Maps have come a long way ! From how finding a new place is a challenge to Getting lost is a challenge.
This humble navigation aid has been around since 6th Century but was mainly used by travelers to get from point A to point B. Now, however, this new age maps you can spend days exploring hidden gems in your own zip code.
Putting goods and services on maps gave it a new meaning. Local small business get level playing field. A step further, when reviews and ratings were added - now local bistro around the corner can give global chain run for its money, not because of its size but because of the way it grinds its coffee !
Public reviews put quality pressure on vendors and service providers to raize the bar
or risk negative comments, thereby improving quality of service consumer gets.
However, While all this tech plays in the background, the real human interface of it all is the questions and answers section of the google maps.
A mother of 2 pressed for time asks a question about a local business and the question pops up on the screen of a dozen members of this invisible informal volunteer task force called Google local guides. One or more of these local guides respond to the question.
Complete strangers playing good Samaritan without any expectations of reciprocal favor. Yet another small piece of Jigsaw put in place. A location made more accessible and life made more predictable.
As a local guide, I love to answer the questions about places, locations, parking and accessibility. This gives a human touch to the entire process that otherwise just sounds like a lot of tech.
When people get an answer to a question, they realize its not just hi-tech algorithm sitting on a server somewhere in a dark room, there is human out there who listens and cares.
This army of almost invisible local guides that fill up the information gaps and bring more clarity and human touch to google maps is a humongous collective effort that gives a slice of their own time to share knowledge and whats around them.
This technology may be amazing that has become so much a part of our urban life but whats even more amazing is this spirit of selfless collective effort that give this a human touch.
Proud to be part of this collective effort !