Looks like many in the Indian Local Guides community have received an email yesterday with the subject “It’s Google Maps’ 15th birthday, and we have something for you”. It came from Pulkit who has a google.com email address. It definitely looks like he works at Google.
However, the strange point to note is the fact that many have questions about the authenticity of this email itself. Is this authentic? There is a google form which asks for personal information about the one that received the email. The larger question to ask here is that can Google Maps Team or the Local Guides Team create an SOP and a standard email address for the communication? No offense meant towards anybody here. Why can’t such communication be handled the same way you send out the OYO coupons to us?
This single email has been a question of debate since yesterday for many people and I thought it is relevant to bring this up here as well to get a response from someone in the Local Guides team where this is addressed once and for all and we as Local Guides shouldn’t worry about this in the future.
P.S: Posts like this deserve their own Topic? Help Desk doesn’t show up in the topics.
Edit: Updated screenshot by redacting full names to respect the privacy of the person mentioned in the screenshot as suggested by @LuigiZ
the mail I believe is indeed authentic, the mentioned person according LinkedIn looks like working effectively at Google and having a google.com address is another prove of authenticity.
There were many events worldwide for the celebration of the 15th birthday of Google Maps and many Local Guides have been contacted directly to attend / join in some dedicated event.
However for a more detailed answer you might tag a Google Moderator which might provide you some more information privately @VasT .
I just kindly ask you to redact names and personal reference in your screenshot and text content because Google respects everyone’s privacy.
@LuigiZ appreciate your inputs. I’ve updated the screenshot to respect the person mentioned.
There is a quick question to rethink here from what you said. Technically if Google respects privacy, how can an employee send an email to the local guides from his Gmail account? Shouldn’t it be an automated process?
Question about the authenticity, few of the local guides did check that and still had questions about this. Below is an excerpt from the conversation. The fact that there is skepticism is real. While some feel comfortable, there are a few who definitely had questions about this.
Appreciate you sharing that. I did check all of that before going to the form and submitting the details.
My intention of this thread was for people who are not this tech savvy and don’t check Email Headers. I was intending to say can we have a recognizable email from which this type of communication happens.
You could have stated in your post saying that you have checked the authenticity of the domain from where the email has arrived instead of doubting that. Then expressing displeasure for collection of personal information would have been the appropriate reaction.
How do people who are not this tech savvy and don’t check Email Headers trust such emails and give their information?
Can we not have a generic emails like the ones that are used to send perks to the Local Guides?
If Google takes privacy seriously, how are these emails being sent from someone’s Gmail account? Are they given individual emails of the Local Guides? What’s the process to make sure as Local Guides, our information is private in these cases?
