Feared and loathed Mountain View ad firm Google got a lot of deservedly good press for being a font of telling data in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, especially the satellite imagery provided by the Maps team. Now the company has added Greater New Orleans — from Metairie to Algiers, Shreveport to Baton Rouge — to street view. You can check in on every parade turn, strip joint, turtle souper and streetcar turnaround you might remember. But anyone might notice that the time disparity between the satellite and street-level photographs of the region are striking in visual contrast.

The satellite imagery shows a nest of buildings further ramshackled in the wake of the flood, while the curbside angle shows thick, expansive verdure where ensuing demolition has left empty lots. YouTube footage provides heart-wrenching narrative counterpoint. I think I just shed a single, sincere tear for Google's seemingly earnest altruism. Nice work.

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