Connect Moderators are Local Guides just like you and me. They apply the knowledge they’ve gained as active members of our community to moderate Connect and help improve the experience for everyone. You may see them welcoming newcomers, explaining the program, answering questions, and sharing their knowledge with others.
This month, we’re sharing some personal insights from one of our amazing Connect Moderators. Meet Morten ( @MortenCopenhagen ). Morten lives in Denmark and speaks Danish and English.
Name: Morten
Location: Copenhagen and Hornbæk in Denmark
What I love about being a Local Guide: Being an active Local Guide has turned into a hobby for me. It inspires me to go on photo walks to assist local businesses and Maps users. The contribution statistics fascinate me and keep me going. I’ve now added 17,000 photos and made over 82,000 approved edits. And I recently surpassed 1 billion photo views.
Why I’m a Connect Moderator: I enjoy helping other Local Guides on Connects, especially in the How-tos section. I believe there is a real need for volunteers to respond and assist Local Guides who are experiencing issues or who want to share suggestions on how to improve Maps.
My favorite things to explore: I’ve had a lot of fun figuring out how the automatic edit approval filter and photo selection AI on Maps work. This is accomplished by closely monitoring which of my suggested edits are approved and which of my photos are featured. It’s been fascinating to research the characteristics of cover photos and then apply these same principles when shooting new images. It becomes very addictive when the majority of them are featured.My favorite type of contribution(s) to make on Google Maps: My favorite by far is taking, editing, and adding storefront photos that get featured on Google Maps. The second is improving the information by suggesting edits.
Languages I read/speak/write fluently: Danish and English.
Places I’d like to visit: I love immersing myself in Asian cultures. I haven’t been to South America — yet.
**Fun fact about me:**I’m a nutritionist and public health advocate who retired early. I’m also a vegetarian and the father of three beautiful daughters.
Interested in becoming a Connect Moderator? Want to learn about other Connect Moderators? Find out more here.