Some questions:
When you do street photography, do you ask permission before you take a photograph? If not, when faces are shown in photographs, do you get permission from individuals before posting them online? I would like to try some street photography but am unclear about these aspects of it. Any insights would be appreciated.
Gail, it's a such a minefield. You have to have a mixture of common sense and bravery. Especially in the US with issues around terrorism, 9-11, paedophilia, etc.
I never ask permission. While individual have rights (which I respect and if some said dont photograph me I wouldn't) the street is also to an extent a public domain. The minute you ask, you destroy the picture, it's gone forever. These are my personal rules:
1. I never use long lenses to photograph people from behind corners and bushes - no paparazzii stuff!
2. If I see the person has seen me and I sense any discomfort I've lost the shot. I walk away.
3.If the person has seen me but seems unperturbed, I carry on.
4.I don't operate ostentatiously with loads of gear.
5.I usually never ask if someone has noticed because the moment is lost. (I have had good images in exception to this rule, though)
6.Sometimes people can be rude and it can be quite disconcerting. I normally try to get over this quickly on the basis that I have had more successes than failures. But you need some bravado.
7. When people ask what I'm doing I answer truthfully. In this case, I would have said I'm a photographer documenting the experience of fairgrounds.
8. If someone has noticed and asks I almost always show them the image.
9.If someone has seen me, and then poses, I take the picture anyway, so they don't feel rejected.
MOST importantly I try to pre-visualise the shot. In some ways this is the most critical factor in street photography. By example, in the images there is a pic of the legs of rather tarty woman, and a young innocent child, which is something of a contrast. I could see them approaching from a distance. I was visualizing in my head how this might work out. It was all in the legs and feet not in the faces. Hopefully some lightness from the child, some snaky"ness" from the woman. I get my camera ready to anticipate this. IF it works out that way, then you have the shot! And better still you have it quickly without attracting attention because you "pre-saw" it. The more you try this the luckier you get !!!! Its amazing, and it requires a leap of faith and a belief in self and to sense the emotion that a scene stirs for you. And the more this happens the more you fade into the background and the less self conscious you get!!
But it is harder in a post 9=11 world. having said that, people should behave in public as they want to be seen. I remember once taking an image of a ship coming into harbour. In the foreground were two "lovers" on a bench locked in an embrace. The image made it onto a magazine cover. A short while later, a man called me to say he was furious that his picture was on the cover because his wife had seen the magazine and the other person was a lover he was having an affair with. My answer to him was that he should not do in a public place something that he would be ashamed of. But I come from a photojournalism background, where editorial is different from images you use in a advert, where you then need a model release, etc.
Also, I found your comments about the Nikon V1 interesting as I have a huge interest in this camera, particularly because of it's focus speed and accuracy. But, as you point out, it does have some quirks.
To many quirks for me, the more I use it the less I like it. It's not a photographer's camera and it has fiddly controls.
Now, if the focus and speed performance of the Nikon 1 and the sensor size of the G1X could be found in one camera, that would be some camera! Wonder who will get there first: Nikon or Canon?
Agreed, I wish the Canon was less sluggish (it is a bit, but NO more than any G series before it - yes, its not for everyone) I think some MF4/3 cameras are nearly there (such as the new Olympus OMD) so it might be neither Nikon or Canon
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Peter Bendheim
http://www.peterbendheim.com 
