With my long-term girlfriend questioning my apparent lack of social contribution, the Local Guide program allows me to make amends for my relative inactivity.
The desire to create a significant impact on the society and its people has always been an integral part of my consciousness while growing up. Considering arts as a suitable outlet to do so, I tried my hands in its few different forms so far – from writing poetry to making films. During my sabbatical from pursuing arts, I was chased by the thought regarding how to give back to society; my girlfriend’s continuous reminder about the matter further strengthened the thought. Thanks to the Local Guide program, I now have a very simple way to make a prodigious contribution, not only in the internet space but also in real life.
To me, being a local guide means making the best use of free times, improving people’s real-life experiences, as well as benefiting from the reliability of other Local Guides in the network.
Making the Best Use of My Time
In many online communities, it’s very easy to get distracted with unnecessary things; wasting a lot of time and energy every day in mundane updates without doing anything constructive. Whereas, in the Local Guide program, the time can be spent in writing about the places I have visited and share them with the world with an intention to be helpful.
The Local Guide program gives me a sense of purpose! A chance for self-gratification often encouraged and enhanced by the monthly updates sent by Local Guides; informing me about how many people have benefitted from my posts or pictures. Finally, I have found an internet community where I belong, a community that enables me to put my time into better use. Being able to flaunt a special badge, makes the experience even more worthwhile.
Improving People’s Experiences
Being a traveler myself, I know how tricky it is to find accommodation, restaurants, attractive destinations, etc. in a new location. Even more so in a relatively less-developed country like Bangladesh, where roads and business closures happen suddenly and quite often. In situations like this, the Local Guide program is really helpful, as it provides the location edit suggestions for specific businesses or organizations. This, in turn, stops the people from being misguided on Google maps.
From my own experience, I can relate to how much people rely on the feedbacks and in-depth reviews of a particular place on Google Maps in order to make informed decisions. So, the moment I post a review or a photo, I know it’s going to make a noteworthy difference in the way people are going to experience those services.
Reliability of Local Guides Badge
The internet can be a testing place sometimes, with scammers and fraudsters using innovative ways to mislead people. Amidst this confusion of what to believe and whom to believe, the Local Guide badge provides a breadth of fresh air in terms of reliability.
In my year-long stay in London as well as my travels in a few other European cities, I have benefitted from an array of Local Guides guiding me to the best places with their detailed review posts. For instance, while traveling in Amsterdam, I got rain-stuck and needed to drop-off my large backpack before visiting the Van Gogh Museum. Guess what! It was a Local Guide whose review led me to this amazing luggage storage near the Amsterdam Centraal, where I could leave my valuables without any worries.
So, to conclude, being a local guide showed me how a small step can go a long way toward the improvement of societal experiences. It also brings a lot of people from different cultures together, facilitating a connection to make the world a better place. On a personal level, I continue to benefit from other guides while trying to give something back with my own experiences and knowledge. Now it’s time to bond with the other members of this global family and taste the friendships so many others are talking about.
