"Hello Local Guides team and community, not sure if I’m in the right area for this.
I’ve been thinking about ways to further enhance the value and accuracy of contributions to Google Maps through the Local Guides program, and I wanted to share a couple of ideas that I believe could be impactful.
1. Leveraging Location History for Point Verification:
I propose integrating the use of Google Location History (for users who have opted in) as a way to verify the authenticity of contributions.
- Suggestion: Award points for submissions (reviews, photos, additions, etc.) only if the user’s location history indicates they have visited the location in question.
- Benefit: This could significantly reduce fictitious submissions and spam, ensuring that points are tied to genuine real-world experiences. Submissions from users whose location history doesn’t align with the location could be flagged for review or not awarded points.
2. Differential Point Allocation Based on Existing Submissions:
To encourage contributions to less documented places on Google Maps, I suggest implementing a dynamic point allocation system:
- Suggestion: Award a higher number of points for contributions to places with few or no existing submissions (e.g., a new restaurant). Conversely, award fewer or no points for contributions to already heavily documented locations (e.g., very popular landmarks).
- Benefit: This would incentivize exploration and information sharing about a wider range of places, addressing “information deserts” on the map and providing more value for early contributors to new listings.
I believe that combining these two approaches – using location history for verification and adjusting point values based on existing contributions – could lead to a more robust, accurate, and engaging Local Guides program. It would reward genuine contributions where they are most needed and encourage a broader range of participation.
I’m interested to hear the thoughts of the community and the Google Maps team on these ideas. Thank you for your consideration."