Sometimes perhaps as Local Guides we are in too much of a rush to add our photos on Maps or maybe we are just overly anxious to show the beautiful places in the world that we would like others to visit. However, it’s important that we at all times adhere to the Maps User Contributed Content Policy. This means that we must be fair, be honest and be accurate. We must not deliberately add fake content, copied or stolen photos and our photos must be authentic, relevant and accurately represent these places in the world. We must not be lured by the desire to earn points! In my view, the following example photos added on Maps are a long, long way from meeting the abovementioned criteria:
Believe me having been to Melbourne Airport in the State of Victoria a countless number of times, it doesn’t look like the photo added by the “Local Guide” here and isn’t anywhere near Port Douglas which is some 2,400km away in the State of Queensland - (Example #2)!
Canada Place in Vancouver, British Columbia (West Coast) Canada doesn’t at all resemble the Rideau Canal some 4,500km away in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (East Coast) - (Example #5)!
IMPORTANT NOTE: My post here is not an exercise in naming and shaming any specific Local Guide, but rather it’s about education. I welcome your comments about the need to be fair, honest and accurate when contributing to Maps but if you know of or come across anything like this then do not mention the names of any Local Guides in your comment. Instead, feel free to send me a private message with details (Connect User name and or Maps profile link would be most helpful). Let’s work together and clean up such misrepresentations!
Honestly, I’m this is exactly, what I have noticed over the years! Unrelated pics added that actually destroys the mind about place what actually people looking for
Oh, Thanks for bringing this problem to attention @AdamGT
I also see lots of unrelated, stolen, and copied photos/reviews. This kind of wrong contribution has other side effects, too as I described here.
I even know some level 10 and 9 users who reached those levels only by copying content and adding tons of them to places. But unfortunately, it seems these days that reporting such users has no real effect to ban or hiding their photos/reviews while these high-level bad contributors are really bad samples for other users.
Thanks for your comment @Kishore_AK . As you say, sadly this type of behavior does give people very inaccurate information and impressions about the places that they wish to visit.
Yes indeed @Amiran as you have written in your post, one motive for this behavior is to earn points and I totally agree that as bona fide Local Guides we must not be lured by the desire to earn points and should report such behavior but please don’t be disheartened in reporting them.
He visto muchas fotos mal ubicadas en maps. Lamentablemente el procedimiento para solicitar eliminarlas no es tan fácil como sugerir una edición de datos.
Si lo hicieran mas amigable, sería mas fácil para uno pedir eliminar esas fotos o videos.
Yo lo hago cada vez que puedo, espero que otros también lo hagan, para ir limpiando, y dejar buen contenido.
Hi @AdamGT Actually, you’re right because seeing your photos before seeing the place I went creates a more positive atmosphere for me, unfortunately, some people want photos of different places without thinking about it, and one of my favorite places on the maps is people who add their own photos, especially I don’t like the photos added by taking selfies.
I totally agree with you, it’s usually the photos or videos that create the first impression and gives you a feel about the atmosphere of a place so when we see the wrong photos as in the 5 examples I have shown, or fake content, copied or stolen photos and selfies etc is just so frustrating.
Very good and needed post @AdamGT . I have seen people using the google maps to upload selfies, family pics and other unrelated photos of the place. I really hope all local guides follow your instructions and be fair and honest. Thanks for this informative post. I read twice to make sure i follow the proper guidelines as well. Thanks for the reminder.
I didn’t know about this. One day I was checking into the map and I found out about this. He just edited the photo by adding a white board on the right to make it different than mine.
I reported the issue at spam control forum and finally the justice was served.
Stealing the photo of another and posting it or even an edited version of it as if it was one’s own photo is certainly not being fair, honest or accurate and is totally against the policy @DibyayanC . However, I’m intrigued by your example. Certainly the photos look identical except for the rectangular board on the right of the second photo but I have to say that adding that board in the way that it has seems like a very difficult exercise. Can you tell me if the name of this place has changed since you took your photo?
Questo è molto interessante @AdamGT mi imbatto spesso in profili del genere, ne ho appena trovato uno e segnalato, dopo ti condivido il link al profilo. Sarebbe interessante avere un canale ufficiale dove segnalare questi profili perché le segnalazioni in maps non sono molto efficaci o comunque non a risoluzione istantanea! Grazie x questo post
@AdamGT In India it’s quite common. Worst thing is seeing selfies and reels being added to a POI. I have been reporting them for quite long. I hope it making a difference.
Good callout @AdamGT . I agree it is important to add the accurate photos. I still remember in one case someone added a photo of his house for the POI of a restaurant. Luckily, I was able to get that removed.
Great tips and tricks and examples!
Using the reporting facilities on Maps is a good starting point @PattyBlack and you can always notify one of the moderators here on Connect but I always suggest that you do not post Local Guide names or profiles publicly, do it privately via a private message.
Yes I have to admit that I have seen a lot of policy violations in India @Trail_blazer perhaps can be expected given its large population. Selfies and using Maps as some sort of personal photo album is a ridiculous waste of time and is a sure way for a “Local Guide” to be suspended.
