s Twitter page and another 1.4k follow it on Facebook. All the numerous entries also end up being shared on Instagram, as well as the WGE website, so that everyone has access to the full archive of mysterious, and out-of-place pics, no matter which of the social sites they visit.
According to the curator of ‘Weird Google Earth,’ their goal is to “dig up” the weirdest and most hilarious Google Earth and Google Maps finds in order to share these discoveries with the wider public.
However, it’s not just the curator working hard. You can “report a curiosity” on the project’s website as well. And if you’re lucky, what you’ve stumbled upon will get featured. Though if you’re a bit shy (or simply enjoy your privacy), you have the option of having your find published without your real name being shown.
Google Earth has been around far longer than many folks realize! It was launched on June 10, 2001, over 22 years ago. And here we were, thinking that it was still a fairly new computer program. Time sure does fly.
The idea behind Google Earth is simple: it uses satellite imagery, aerial photography, and GIS data to superimpose it on a three-dimensional globe. Internet users can use the program to look at landscapes and cities from various angles.
What this means, essentially, is that anyone who’s curious and has an adventurous spirit can explore practically the entire globe… so long as they have an internet connection, as well as plenty of patience to navigate from area to area, field to field, hill to hill, and street to street. And that patience is well-rewarded if the photos in this list are anything to go by.
In 2019, Google announced that the program covers over 97% of the entire planet, having captured a jaw-dropping 10 million miles of Street View imagery. However, you can’t see everything and anything using Google Earth. There are some national security and privacy concerns. For instance, you wouldn’t be able to navigate your way around the locations where you might find military and other sensitive facilities.
