In October 2016, an email from The Google Maps team popped into my Gmail Inbox. The subject read “Your photos reached a new record on Google Maps!”, that was enough to get my attention and I quickly clicked the email…“Your photos are a big hit! Your photos helped people over 1,000 times, a new record for you on Google Maps”.
“What?!”, I thought to myself, “You mean I actually get to help people with photos I post?” I was no expert photographer, and it was only 1,000 views but I was totally over the moon. Suddenly, this occasional thing that I did while traveling (a hobby of mine) started to mean much more than simply an activity to remember where I’d been, and to pass time. “Keep exploring” the email closed, and with that I had a newfound sense of adventure, and usefulness!
Fast forward 3.5 years and a new email reads, “Hi Moses, You’re a top photographer on Google Maps” …“You’ve just accomplished what very few people have done: reached 5,000,000 photo views”. Maps has helped to combine my hobbies and interests (photography and travel) into this pursuit to help others. Not very many years ago, there was very little location and navigation data on African cities and places of interest. Maybe a road here and a building there, but that was about it. The ability to post these updates as a Local Guide gave me power as a content creator on the ground to make the invisible visible.
It is 2020 and we still do not have an effective physical address system in Nairobi. Many people still tend to give directions to a place using descriptive landmarks “…after the junction, you will see a red kiosk on your left, it will be the second black gate on the right”. “Why?” I ask, “Can’t you send me a pin instead?”…“Oh yes” they respond, “That’s a good idea, let me do that”. Because of Local Guides, it is 2020, and we do have maps with great location data - photos, names, contact information, reviews, and much more.
The Local Guides program is a chance to participate in something more meaningful than just a hobby. Of course yes, selfcare is important and it is crucial to relax and/or travel, but in the process there is often the opportunity to do more with that moment: We can appreciate a local business by reviewing it on Maps; we can let others know that a restaurant we loved has now closed down; we can share amazing photos to add perspective to a place; and yes, if necessary, we can give that one star rating to warn others about some place to avoid.
It has only been a few years, but it has been a great adventure. I’m now a Master Photographer and a Level 8 Local Guide, I’m really interested to learn about the additional and different aspects that it takes to be a well-rounded guide. Photography did it for me, what was it for you?
