Hello Google and fellow Local Guides
When I first became part of the Local Guides community it was in a very casual, laid-back manner.
I’m a person who enjoys sharing information with others for the general betterment of their lives and firmly believes that one seemingly insignificant act can and does make a difference, even if it isn’t realized on a conscious level - but I’ll get to that.
This mindset and approach in my daily life is what got me more involved with Google Maps and Local Guides as a whole (I’m still figuring my way out around the Local Guides community - as with Google Maps I’m given, as well as find, new information every day)
I use Google Maps almost daily and often found options to review places I had recently been to or to add photos. As a photographer/production manager in a professional capacity, this feature intrigued me and I made a mental note to try to contribute to Google Maps on a daily basis going forward.
I’ve been fortunate in the past to have visited and worked in some interesting locations both in South Africa and abroad and to be able to go back to good memories and share some of those experiences and cultures via Maps today is a great feeling.
This brings me back to my first notion of how each act we perform creates a change for someone else, even if they do not consciously realize it at the time.
Each piece of information given on Google Maps enhances somebody else’s experience with the application itself as well as for any answers they were possibly looking for but didn’t know they were until they perhaps read a review or viewed a particular photograph.
Often these changes we Local Guides perform are unbeknownst to the general structure of society but that’s just it - a drop of water in the ocean may seem insignificant but that drop adds to this massive body of water and changes it in a way, shape or form not visible to the naked eye. That single drop could be the difference, for example, as to how a rock formation changes or a remote village south of China receive the quota of water they need to sustain themselves.
It’s a similar notion to any information reviewed or shared on Google Maps. All of these changes are happening continuously - through ‘small seemingly insignificant’ changes that we Local Guides make to Google Maps.
These changes help us to create a better world and system of being - a world for the people, by the people.
I know I know - it’s a pretty large concept to muster and I don’t mean to ramble on so, to sum up:
I enjoy sharing any piece of information on Google Maps that betters someone else’s experience as a whole.
I’m also an avid music lover so I make extra points of sharing any music-related activity, venue, festival location or store because I do believe ‘Music is Life’.
I live in Johannesburg, South Africa, and the music scene is quite diverse. The punk/rock scene has become ‘rare’ for lack of a better word largely because many of the venues that showcased bands in the late nineties and noughties have closed down. Also, however, this brings about the idea that ‘where one door closes another door opens’ and such can be applied to new venues.
People becoming aware of new venues = exposure for venue and bands/musicians performing there = music enjoyed by the masses = happiness.
Google makes me happy. I want to share that happiness.
