Once google maps asked me to review about a Statue, an Ambedkar statue in our area which I cross every time I head somewhere or back home. I was dumbstruck “what to review that?” I couldn’t see how well rating or reviewing will be actually helpful for that. So, recently, I had gone to a trip where I barely was dependant on google and was dependant on the local taxi wala as they were there since years and know every nook and corner, when the traffic can affect the trip, how long will that take and if any alternate routes to reach the destination faster. Then I understood, reviewing and answering questions about that the Ambedkar statue is also necessary as it is the landmark which joins the four junctions in the location. A local auto driver would know the statue than any other apartment name in the area. So, I could get the essence of google reaching to every nook and corner of the street to make the users understand and guide them just like local taxi people or a local auto rickshaw driver or a pure local citizen. So, this was a booster for me to be a part of google by making the map more convenient to the non local people too.
What exactly made me more interesting to be part of google maps?
I stay in Bangalore, and I am here since ten years. But I recently changed my residence which is within Bangalore but in a new location which created a bit of inconvenience to me to go out and get stuff. Being an Indian, and south Indian, we have various unique festivals celebrating with different cultures which includes awesome delicacies and decorating house etc. So, immediately after I moved to my new residence, we were to celebrate a festival where I had to buy all the relevant things to celebrate. Mango leaves to decorate the house, specific ingredients to cook the particular recipe, visit a temple that morning. So, we roamed and roamed all over and finally got things and made our special day great. What if we have an aid in our hand which makes me save time, make my work more efficient by making me understand that particular area?
This year it will be more helpful with google maps help as the rarest of the questions are also being included and answered like “Do you have a free left there?” which makes a non-local person like me also be independent and step out by finalising the map exactly where to go to fulfil my requiremnet. I would also want to add to google maps which makes it more local by understanding every nook and corner, answer questions for understanding human requirements according to the mind set and as per the need of the day, by writing a review about each place I visit by taking a broader perspective instead of just a phrase ‘nice’.
I would like to see google maps not just as a map which we read and marked in social studies during schooling but as a dependant and reliable source to make people independent.