27 Years of Google — My Journey as a Volunteer Contributor

[MahabubMunna]

Google 27th Year celebration Doodle Image from Google Doodle Page

Today, September 27, marks Google’s 27th anniversary. For me, Google has been much more than a search engine or a collection of products—it has been a significant part of my journey for many years.

2013 with Bangladesh Google Country Consultant Kazi Monir at Google Day Bangladesh Celebration Event

I have been using a Google Account since 2008, and since 2011, I have been actively involved in various Google volunteer and community programs.

Over the years, my journey has taken me through several Google platforms and communities, including Google Map Maker, Google Street View, Google Developer Groups (GDG), Google Crowdsource, Google Local Guides, and Google Product Experts.

Some of these platforms have since been discontinued, while I have personally stepped away from contributing to some others. Today, my main contributions are through Google Local Guides and Google Product Experts.

A photo taken during my first visit to Google Headquarters in 2016, when I traveled to attend Google I/O ’16 as an invited participant.

Looking back, I realize that this journey is not just about the contributions I made—it is also about the people I met, the communities I became part of, the events I attended, the places I visited, and the countless memories I collected along the way.

So, on Google’s 27th anniversary, I wanted to share some photographs from different moments of my journey as a Google volunteer contributor. Each photo carries a different story and reminds me of a different chapter of this long journey.

I would also love to see your memories.

If you have been involved in Google volunteer or community programs, please share your favorite memories, photographs, or moments in the comments.

Let’s celebrate Google’s 27 years by remembering the people, communities, and experiences that made our own journeys special.

A group photo of Local Guides from Bangladesh at an official Local Guides event in 2015.

Happy 27th Anniversary, Google!

[SunMoon]

@MahabubMunna সুন্দর লিখেছেন ভাই। Happy Birthday google.

[TitikMariati]

@MahabubMunna

Selamat ulang tahun ke-27, Google!

Selamat ulang tahun Google
Terima kasih sudah di ingatkan.
@MahabubMunna , kamu keren banget sih . Anak muda luar biasa . Sukses terus ya, itu doa saya

[SanjayBDLG]

@MahabubMunna Thanks for writing

Happy birthday Google

[PrasadVR]

Thank you, @MahabubMunna, for sharing these lovely memories. Looking at your old photos from Map Maker and your visit to Google HQ brings back good times. Your journey over all these years is inspiring.

[NasimJ]

শুভ জন্মদিন গুগল!

[Roman_Ahmmed]

গুগলের ২৭তম বার্ষিকীতে অনেক শুভেচ্ছা।

@MahabubMunna ভাই, আপনার এই দারুণ থ্রোব্যাক ছবিগুলো এবং সুন্দর স্মৃতিচারণা পড়ে খুবই ভালো লাগলো। এই দীর্ঘ পথচলায় কমিউনিটির সাথে আপনার অভিজ্ঞতা সত্যিই অনুপ্রেরণাদায়ক।

আপনার আগামী দিনগুলো আরও অনেক স্মরণীয় সাফল্যে ভরে উঠুক!

[SheikhArif]

Happy Birthday Google.
সুন্দর লেখনী

[Soykot_azam]

This is an absolutely amazing memory you shared @MahabubMunna
Happy birthday Google

[GaziSalauddinbd]

Happy Birthday Google, 27 years.

Nice Post @MahabubMunna bahi.

[AbdusSattar]

What an incredible journey @MahabubMunna ভাই, These old photos are not just memories, but a part of Google’s history in our community. Thanks for taking us back through these wonderful moments.

Happy birthday Google

[Nishanthligori]

This brought back a nice memory! I once participated in a Google Crowdsource campaign and was lucky enough to top the campaign. As a reward, I received some Google accessories, including a Google Crowdsource T-shirt!!! I wish I had the T-shirt with me right now so I could share a photo with you all It’s back home at the moment..

It’s amazing how Google has been part of so many different chapters of our lives. Happy 27th anniversary, Google!

[Annaelisa]

Danke für deinen interessanten Bericht @MahabubMunna, ich kann nicht auf eine so lange Tätigkeit zurückblicken und bin über den 27. Geburtstag von Google erstaunt.
Herzlichen Glückwunsch dazu

[Mortuza.Moon]

Thanks a lot for sharing your memories with us!

[AkterAshik]

আপনার শেয়ার করা আগের ছবি গুলো দেখে খুবই ভালো লাগলো

[NileshNag]

It was an awesome trip down the memory lane, @MahabubMunna bhai.
Thank you for sharing these moments with us. I, personally, really like hearing and reading these type of inspirational stories that helps us grow in a community.

For me, being a volunteer for a larger community started from the Google Translate Community in 2014 (as I recently told you during our interaction), which helped me earn an Android One device as part of the translation marathon.

By the way, do you remember Orkut? Way back when Orkut was a thing, I was part of beta testing team for a particular feature. But before it could launch, Orkut was sunsetted in 2014.

Years later, I have been part of various beta testing programs via Google Search, Translate, Crowdsource and Area 120. One such side project was the Neighbourly app, through the Local Guides program, where I attended my first official event in 2018 and met some amazing people.

[OliverKIWI]

Thank you for sharing this, @MahabubMunna!

Two fun facts:

September 27th is also my wife’s birthday! We celebrated with a weekend getaway to an Airbnb on Waiheke Island.

I’ve had the privilege of visiting several Google offices over the years, including Tokyo, Singapore, San Francisco, Mountain View, and Auckland.

Here’s a photo of me wearing a Google Intern hat… courtesy of my daughter, who was a Google intern

[Nurul_Hasnat]

15 years of volunteering is such an amazing journey! Loved seeing these memories and the different Google communities you’ve been part of.

[adib79ali]

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