I am a Google local guide from peshawar, Pakistan. I have joined the Connect community recently. I have started spending my time improving Google maps, instead of using social media. I know that contributing towards Google maps is an open project and anyone from anywhere can be a part of this project. But the same open-for-all policy is hurting the maps. I have come across through hundreds of locations in my locality that are added by local guides with inappropriate or even wrong information. Not just because they needs more points, but also because they don’t have enough knowledge about mapping or even they might be illiterate. For example, their single mistake of adding places with an inappropriate category has created a mess, locations that are personal residence, or shops etc are appearing in Museums categories just because of having museum added to them as a category.
A number of other examples can be given.
I want to suggest that there should be an eligibility criteria that should decide who could and who couldn’t be a local guide. At least the person becoming a local guide should have a certain kind of literacy level so that at least he or she should be able to read and understand the texts they are dealing with.
In present scenerio, on one hand, there are local guides that are making valuable contributions to the Google maps benefitting the community. On the other hand, there are local guides that are either short of knowledge or purposely adding locations with inappropriate or even wrong details. That in turn badly hurts the maps.
Hi @ComradeShah ,
Everyone is allowed to be a Local Guide, and I don’t think Google would want to make people go through a literacy test to decide who is able to join the program.
However, if you come across Local Guides who you think have violated any policy, you can always report them. These are the policies Local Guides:
- The Local Guides program rules or Local Guides community policy. For example, by participating as a business or behaving inappropriately on Connect.
- Google Maps policies on reviews, photos, and videos. For example, by posting duplicate reviews or photos, contributing offensive content, or uploading spam.
- Google Maps mapping guidelines. For example, by adding fake locations to the map, changing the name of a business to an incorrect one, or adding unnecessary keywords in any field.
You can check how to report Local Guides, and more, in this link: How to identify and report fraud on Google Maps.
I hope I was able to help!
@ComradeShah I completely understand your view on this said matter, where we get a lot of misleading and off-point information added to Maps either by spammers, inexperienced local guides or simply by accident.
Like @Jesi detailed, Local Guides and Maps program are open for all. There are policies and guidelines to help you advance at each stage, but then it boils down to the fact how seriously you take and implement them .
I completely understand that not everyone would be that much considerate before posting as you are my friend that’s where WE come into play.
A lot of Local Guides spend most of their times adding new/missing information and also cleaning up the map. Let me tag @JanVanHaver who is one such leading example and I’m sure he would love to have you onboard with his #CleanTheMaps campaign .
Now, to fight spam, we must work with Google’s Aggressive anti-spam algorithm to have clean maps. Even Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning fails when there is no input based on ground knowledge and facts. So, best strategy is to start cleaning up maps starting from your neighborhood ( which I believe is the most important Maps activity currently) .
As per on selection criteria, I think that would take the human element away from the program and in a longer run will hurt more than it delivers. But, on a side note, I do believe that first few contributions of a new Local Guide can be moderated before it gets public ( that would help reduce spam and also encourage quality contributions)
Thank you @Jesi for your detailed response.
Thank you @OmerAli for such a detailed response.
As for as you have talked about cleaning the map project of @JanVanHaver , so I am already on board. I want to know, what and how should I communicate about that project.