I’ve been involved in the Local Guides Program for years now, so long that last year at Connect Live 2019 I was awarded a certificate for having the longest continuous contribution streak of all the people at the event which was pretty cool. I’ve taken about five years to reach Level 10 and I’m still going. To be honest points isn’t the reason for me - I love to see them going up, but the real reason is to leave a lasting impact on the world. We are such fleeting creatures and I know I’m about 60% through my life based on averages that I want to leave something meaningful behind. By contributing to Maps through photos, reviews, edits, adding roads, etc. I can leave a legacy of useful data for others. I contribute every week not because I have to but because I want to. I try to keep the Map up to date by adding new places, moving and removing places where they’ve closed down. Here is my latest review of a great local business that put a solar power system on the house I just moved into.
After Connect Live last year I’ve been privileged to enjoy an early experience that I can’t discuss but can say that it has a genuine positive impact in big ways on the Maps data. I’m really proud of these contributions and wish I had more time to put in.
I joined in near the transition from City Explorers to Local Guides and was invited to become the community moderator of the Melbourne Local Guides community on g+ while it was official and managed by @TraciC and continued in this role when the community became unofficial just prior to this platform Connect firing up and kept on until the community eventually disappeared with g+. Here is one of our g+ meet-ups
Local Guides has brought me some simply amazing opportunities from being involved here on Connect as a Connect Moderator through to visiting the Google offices in New York hosted by the Local Guides team. It is a privilege to see how this talented group of humans take on their challenges and win out. In the same visit I ran a photowalk in New York that the team and some other Local Guides joined in which brings me to my next passion of photography. I like to make photographs as people who follow me on insta know only too well! You can find me as @dropbearpaul or my toy photos on @dropbearpaulbricks and of course my photography of the human form - but I’ll leave you to find that one for yourself - its my art but its not really Connect material :).
I love to give back and run meet-ups - mostly around photography but sometimes around food. Last year in
San Jose I ran my 80th meet-up that was attended by many of the people going to the event and a handful of locals that came to join in the fun. You can view the photo album and watch the intro video.
I lead a global photwalk each year known as the #36walk - we’re on the lead up to that now and the call for walk leaders has gone out on this post. Each year this global set of meet-ups run by awesome Local Guides all over the world has grown. I’m really proud that I’ve managed to inspire so many people into leading a meet-up. As an introverted person I know its not easy to get up there in front of other people and lead them. Please join in this year - its a great way to get to know other Local Guides from your area.
This year I launched the Local Guides Water Quality Map so you’d know when you can safely drink the water and heaps of Local Guides joined in. You can still contribute your city on this post.
I talked in the subject about making friends - I’ve made a number of life long friends through this program, nay not just friends, there are people I love as though they were my family. I’m not going to call people out or name drop - they know who they are and they know how much I appreciate them as humans, how much I love them and how much I enjoy following their lives on socials and chatting with them on various platforms. The friendships come both from local people and people from all around the world. If you’re lucky enough to attend Connect Live you will discover for yourself that this huge diverse group of just about every race, colour, sexuality and country can come together as one and over several short days become a family. Connect Live isn’t a summit, it isn’t a conference, it’s a coming together. Each of the four years has given me faith that the pundits that sow the seeds of hatred between different human groups are wrong. Humanity is stronger than them. Humanity can conquer all borders and boundaries. There is hope for the world because we as people can get along and flourish by inspiring and learning from each other.
There are some amazing people in Local Guides with huge visions - you don’t need to be like them to be special, you need to be you. You’re special already.
Recently with the press releases and conferences around Google Maps 15 years since its humble beginnings in Australia Local Guides has really come to the fore and is now well known to people. It is amazing to me that there are 120 million of us passionate people who love to contribute to Maps mostly just for the good of our communities. Competition for Connect Live 2020 is going to be HOT! I feel kinda guilty applying again since I’ve been four times previously but, well I love the people and the event so much I cannot resist and while it reduces my own chances I wholeheartedly encourage you to put in an application and give it a try. Everything you need to know is on the Connect Live 2020 website. Please please please put an application in. You never know your luck.
The last thing I want to say, is that last year my partner Chris came along for the ride with a few weeks in New York, then our old stomping ground of San Francisco before finally heading down to San Jose. Through Local Guides we’ve reconnected. We celebrated our 28th wedding anniversary in New York last year. The competition that has sprung up between us for Maps contributions is great fun.
You can see my 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 video applications on YouTube. Here is my 2020 video!
Good luck with your applications and I hope to see you at Connect Live 2020 in the California Bay Area.
Paul
