How to leave the Local Guides Program

[MortenCopenhagen]

Latest (August 3rd, 2020):

This post has now been replaced with a new and improved version. Find the revised edition here:

How to leave us.

Thanks for all the constructive comments in this thread. They contributed to the improved version.

Morten

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If you want to leave the Local guides program you can do so here. Find the heading Exit the program far down on the page.

Your contributions on Connect will not be deleted but your username will be replaced with the text Anonymous here on Connect.

Before exiting you could choose to delete the photos you have uploaded to Connect from My profile | Photos | See more but this will make Connect less valuable to other local guides.

After leaving the Local Guides Program you can still use Google Maps as a normal Maps users. This includes making reviews, adding photos, etc on Google Maps.

If you also want to stop contributing to Google Maps you can delete all your reviews, star-only ratings, and your photos on Google Maps. But this needs to be done manually one review, one rating, and one photo at a time! Unfortunately, there is no easy way to delete all your contributions. Go to contributions and for each review, rating, and photo open the 3-dot menu and select Delete.

You can not delete your edits, new places you have added, and answers on Google Maps. But you can remove answers linked to your timeline by setting auto-delete to ON in your Activity controls.

Before you go it would be helpful and appreciated if you would share your reasons for leaving.

Cheers

MortenCopenhagen

PS: I wrote this post to help Local Guides who want to leave the program. Please let me know if I missed or misunderstood something.

PPS: I’m sad to see you leave if you should choose to do so.

[C_T]

When a person leaves the program, but later on changes the mind, then, can the same credentials be used to join once again @MortenCopenhagen ?

[MortenCopenhagen]

Great question, @C_T

I don’t know. The safest thing would be not to Exit the program. That said, if you don’t delete your contributions on Google Maps they will still be the basis for your LG level. I would think. But let us ask @KlaudiyaG if she can help us out.

Cheers

Morten

[ErmesT]

Hi @MortenCopenhagen

What you said is not completely correct.

You can find some more, but not exhaustive details, in here.

A profile in Connect is related to both Local Guides Account and Google account.

A profile become anonymous when you close your Connect account (the link between your Google Profile and your Connect profile will be removed).

When you exit (or you are suspended) from the Local Guides Program but you didn’t exited from Connect, your profile will be visible in Connect, even if you will not be able to contribute.

Regarding @C_T question, if you exit from Connect, when you join again you will have a new profile, not connected with the old one, that will remain as anonymous. It means that you will not have your badges back.

If you didn’t closed the Connect account, once you join the Local Guide program you should be able to contribute in Connect again.

In addition, before to close the Connect account, a Local Guide have the possibility to download all the contributions in Connect. This BTW will NOT remove the contributions from the community. Downloading the contributions will not be possible to do once the Connect account is closed

[AlejandraMaria]

Hi @MortenCopenhagen ,

It´s a pity see how other Local Guides leave the program but… if they want they can, as you wrote.

One thing that I am not sure is “After leaving the Local Guides Program you can still use Google Maps as a normal Maps users. This includes making reviews, adding photos, etc on Google Maps.” If you leave the program, your account is closed The Local Guides Program includes Google Maps, not just LocalGuidesConnect.

Greetings from the South of Spain,

Alejandra.

[Update] Fantastic @ErmesT your reply, its full of content

[ErmesT]

Thanks, @AlejandraMaria

Everyone with a Google (Gmail) account can contribute on Google Maps, even if he’s not a Local Guide…

Joining the Local Guide program you can receive points and get recognized.

So we have three different levels of account:

• Google Account - Allow the access to all Google Products and is where you define your profile
• Local Guides Account - you can receive points for contributing in Google Maps and get recognized. - Needed to contribute in Connect
• Connect Account - Related to both Google account (your avatar and profile) and Local Guides Account (necessary to contribute in Connect)

[MortenCopenhagen]

Thanks @ErmesT for your guidance. I will soon edit my opening post to reflect the facts you presented and linked to. PS: I noticed that the Polish guy is still with us;-)

Regarding your comments to @C_T :

Would it be correct to add the following in bold - just to be sure:

Regarding @C_T question, if you exit from Connect, when you join again you will have a new connect profile, not connected with the old one, that will remain as anonymous. It means that you will not have your connect badges back.

This means that your Local Guides Level will be reinstated based on your contributions on Google Maps, right?

@AlejandraMaria Thanks also for your review. I’m pretty sure about the LG program is an add on to our Maps/Google account so reverting to being a normal Maps user will let you make reviews, add photos and use Google Maps for navigation like all other Google/Maps users. But I will try to make it more clear when editing the opening post. I think it is a very common misunderstanding that being an LG is “above” being a Google Maps user when in fact it is just an “Add-on” giving us the Local Guides badge on Google Maps and access to the Connect platform.

Cheers

Morten

[MortenCopenhagen]

Thanks again, @ErmesT for explaining the three levels:

A: Google Account = Being a Google Maps user + user of other Google services/products of your choice.

B: Local Guide (without joining Connect) = You can earn points on Google Maps and get badges and levels on Google Maps. You can also read posts on Connect but not add content.

C: Local Guide + Connect member = In addition to the above, you can also contribute and get badges on Connect.

Did I get it right?

I was briefly and wrongfully suspended and I noticed that my “status” while suspended on Google Maps in terms of my level and title as a local guide was gone and replaced with only a tally of my contributions. So a suspension affects both levels B and C above.

And obviously: You can be a Local Guide on Google Maps without even knowing about and being a member of Connect, right?

Does being a member of Connect have any effects in terms of functionality or recognition in Google Maps?

New question: Is there a way to leave Connect without also leaving the Local Guides Program?

Thanks for your patience in explaining how the system works.

All the best

Morten

[ErmesT]

Of course, @MortenCopenhagen

Go to myprofilepage and select “Close Account”

The operation is irreversible, and will remove the connection between your Google Profile and Connect. Your profile will become Anonymous, as I already explained, and you will not be able to access (edit) the contents posted with that account.

[KlaudiyaG]

Hi @C_T ,

Local Guides who have exited the program can re-enter using the same credentials, however, if the person has deleted their Connect profile they won’t be able to register with the same account for 10 days.

[AlejandraMaria]

Many many thanks Super @ErmesT for all this useful information You are a wikipedia . You’ve enlightened us

Now @MortenCopenhagen , we have all the information to help other Local Guides to leave the program. I hope we don’t have to use it much…

A big hug from the from the hot south of Spain,

ALejandra.

[MortenCopenhagen]

Hi @ErmesT

In preparation for improving the opening post and based on your great input, I have prepared the following table:

Would you kindly take a look and let me know if you think I missed or misunderstood something?

Deciding what to include and what not to include in the first column is quite subjective. I tried to limit it to what I think is considered most important to most local guides.

I think it will come as a surprise to many local guides that Maps users have quite a lot of leverage.

With this table, I believe it will be possible to explain the ways to leave Connect correctly and with the necessary details.

Cheers

Morten

[ErmesT]

Yes, the table about what is possible to do, based of your status, is correct. @MortenCopenhagen

BTW, this is only one of the aspect.

What happen if you want to close one of your accounts implies also what happens to your contributions

Years ago we had a local Guide who closed his Connect account, then wanted to come back, pretending to have everything back (Connect badges, access to the edit for the old post) and this is not possible.

So they also need to understand what can be reversed and what cannot.

You know, like me, ex Local Guides, and you know that their profiles in Connect still showing their old LG status, but they can’t access Connect anymore

[MortenCopenhagen]

Thanks, @ErmesT .

I know there is a lot more work to be done before the post is perfect. With your kind help we will get there eventually - I hope!

Maybe I will start a new thread and consider this thread a draft when the final version is ready. Just to be as reader-friendly as possible.

Cheers

Morten

[Israelhdz]

Pensaba salirme lo que pasa que e estado por una situasion economica que pensaba bender mi telefono por la falta de empleo y usted sabe que hay gastos en casa y esta pandemia me a dejado sin empleo pero espero oronto se componga todo y esperen mas contribuciones mias y erdon por las molestias

[MortenCopenhagen]

Hi @Israelhdz

I’m sorry about your hardship and I hope for the best. Please don’t delete your accounts since they are free and you might like to continue sooner than you think.

All the best

Morten