Awards and prizes

[mandreiamoreira]

Hello,

I know that this is an unpaid job but when they talk about prizes and local discounts, I can’t find anyone in my country or local place. I do this for years, for free, and not even a discount for my storage that I paid every month. Not even meet-ups or know things first hand. Is it really like this for anyone in Portugal? I mean, I kind of question if I’ll continue to work for Google for free. I don’t get anything from my work and maps gets a lot of views from my reviews, posts and for the information that I’m always correcting. It seems quite unfair comparing to what the Americans contributors get.

[PaulPavlinovich]

Hi @mandreiamoreira this is not a job at all. While there are perks from time to time they don’t compensate you for the effort you put in. I don’t know about you, but the reason I do it is to support my local community and other communities when I travel by making sure Maps is as right and useful as it can be.

Paul

[mandreiamoreira]

Hi there,

yes, that’s my point too but I do that in a lot of platforms and I get paid to do it. And Google has a lot of information from us without even giving discounts to their products. I mean, every month I pay to get more cloud storage and not even a discount? And they say they provide discounts to local guides so that’s why I’m bringing the subject. Maybe Google forget about this program because everyone is doing it for nothing at all. And it’s not fair to know that American users from California got invited for things and we don’t. I know Google doesn’t give a toss about it but it’s a complaint anyway.

[ErmesT]

Hi @mandreiamoreira , Andrea. “Welcome to Connect! If this is your first visit, you’ve come to the right place. This post will serve as a guide for everything you need to know about contributing content and engaging with the Local Guides community on Connect”. This is the first of the information that you will find in “Your guide to Connect” , the introductory Guide of the community. In there you will find all the necessary information to know how to better contribute in here.

Personally I do this as a volunteer, I can use one of the best navigation App of the world for free, constantly updated by Local guides like me. I choose where to go, which business to choose, because I trust in photos and reviews written by Local Guides like me. Previously I was paying 100 € every year for keeping my navigation device updated (twice per year) so I think that what I save (including email, Photo storage, and others useful programe) is a lot compared with what I was paying before.

Just curious: Can provide an example of what the Local Guides based on California receive, and where did you find that information? I have a lot of friends in California, and some of them is also moderating this community, and I never heard about some advantage, prize or discount for them.

Do you have a doubt about how to do something? The Help desk is here for you,with a long list of post with detailed indications on how to post.

Which kind of contents we share in the community? What are Connect topics? will give you an explanation

[mandreiamoreira]

Hi Ernest,

well, I pay exactly the same amount for storage as any other user not local guide. This is why I complain. I don’t get any perks from Google at all.

A couple of year ago, previously to covid quarentões, there was a gathering that happened in California. I got an e-mail telling me about it and it was only for Americans local guides. I don’t have the e-mail, due to storage issues, but I found that a little bit discriminatory because, as a local Guida, level 7, I never received any perk. Just e-mails telling me of the views I get, and the traveling I do. That’s basically what Google offers me. My personal data which helps them and no perks at all. I pay every month 1.99€ just to get more space for e-mails, google photos and that kind of stuff so, as you can compare, it is not fair. You don’t pay this, I do.

Googling about it this was the event: https://oscarkwok.medium.com/4-tips-to-get-selected-for-google-local-guides-connect-live-dbb12c9ab003

[ErmesT]

Well, I am sorry to contradict you @mandreiamoreira .

The announcement of Connect Live 2020 was posted on Feb. 14, 2020, and an email was sent on March 3, 2020, to all the Local Guides that were L5+, inviting them to apply.

I don’t know if you can read Italian (Yes, I am Italian), so I am translating for you a part of the text, where they say “Connect Live 2020 will bring together 200 Local Guides from around the world to learn, explore, provide feedback and celebrate the achievements of our global community.”

They clearly said "200 Local Guides from around the world"

So it is not true that only “American users from California got invited for things and we don’t”, as you wrote in your first reply. This is just a fake information.

The link shared by you is related to a post wrote by @Oscar_Kwok , a “Local Guide based in Calgary, Canada”, as you can read on his profile.

Connect Live 2020 was cancelled by COVID, but I can tell you that During the event hosted by Google in 2019, 2018 and 2017 I had the opportunity to meet a lot of Local Guides from all over the world, including some from your country, like the amazing @Patriciapraca .

As for your last sentence “You don’t pay for it, I do” please kindly avoid making statements about what you don’t know. I pay just like you, because my free storage space is full. It’s not full because I contribute to Google Maps, it’s full because I archive photos and documents that I need. Before signing up for a Google One subscription I looked for cheaper storage solutions, and honestly I didn’t find any.
Therefore, if we want to discuss perks and rewards it is fine to do so, but let’s not do it using wrong or false information and ridiculous pretexts.

So let’s pretend that you didn’t write all these untrue things above, and let’s start from the beginning with a smile.

Hi, @mandreiamoreira , if you want information on the perks you can read Question about a Local Guides reward email? Read this first . In there you can read: “Rewards are offered to Local Guides from time to time as a thank you for contributing great content on Google Maps” and “Rewards are offered from time to time to active Local Guides worldwide or by region. Please keep sharing your high-quality contributions to maximize your chances of being eligible.”

Personally I would say that you write great reviews, but on the “photos” side you should avoid to post the same photos twice (please check your latest contributions) or to post dark photos and photos taken in a moving park, because we see a road, not a beautiful park.

Keeping your account clean and without violations of the rules will indeed increase your possibility of being rewarded.

Good luck

[mandreiamoreira]

Hi ErmesT

You’re free to contradict me as much as you want.

The main point is, I’m a local guide for more than 10 years and so far I have had 0 perks or prizes. Also, you said you were paying 100€/year for storage so if I pay 1.99€/month for storage (which it’s the same amount of money that anyone pays, contributing or not to Google) and you don’t pay 100€/year for the same, you have a perk with I don’t, right?

Your quote: “Previously I was paying 100 € every year for keeping my navigation device updated (twice per year) so I think that what I save (including email, Photo storage, and others useful programe) is a lot compared with what I was paying before.”

Still, about Google Connect, from the 200 that attended, only 64 countries were represented there. So it’s an excellent example of what I’m talking about.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.localguidesconnect.com/t5/Announcements/An-update-on-Connect-Live-2020/ba-p/2486571&ved=2ahUKEwjVzbrS5qyBAxXkTaQEHUcPBq4QFnoECBIQAQ&usg=AOvVaw0xhtUIMdruas3ClCBZ9pd_

“Last year, 200 Connect Live attendees represented 64 different countries and regions.”

Also, I do a lot of market researches and all the studies in which my opinion is valuable it is paid with a gift card, merchandise or anything at all. It’s not totally for free and it’s a fair thing to do. As a professional dancer, I know a lot of dancers dance for free at some events. I don’t. I’m profissional and people should pay for my work. The same principle it’s applicated to these kind of things, contribution to Google Maps or give an opinion about a product or how do I make my weekly buyings it takes time, personal data and should also be paid. You may beg to differ but google says that:

“As a Local Guide, you earn points when you share reviews, photos, and knowledge on Google Maps. Those points lead to higher levels of the program, as well as benefits like early access to Google features and special rewards from partners.”.

I never got any Google feature or special reward from partners. Never!

Also, check Reddit and you see that sometimes they give rewards but as I say, not to all. Just a few people and usually american ones.

Main point and to sum all up: for more than 10 years, Google beber reward me from anything at all. The least they could do would be give a discount on their services. But not even that. And I think that’s cheap considering all the data they receive from me. That’s all.

[ErmesT]

Local Guides program started on 2015, @mandreiamoreira , 8 years ago, so I wonder how you were able to be a Local Guide for 10 years.

Your first photo was added here less than four years ago.

Your first review was adde a bit more than four years ago.

I never said that I paid € 100 for storage. What I said is that “Previously I was paying 100 € every year for keeping my navigation device updated (twice per year)”

Now I use (like you) Google Maps, plus a lot of other programs, for free. In this way I save 100 € every year and this for me is a great advantage.

And from last month a pay €1.99 per month for storage (€23.88 per year), exactly like you.

Your were talking about advance and rewards addressed mostly to California, and north America.

The numbers that you are showing about Connect Live 2019 are telling us that there was an average of 3 local guides for every country.

However I agree with you that some countries had more attendees. In fact in 2019 Italians were 10, and the number of Indians was high too (oops, they are not Californian). Weird, isn’t it?

It is great that as a professional you are paid, but I have to say that the dance company I worked for was frequently performing “for good” when the event was meaningful.

As a professional I am paid too, but in the local guide program we are not professional.

But again the point is not this, so please don’t add wrong information over wrong information.

I have already shared the link about rewards with you, and that one is an official post, not something “not official” found on the web.

The scope for contributing is not to get rewards, @mandreiamoreira , but we may be rewarded for great contributions.

Personally I would not consider as great contributions duplicate photos, especially when irrelevant and especially added in two different businesses, like the next one.

As a Maps user would you consider this an important data, representing well a business? Personally I don’t, I’m sorry

[Mohdmohdaljaman]

@mandreiamoreira .تحياتي ارجو لك الصحه والنجاح.ارجو انتحصلي يوم من الايام هديه تزيد من روح المنافسه عندك.اننا جميعا نعمل لمساعدة الناس بدون اجر.والهدايا ترسل لمن يطلبها ولمن يحالفني الحظ.ارجوا لك النجاح والتوفيق.

[Patriciapraca]

Olá @mandreiamoreira ! Ser local guide é ser voluntário, não é fazer contribuições, esperando receber uma remuneração ou recompensa… Acho um mau principio fazer contribuições esperando algo em troca. Quando faço contribuições penso em ajudar outras pessoas, dar-lhes informações sobre os locais e sobre a minha experiência nos mesmos.