Summer has finally arrived in the UK … I regularly go swimming in the morning at the Hood Park Leisure Centre in nearby Ashby de la Zouch. The leisure centre has both indoor and outdoor pools and every chance we get there is a group of us that use the outdoor pool. The pool is heated - we need it to be here in the UK to encourage people to swim outside. The leisure centre recently got a new management team so we have been trying to get the lido open more regularly and used by more people. (Some of us more hardy types think we might swim nearer Christmas but small steps first!) Getting the Hood Park Lido noticed on social media is one of our ideas to bring more people in. I have been trying to get the Lido added as a place #OnGoogleMaps for what seems an age and have tried a few times but the approval process seemed very slow. Then I read a post here on Local Guides Connect that the best way to add a place is by location, using the marker on the map. It worked! First time! the place was added in a couple of days … Maybe the computer can approve the place straight away, who knows?
Android Maps app >
Top left menu >
Add a missing place >
Add name >
Add category (be flexible) >
Update location on map >
Hi @Dave26 thanks for sharing with us on how to add a place using location. This is the correct method.
Talking of approving, sometimes a place get apprived right away, sometimes it may take some time or not get approved all. If you have other local guides who stay around where you stay yiu may ask them to try and add the place them selves in that way they might be able to get it approved.
Another way may be to use check the facts feature which will confirm existance of locations on map, this feature can be found on your contribution. Someone may have to do this to congirm for you, to check the place you were trying to add.
That is what I am suggesting for the Lido in the original post above. The pool is inside the Leisure centre walls but it is an outdoor pool and has different opening hours during the day and closes during the cold parts of the year here in the UK. There is a group of us that is trying to help the new management get more people to use it but due to the different opening hours people do not come because they do not think it is open. I tried to add a new place and show that it was inside the Leisure Centre and supplied the address and telephone number but did not get my new place approved. If I add it just as a location I can specify opening hours - have a look at the picture - separate to the Leisure Centre. The Lido does not have a separate address.
The same principle works for these Bus Stops - they clearly do not have an address.
The Midlands Arts Centre for example is a Bus Stop which is actually outside Edgbaston which is one of the venues for the Cricket World Cup happening now in the UK. I was looking at it to improve Google Maps ready for the #CWC
Do you have summer in the UK? Sorry @Dave26 having been there so many times I couldn’t help myself. Glad that this approach worked for you. I have tried it on a few places but still doesn’t work for me…it’s so frustrating when I know the place exists.
@AdamGT Ah yes, summer! I remember those. A few years ago we used to get a couple of hot weeks (hot = 20 degrees) then it would go back to “normal” and rain every day until autumn.
I like your Titanic Trail it is a really good example of how to do a Google Maps List. Apparently the Titanic museum in Belfast where the Titanic was built is a good place to go also.
I also like your Idea about ordering of lists on Google Maps. Managing Lists on Google Maps. I came across this frustration when making a list of NET tram stops in Nottingham. They don’t come out in the order you put them in or the order that they are in on the tram line!
I have to say that I have actually seen the sun in the UK @Dave26 but it seems to disappear much earlier in the day than most other countries that I have been to. Wow 20 deg is a real hot one for the UK! Thanks for your comment about theTitanic Trail and I’d encourage you to add a comment there about the Titanic museum in Belfast as I believe it would add value and benefit other readers. I haven’t been there yet but will one day. I’m actually surprised that others from the UK and in particular Ireland haven’t commented as you have about the Titanic. My thought is that perhaps there aren’t many LGs from there!!
I have just released your post from the Spam Filters. I would like to apologize for your post being marked as spam. Our filters run 24/7 and they can be a little harsh at times.
Local Guides are not allowed to add bus stops, tram stops or railway stations (excepting non transit e.g. tourist railways that are really a tourist attraction or operating museum) @Dave26 they are managed by transit agencies and local government in partnership with Google https://maps.google.com/help/maps/mapcontent/transit/ I recommend you don’t add things that LG should not be adding.
The Lido is not a separate business or place so it should not be on Maps. I would suggest that you raise an idea on Idea Exchange to be able to specify separate opening hours for places within other places.
Local Guides who flaunt the rules and use work arounds put bad data in Maps. Many a LG has found out the hard way what happens next so do not continue this practice of adding without any address. The App shouldn’t actually allow this.
@Flash might be a bug in the Maps app as it seems it is allowing adds without an address again only a point selected from the Map.
@PaulPavlinovich is correct; the map does have rules as to what is permitted. Generally if you have to find a workaround to add something, that should be a clear indication that you shouldn’t be adding it.
Bus stops are added only be transit agencies because bus routing provided by transit authorities only works if the stops in each bus’ routing matches the stops added by the same transit authority. Google has loosened bus stops up a bit; the entire transit layer was locked down at one time but now they do allow users to suggest updates to names, exact position, etc. Expect such edits to be a lot harder to get published, however, if your info disagrees with the info being provided by the transit authority. Adding new stops remains unavailable.
Similarly, a POI on the map should have only one feature on the map. There is an allowance for departments, but it must meet multiple rules to be considered a department, such as it’s own phone number, it’s own staff, it’s own space, and more. Opening one pool before the other doesn’t qualify each pool as a department; thus only one POI would be allowed.
As Paul alluded, many of those that complain that their edits aren’t going through as often as before, that they were banned from LGs, that they were banned from editing, etc. will state they carefully follow the rules; but in reality they are often attempting workarounds and making up their own rules for Maps. Please ensure to follow the rules, and feel free to ask if something is allowed or if there is a method to do something whenever you become unsure; we want to help you to ensure your editing goes as smooth as possible.
Good Morning @PaulPavlinovich Thank you so much for the link to the Google Transit Partner Program.
I am passionate about making Public Transport accessible for wheelchair users as my son is a wheelchair user.
Thank you also for the guidance about the Lido opening hours I will raise an Idea. I have put the task on my To-Do list. @Flash
Good Morning @Flash Pleased to meet you. I did not realize that there were such detailed rules for LGs to follow, where are they please so I can look at them? The only rules most of us see are what works in the Google Maps app and what doesn’t work. I assure you I am not intending to find ways round the rules. @PaulPavlinovich
For detailed Maps guidance its best to join the Maps forums where experts like Flash can help you @Dave26 and you can read through the other posts to see what has been allowed and what has not. For more generic guidance read https://support.google.com/contributionpolicy/answer/7422880
Good Morning @MashaPS , Thank you for releasing my post from The Spam Filters. No need to apologise, I have read Why was my Connect post marked as spam? and I think I can see why my post was seen as spam in the first place and why you released it. Thank you! Have a good day. Dave26
My inference is that, if you register a common (other than Government, Association, Club, etc.) place, “That Too From The Exact Location & by using Googles “POINTER” to register the “ADDRESS” ,” then the chances are very high for instant ‘Approval’. …
Hi @TravellerG I am not aware of that, but since you saying it has been happening to you and you proved it, then that might be the best option to go for. I will be testing it and comparing with the other too. Thank you for your tip!!!
