Hello fellow Local Guides, I wanted to share with you my experience (a local story) with applying to join you at Connect Live 2020.
I had just left for a long overseas trip at the time when Connect Live 2020 was first announced and I was still overseas when Applications for the event officially opened. While overseas I gave some thought to my application post and Maps List and although of the difficulties, I created an on-the-run video that while being rough, I thought I’d keep as an emergency. Actually I was on ship on the open seas at the bottom of the world at the time (see Captain James Cook’s Five Fingers) and the quality of the video was sad to say the least!! But I kept it as a security measure (I would have used it as a last resort). I wasn’t concerned as I thought that I would have time when I got home. I also prepared a checklist of important details that I needed to follow regarding my application. This checklist summarized things to do and included important details like make sure to set the Video to “public” or “unlisted,” but not to “private.” Throughout all this I continued actively reading, engaging and contributing where I could on Connect and again, felt fairly confident that I would be able make it all happen on my return from overseas in mid-March. But then things really changed for the worse!
Already facing less time to prepare my final application, on returning home I faced a fast escalating Coronovirus epidemic/pandemic. I was lucky to have got back in before the Government locked the borders. However, I was required to self isolate and before this ended we went into full lockdown. Having just returned from a long overseas trip my pantry was empty and I was left with only two rolls toilet paper - I quickly found myself in survival mode. My sister kindly braved the chaotic shopping crowds on my behalf but found the supermarket shelves cleaned right out of useful food items and toilet paper impossible to find because of the panic buying by the general population that was by now in full pandemic-panic-mode. I could only watch all that was happening out there in “the real world” on my TV screen. It was like an unbelievable dream. My sister delivered what she could find but these were mainly disinfectants and cleaning products as she said it was important that clean things like my suitcase. Sadly, because I was in isolation I wasn’t allowed to greet her so she dropped these items in the foyer and left.
Caption: Shopping left in the foyer by @AdamGT 's sister
The situation limited my ability to prepare my final application however I proceeded as best I could. In the end, after several edits, I was fairly happy with my application post but not so happy with my last minute rushed List (Milford Sound: 8th Wonder of the World) and video, done in house rather than outside in some amazing location. There were problems with creating the List and from this it is apparent that Google still has some work on the creation of Lists. So while happy with my post I found myself not 100% happy with my last minute List and Video however by now it was too late to do much about this so I proceeded with what I had. My checklist mentioned above proved very useful during the critical last hour and I recommend such a checklist to you all in future similar situations.
I then encountered the need to wait for Youtube to process the editing of my video, editing aimed to cut my video down to 1:00 minute. While waiting for the Youtube editing I worked furiously through many other LG’s application posts such as this one that were incorrectly posted in the Photography rather than the Local Stories topic and advised as many of the LGs as I could about their mistake so that they might have some chance to correct this before the clock beat them.
At the very end I found myself at the busiest time to submit an application, the system was slow because of the volume of last minute applications but still promising. I was increasingly concerned and sitting on the edge of my seat when I completed the online application form and pressed the submit button. My eyes were fixated on the clock as I watched my application form go into the ether. At precisely the application closing time (8:00 pm GMT) I thought I saw a pop-up thanking me for submitting my Connect Live 2020 application but as I was so tired and exhausted I wasn’t sure if I was dreaming or if my eyes were deceiving me.
Then at 6:59 am local time and 7:59 pm GMT, just one minute before the doors closed, I received the Google email (see image above) thanking me for my application. I’m sure that my application would have been among the very last if not the last one through the door. I then resumed working furiously through many other LG’s application posts that were incorrectly posted in the Photography rather than the Local Stories topic thinking that perhaps they might still be able to correct this mistake.
I accept that it is what it is but wanted to describe how I found that the COVID-19 pandemic created a difficult time for applying for this year’s Connect Live event. Also, as a topic for discussion here on Connect, I wondered if and how COVID-19 had impacted on anyone else’s Connect Live 2020 application and look forward to hearing about it.
Wishing all the best, stay safe and well.
PS: Thank you for any concerns that you might have but I went out on Saturday and managed to find some toilet paper.
Least you were able to submit the application despite the challenges.
What a story for your application, weil deserved to go!