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.
Each month, we share some personal insights from one of our amazing Connect Moderators. This month, meet @PaulPavlinovich. For Paul, being a Local Guide is all about the community. By nature, he is an introvert, but the Local Guides program allows him to connect with other people both locally and globally, online and offline. Paul loves to help others as a Connect Moderator and through his contributions on Google Maps.
Name: Paul Pavlinovich
Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
What I love about being a Local Guide: Life is about community. I really enjoy sharing my reviews and food images to reward good service and great food. It is so valuable when looking for a place to eat to see what other people think of it, and it’s rewarding to contribute to that pool of local knowledge. Organizing meet-ups is a great way to find like-minded local people and to socialize with them for fun and for the benefit of Maps. Most of my local photography community members have crossed over into the world of Maps and are strong contributors of quality images. Better yet, in the past I organized all of the meet-ups in my community, but now there are other Local Guides doing them too, which means I get to go along as a follower instead of a leader. Local Guides also allows me to contribute to a global community. My own annual 36 Walk—an activity designed to improve the quality of people’s photography—started out as just a Melbourne thing, but thanks to Local Guides, it now runs in cities all over the world. This year, I’ve taken part in other global meet-ups for greening and cleaning the world.
Why I’m a Connect Moderator: Moderating on Connect allows me to help guide and shape the diverse, inclusive future of Connect while keeping Connect tidy and spam-free. When Local Guides ask for help, we’ve got an opportunity to educate them and improve the quality of their contributions. It’s great to be able to give a community viewpoint to the Googlers who run Local Guides during the monthly Hangout-based video discussions for Connect Moderators.
My favorite things to explore: I love to explore abandoned industrial architecture. There is something fascinating about seeing and touching the silent old equipment. I like to revisit places and see them reclaimed by nature. Google Maps is quite handy to find places like this and, from time to time, I’ll get a clue to an area then start scanning Maps’ satellite images to locate the site and work out how I’m going to get there. It’s unusual for me to plan out where I’m going to eat when I go someplace, so quite often when I’m hungry I just open up the Google Maps app and [look for] food near me. This encourages me to try new places and step outside my comfort zone. From time to time, I’ll notice that there is something nearby that is not represented on Maps. I’ll always add it and, if it looks good, I’ll go in and experience it to share the place’s first review and photos.
My favorite type of contribution(s) to make on Google Maps: I really enjoy adding new places to Maps. I also enjoy improving Maps in small towns, many of which don’t have Local Guides of their own, but when the locals suddenly see new photos and up-to-date information, they get interested in doing it themselves.
Languages I read/write/speak fluently: I only speak English and rely on Google Translate to help me with other language posts.
Places I’d like to visit: I am fascinated with Alaska in winter. I really have no idea why, but it’s something I’ve wanted to experience for a long time. I’d love to go there and simply live in a winter cabin with a giant fire for a month.
Fun fact about me: Despite my organizing public events and often speaking in public, I’m an introvert, which means it takes a lot of energy to do what I do because I have to overcome my fears every time. Occasionally I go out into the bush (a rural area) or down to the ocean and spend a week or so with nature making photos. During that time I may not speak to anyone. This gives me a chance to recharge.
We hope you’ve enjoyed getting to know @PaulPavlinovich. Say hi or ask him a question below as he has a lot to share about Google Maps and Connect.
Interested in becoming a Connect Moderator? Learn more here.
Want to learn about other Connect Moderators?
Learn more about SampsonF - September 2018
Learn more about Sonia - August 2018
Learn more about Nunung - July 2018
Learn more about Shirley - June 2018
Learn more about Farid - April 2018
Learn more about Ludwig - March 2018
Learn more about Karen - February 2018
Learn more about Ivan - January 2018
Learn more about Ermes - December 2017
Thanks 
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