Editing maps is a fascinating though somewhat time-consuming thing. But when you see the impact you make, you feel it’s worth it. Contribution markers rise on the map just like balloons at dawn in Cappadocia, Turkey, - giving joy and satisfaction. The bigger the number, the stronger the excitement.
For me, the most thrilling experience with Google Maps during the year became adding new places. You probably all know that small settlements often have much fewer marked places. It makes the area not really friendly and attractive for travelers, and inconvenient for locals. This is true for my native town – Toretsk, Ukraine.
All kinds of important places were missing on the map - libraries and kindergartens, monuments and shops. So, I decided to dedicate more effort to marking them. That was not easy, and many places were approved only after several attempts. In some cases, I had to wait for approval for months. It was not encouraging at all but I had my purpose.
One of the most important places for me was a monument to Anton Shcherbyna - a Cossack who was the founder of the first settlement on the territory of modern Toretsk. It is our history. However, even many locals were not aware of the existence of the monument though it is in the central park. And still, what a surprise it was for me when I saw the number of views of the added place! Over 60,000 views within 8 months for a monument in a quiet small town.
There were other places with numerous views but one more story stands out as it was a new and somewhat funny experience for me.
Walking around the town of Sloviansk (75 km from my native town), I came across a cute small confectionary store – Cantuccini Bakery. Their desserts were simply divine, the coffee was delicious, and the atmosphere very friendly and cozy. I opened the Maps to write a review but the place was missing! So, I added it and left the store. The edit was approved the same day, so I just went to the store back and explained to the owner that she can claim the business and manage the profile. She looked astonished and confused and first thought that I wanted money for that or something else. It took some time to reassure that I did it merely because I admired her store and wanted to support a small local business of an internally displaced woman. Later, I could see that she did claim the business.
I continue adding places when possible as I do feel the difference it makes for individuals and communities. If you haven’t tried it yet, it’s high time to start.
@JanVanHaver , . That case was sooo awkward but I’m glad she did claim the business though only for one of the two places (at least it looks like that).
a nice narration of your experience with adding new locations.
This is one of the most satisfying activities one can do as a volunteer for Google Maps and for the community we live in.
My experience with adding a new place and approaching the owner of a small garment shop was nasty.
The owner was a small shop of custom made garments and perhaps not in a good mood when I approached him after finding that his shop in a prominent market place was not listed. He felt threatened and warned me against taking any photos of his shop. He perhaps felt I was taking photos of his designs with the intent of stealing and no amount of explanation would convince him that highlighting his shop on Google Maps is going to help his business.
@TusharSuradkar , thanks. I’m sorry to hear about your experience. Another LG shared a similar story before. No one is proof against a hostile attitude. Yesterday I was taking a picture of a hairdresser’s to add a missing place to the maps. A woman came out and asked suspiciously why I was doing that. It looked very weird to her. After my explanation that it’s for adding it to the maps, she went back inside. I was somewhat embarrassed and did not tell her about acquiring the business after the edit is approved. If I see her again I may try to show her the place and possibilities for the business if she’s in a good mood Yet, I will not go directly into the place as I’m quite shy and afraid of possible negative reactions that sometimes seem so unfair (though I do admit they might have some negative experience in the past that influences their behavior).
@YuliiaZa Видно, что Вы вложили душу в Ваш пост. Очень необычные сравнения, тем не менее я готова согласиться с каждым словом. В маленьких, а часто и не в очень маленьких, городках часто нет даже достаточно крупных объектов прямо на главных улицах. Недавно, после посещения Несвижа, я обнаружила, что не хватает даже дорог, а адреса перепутаны (адреса целой улицы находились в одной точке в стороне от самой улицы)! Что уж говорить о памятниках!
Как много еще предстоит сделать! И как приятно становиться, когда видишь результат своей работы.
@OlgaKlimchik , уже початый край)) Мне кажется, что картирование самых разнообразных мест в маленьких населенных пунктах кроме всего прочего может так же помочь больше осозновать и ценить родное.
. That case was sooo awkward but I’m glad she did claim the business though only for one of the two places (at least it looks like that).