Google Maps should improve their rewards program for the local guides. I wish that they would help support all local guides with better cameras and phones. As a reward instead of all these rewards that are just discounts or random gifts. This includes people that don’t have the money to afford a camera that could produce high quality photos for maps.
16 Likes
Ottima idea
2 Likes
Thank you 
I just feel like it would help both sides the local guide and Google Maps
Hello @Copelin , welcome to the forum. First of all, if you are sharing for reward purposes, I am sorry to say that you are in the wrong place. Google Maps is a completely volunteer-based place to help people. Yes, some small gifts can be sent from time to time. The purpose here is to give gifts to random people that will make them happy. But if you are sharing for gift purposes. If you are here, you will not be able to receive the gifts you dream of. We are a team gathered to help people free of charge.
4 Likes
@Gezendunyali @ Not looking for a handout. It’s exactly what the title says. It is help local guides help Google Maps it’s a great idea and it will help Google Maps overall quality of image
@Copelin ,
An interesting question. But for me it raises many others
When would Google know that they should send you a camera?
- After 1 post
- After 1000 posts
- After 10,000 000 views.
What happens if you receive a camera and then don’t add any more photos to Maps?
It just doesn’t seem practical.
Even with older phones, and some editing to enhance the image, you can post good quality photos to Maps.
4 Likes
@Copelin eu entendo a sua solicitação. Mas eu penso que quando estou postando no Google Masp estou ajudando outras pessoas que assim como eu está a procura de informações.
Gosto de postar iformações detalhadas, se tem acessibilidade, se tem logística reversa de lixo e descartáveis, se é pet friend, se é simpatizante LGBTQIA+, e principalmente se servem produtos para quem tem restrições alimentares como gluten e lactose free ou qualquer outro diferencial que o estabelecimento oferece.
Penso que se eu fizer bem feito outras pessoas irão se inspirar com minhas postagem e quando eles fizerem as suas, também farão melhores.
Assim todos ganham de uma forma indireta.
Todos os dias me pergunto “O que posso fazer de melhor hoje para minha comunicade, trabalho e família?” . Se todos procurarem fazer o seu melhor sem interesse, cada dia o mundo se tornará melhor.
Essa é minha pequena contribuição para a humanidade, sei que serei uma anônima para o futuro, mas se hoje eu posso de alguma forma trazer facilidade para a vida de alguem, já me sinto feliz, e no Google Maps é a maneira que encontrei de realizar minha missão.
1 Like
@rosanabtl @ You mistake this for some kind of self gain. I do all of the same edits that you guys do I enjoy helping others in my community and through my travels just as you do but some people don’t have the access or funds to afford a nice phone or camera to do all of there edits, details, review, photos and ect. This idea would help improve the content of Google Maps. I fail to understand why you would be against that
1 Like
@Rednewt74 @@@@@That good because if this idea were to be successful it would take others to help make it work like for instance would be based on views or would it be based on points, level, contributions, I simply posted this as an idea to help Google Maps let’s work the kinks out together the help Google Maps and our fellow local gui
Hi @Copelin
Your photos are quite good, so I think you are not suggesting this for you, but just as a general suggestion, a kind of compensation for great contributions.
However, if the contributions are already “great” why to provide an expensive camera or phone to Local Guide?
I would like also to consider the cost of this kind of incentive: there are more than 150 million Local Guides in the world. Let say that 1 tenth of them are contributing on a great way.
Considering, let say, 500 USD for a phone, we are taking about 7.5 million USD.
Who will pay for that?
Just to be clear, I don’t would like to pay 50 USD/year for an App that is actually free. Would you?
And also, what if the rewarded Local Guide is violating the rules by posting duplicate or very similar photos on a lot of places?
What should Google do in such case?
Asking to pay for the phone?
3 Likes
I totally understand your concern, as some one who has contributed soo much over the years, i feel some appreciation or acknowledgement to the contributors would be good. Lately I have been feeling bad when someone specifically asked me “why I do it for free?” I replied “just to help folks around as people would like to see photos atleast before going to a place” they responded “Google makes billions of dollars on maps and is relying on you to contribute for free?” I didn’t have an answer to that 
.
I know there are numerous problems with some sort of an actual reward program like the folks in this post’s comments are mentioning… but there must be a way. YouTube was also not monetized previously, but it works now.
We all contribute whole heartedly as a hobby but
-
we don’t have any sort of proper support system from maps (numerous posts on reddit state the same).
-
totally useless coupon rewards (either could not use in my country or trying to make me subscribe to Google one)
-
no practical use of the local guide levels.
2 Likes
Amen. See I don’t see why everybody tries to attack each other around here and I completely understand what you’re saying. It just feels like an attack all the time whether it be an idea or a post on here. I honestly enjoy just helping people. I’m going to follow you on Google Maps. Thank you for the feedback. It’s greatly appreciated.
1 Like
O no look out it’s the Google thought police ( Google Moderators)
@Copelin ,
ErmesT raised the same type of questions as I did. I know him as thoughtful, kind and helpful person.
Your comment about Google Moderators is uncalled for.
1 Like
And I asked you thought about the concerns but no answer. Connect used to have a place for ideas to build maps to be it’s best. But that’s gone and they used to fix problems with maps and as Moderator they work for Google and have the capability to push some issues but nothing happens.
@Copelin ,
Companies invest in technology and hardware for their employees
They tell them what to do and evaluate their work product. LG’s aren’t employees, and I for one don’t want to be. Every LG has a different reason for being one. My focus is finding really good small businesses and then making it easy to find them and show them in the best possible light.
What if Google gave me a camera and said “only take pictures of what we tell you to.” Some people, when they ask you why do you do it for free, bring up all the money we make for them. I think that whatever financial benefits they get from our work is far outweighed by the benefit to businesses, the improved experience of of other map users, and the fun most of us seem to have doing it.
People have all sorts of hobbies that earn money for some business and being an LG is no different (except we don’t have to buy something or pay an admission price.
It just doesn’t make sense to me to ask a company to spend (£€¥$$) 1000’s or more on tech that they have no control of.
I am not just naysaying, I’ve thought about this and can’t see a way that it could work.
Perhaps others will give some better suggestions.
Take care,
2 Likes
I an not a “Google Moderator” @Copelin . I am a Local Guide like you, and I am volunteering helping also to moderate Connect.
In my replies I try to be simply “rational”, because proposals based on clichés, or on generic chatter, in reality serve no purpose, except to create discontent. During these years in the community we have all read hundreds of them, and every time those who asked questions to ask for clarification were treated by the author of the post as an “enemy”. This is a discussion forum, where anyone who disagrees with you is considered as someone who “attacks” you, while I believe that everyone is free to express their opinion. Why?
One of the arguments that is always cited in support is YouTube monetization. Does anyone know the requirements for such monetization? Does anyone know who pays for that content? Going to see them could help understand who gets paid, how much they get paid, and even who pays that price. I went to see, and in the end I said “no thanks, I’m not interested”.
I am not against rewards, @Copelin , but I think that we should be “rational”. Hence my question. If your idea is to improve content by giving those who can’t afford it a better tool, how should Google decide who to give this tool to? How much would all this cost? Who would pay for it? If I have to pay, I think asking this question isn’t wrong, do you agree?
2 Likes
100% true.
1 Like
@Copelin Eu acredito que vocé é uma pessoa gentil, generosa e que está querendo somente ajudar outros Guias Locais, seu pensamento mostra que você tem bom coração. Eu só acho muito dificil fazer uma compensação justa, sendo que há milhões de Guias locais.
,
2 Likes
While the intention to support local guides who contribute valuable information is admirable, providing expensive devices like smartphones as a reward would not be a practical or sustainable solution for several key reasons:
-
Phones with good cameras are a major expense. Even basic smartphones that have capable cameras start at $80-100 each. If Google were to provide these to all (say) Level 8+ guides, the total costs would run into millions of dollars very quickly just due to the large number of active guides globally.
This simply does not seem financially feasible for Google to implement and sustain long-term. -
It could potentially skew contributions and reviews. By making phone rewards contingent on a guide’s level or contributions, it may unintentionally incentivize false or low-quality contributions just to obtain the phone. Some people may be more focused on gaining the device than providing genuinely helpful information to users. This risks degrading the quality of Google Maps data over time.
-
Smartphone penetration makes it unlikely any areas truly lack coverage. In most parts of the world now, the vast majority of people have access to some kind of smartphone even if basic. It’s thus unlikely that providing phones will meaningfully expand coverage to currently uncovered areas versus just rewarding existing contributors.
-
Writing reviews can still provide valuable contributions. Even without a high-end camera phone, local guides can still research places, visit them, and write detailed text-based reviews, ratings, and recommendations. Photos are useful but not essential for many types of contributions. This allows meaningful participation regardless of device access.
-
Alternative non-monetary rewards may seem less attractive to you but are better options. Small symbolic rewards like badges, exclusive community access, or special profile features could recognize top contributors without the large direct costs.
2 Likes