Dear Moderators,
In the past 2 plus decades, I have visited 39 countries; my travels were a part of my corporate responsibility, family vacations and explorations.
As a Photographer, I have been extensively using different cameras (Film based, digital 2D, 3D Stills & Videos, etc) and have collections of thousands of photos & videos.
Kindly advice me – ‘Can I Write reviews & Publish the photos of those destinations?’ please.
Thanks for your guidance.
Regards.
Namaste. @TravellerG
Clearly No.
Don’t write reviews and uploading photos, videos and don’t answer the questions of that place.
In the past 2 decades there are many things are happened.
It’s more than 20 years.
And during lockdown and after relaxation of lock down, there are many things are suddenly change.
Some business are destroyed and some are newly opened. Some are closed.
And regarding place as local guide we need to keep, the updating of our reviews.
From my side, I only give reviews of places after visiting of it.
It’s newly and fresh review of my experience.
So, in conclusion if you will writing their places that you visited in past 2 decades.
Your intention is good, but the things are changed. And if your reviews doesn’t match the real place or maybe that place it’s not existing or closed.
Many people will reporting your reviews and that is considering as a spam.
You are experienced local guide, so you know the better than me that updation and real time reviews are accepted and appreciated.
Kindly don’t write those places reviews. Maybe you visited popular palaces but still I don’t recommend to do this.
Human’s looks are also changed with the age, same applied to the places.
Thanks.
Hi @TravellerG ,
Thank you for tagging me.
Wow 39, that’s very impressive. Nonetheless, I would recommend to avoid reviewing locations you visited a long time ago, as we aim that the information on Google Maps to be up to date. Since there’s a possibility that the places have changed, this may create a confusion for future visitors. That said, you are welcome to share your travel stories on Connect. I’m sure that Local Guides will find them interesting and they can keep them in mind when planning their upcoming trips.
I will tagging @PaulPavlinovich , that gives you more guidance.
Thanks.
Thanks for the response. @KlaudiyaG
However, I suggesting that @TravellerG will share their experience about the places in the local stories and make a note, that this photos, videos are not recent and they are old.
Their experience is helping to local guides, then they will decide to go or not. And of course it will also helps to planning of their tours.
Thank you very much for your guidance and kind wards, dear @KlaudiyaG …
I got your point and shall do accordingly…
Regards
Dear @TravellerG Sir
Thank you for raising a pertinent question.
I think it should be absolutely fine to write about a place that one has visited quite some time back provided the local guide makes sure the information is relevant and up to date even now.
Anyways the post even if written today will be out-of-date soon within a year as things around that place may change quickly.
Does that mean that post should be taken off LG Connect because it was posted some years ago? LG Connect is 4 yrs old already.
I extensively post about places I visited and include ever-green information like best time to visit, places to see around, how to reach which will never change even in the next 10 years.
If need be a note can be included to the reader that the information presented is indicative and they must verify the facts before considering visiting the place of interest.
After all, the duty of a local guide is to let people know and discover new places of interest that one has already been to, provide as much experience with tips & tricks of that place to avoid pitfalls, and encourage others to consider visiting it. What do you think?
Hi @TravellerG , it’s a good question. Thank you for asking. The biggest problem is not reviewing a place after you become a Local Guide but it is you do it a long time after your visit. You can forget some details and your review may not be up to date. In short: I prefer to review a place just after I visit.
I echo the advice of the other people here @TravellerG that generally you would not contribute photos, videos or reviews to places you visited long ago.
Generally for photos and videos I would suggest no more than a year old for landmarks, parks and other places that don’t change much but much more recent for businesses.
For reviews I would stick to the last couple of months only as businesses change so quickly, especially now. Half the businesses I’ve dealt with this year are gone.
Paul
Thnx for your response. @PaulPavlinovich
It’s same as don’t answering those players place’s questions also.
I fully appreciate and consider your suggestions as very valuable… Your ‘thought-process’ is really Logical & crystal clear, dear @TusharSuradkar
Probably - these Reviews may be classified as, “Classic, Antique or Vintage” so that these will not get mixed up.
Kindly permit me time till tomorrow, as I am on our IVM duty.
Thanks with regards.
Hello Dear All,
From the bottom of my heart, I thank you all for posting your points.
Let me first explain what made me to ASK this question:
Having said that, since I am on another duty today, kindly permit me time till tomorrow, please.
Thanks for your cooperation.
Hello, dear All Lgs & Moderator @KlaudiyaG ,
After I analysed your answer, I felt to request to review your opinion, based on the following facts.
As I mentioned yesterday, here is the background of these questions:
A couple of weeks back, I had a call from one of our Senior lady Doctors and after exchanging the pleasantries, she asked me: “Sir, hope you remember that, when you inaugurated our clinic (2002), and when you inaugurated our hospital (2008), you (& your team) have taken many photos and can I request you to share a few of them, if they are still available?”.(Gist of the conversation)
Fortunately, I could locate a few of the photos and sent them – and they treated the Photos as ‘Sacred Gifts, they got it Framed & kept it in the hospital, in the visitors’ gallery’.
(When this message spread across our campuses, many more people have asked & I have tried to provide many of them, too.)
After a few days, she again called me & requested me to post the photos in Google Maps and write a review.
Here is from where these questions came up.
[Of course, I understand that they can publish these photos through their GMB account.]
I feel that there may be many such cases…
As rightly mentioned by our @TusharSuradkar , the reviews of places in Google Maps are retained even after 15 Years…Right? Then, why not these 2002 Vintage memories too? (Vintage because Google Maps were launched only in Feb 2005 - right?) Of course, it should not get mixed with the ‘Recent Reviews’…
So, I felt that this can be a good suggestion for the LG Connect Idea Board - if Google adds an option for publishing "Classic or Antique or Vintage” Reviews and Photos, it will be a good idea, I feel.
Can I request for your thoughts/feedback, dear @PaulPavlinovich , @AlexandreCampbell @AdamGT @C_T
@AmbrishVarshney @NareshDarji @TPattanaik @deepakjhic , please
Hi @TravellerG there are actually two separate issues I will comment on here, but before I do, I congratulate you on thinking this through and asking advice.
First up, Maps is about “now” so regardless of the sentimentality of the images, its not right to add them to Maps. Now what you should do is add them to a history section of the clinic’s website as historic images are important understanding what came before.
Secondly, hopefully you didn’t leave a review as that would be a conflict of interest as a Local Guide should not review any place that they have worked at or been associated with.
Paul
Thanks for your suggestions, dear friend @PaulPavlinovich .
I am fully open for any corrections, at any time - NO prejudice at all.
“… it’s not right to add them to Maps…” Oh… I see - can we discuss a bit more on these points, for my clarity, please?
“… Maps is about “now” …”
a. Then, why Google used to ask me to add Photos, which were older than 6 months (before Corona starting days)?
b. Or - What is this “Maps’ NOW Period”? can we define it - so that we can keep it in mind - rather - let us have the clarity of how many months’ old photos can be posted in Google Maps?
NEXT:
“…what you should do is add them to a history section …”
I am sorry, I am unaware of this process, or I have not understood what you thought - kindly guide me - please.
“…didn’t leave a review as that would be a conflict of interest as a Local Guide …” - of course dear friend, I am well aware of this - kindly understand the essence of my doubt - hope you got me.
Hello @TravellerG
I refrained from placing any comment.
Further, one Google moderator has already given some verdict.
But now, I honour your request.
Nevertheless, that will be a lengthy reply. Trust, you will bear with that.
First, these are my views on reviews & photos.
I duck going through reviews or photos as I perceive knowing something in advance about POIs prejudice our mind.
But when I do so, I go through the top 5 in all sort orders.
Meaning, out of the thousands & thousands of contributions, only a few stand chances to get noted.
Still, why reviews are important?
The count of reviews and photos reflects the popularity of a place.
A four-star rating through three hundred reviews is superior to the five-star rating but through three entries.
Further, reviews also alert us about the difficulties faced by others or some unique facets.
But then, an antiquated review deprives us of these features.
Still, why do we want to place our experience from the past?
In the nascent phase, everybody strives to earn points and badges quickly. That creates a yearning to share each & every experience, even though that may have lost relevance.
Now the “Following” feature may be tempting us to do that to engage our followers.
However, the novelty will fade away fast.
And now you have presented one more scenario - request from the owner.
I feel you have to share the latest experience along with mention of the past one within the same.
And then posting the old photo through GMB may stand a chance to get featured.
Finally, a large quantum of reviews and photos in our account makes it unmanageable to eliminate the private content.
You are well aware of the implications of having too much private content.
My view is, beyond a certain threshold, our focus should be on a) improvement in the quality of data (removing spam, duplicates, incorrect information etc.), and b) supporting the local language translation.
That will improve the usability of Maps multi-fold.
As per my opinion yes. @TravellerG you can add photos and write reviews on some places likes museum and vintage car museum because I think that place naver changed.
“… will be a lengthy reply. Trust, you will bear with that…”
Truly, I read your message more than 2 times - let me analyse all the points and get back to you.
“I feel you have to share the latest experience along with mention of the past one within the same.
And then posting the old photo through GMB…” - fully agree do I may not be expecting any featuring…
With warm regards.
EDIT:
by slip, I forgot to Tag you.
Thanks for giving your views, dear @NareshDarji
Though there is no tag, I am sure that’s a response to my reply @TravellerG
While on the topic, excuse me for looking at your Maps profile. But, I find out of your contributions 74 reviews and 7550 photos are now private. No one is benefitting from that contribution.
BTW, though I have deactivated Connect to Maps link, my profile is public and I believe you know where to look for that!
