Hi! My name is Dilip Thosar. Let me tell you how I got deeply entangled with Google Maps, and what and why I love to post stuff on it.
My first brush with Google Maps was years ago. We were travelling for our fortieth reunion, in a chartered bus to our school in Bhusawal, a small town 200 mofussil kilometers away. It was dark by the time we reached the vicinity of the town. The driver was unsure about the way and so were we. Then came this superhero batch-mate of ours, now resident at the USA, who pulled out his tab and micro-directed the driver like “another two kilometers down the road, there will be a left turn, take that”… “how does HE know, he hasn’t been around here for like forty years”, we wondered. He then showed us this marvel called Google Maps.
Then couple of years ago, at Bengaluru, India’s Silicon valley, I asked a young 20+ something guy the way to a particular temple I needed to go to. He whisked out his cellphone with Google Maps, looked the temple up and translated what he saw to crisp oral directions for me! That was my Ah moment, so silly of me, if he can do it, so can I.
Thus I began using Google Maps extensively, for navigation, for guiding others uninitiated to Google Maps and for helping answer queries from other mappers about specific places I had visited.
So often in cities, towns and highways, people need to visit places, seeking a path to their destination, but forced to ask for directions from local folks around. Locals who speak a strange language, or speak your language but in a strange accent : Try moving in a large country like India where the dialect changes every 100 kilometres. Either they are shy of you as a stranger, or they are over-friendly, but don’t seem trustworthy or knowledgeable enough for you to seek guidance from. I found Google Maps a great friend in such times of need, giving me a clear picture and path to my destination, showing nearby landmarks that I could double confirm with local folks. I searched for nearby places like shops I needed, especially when I am in places strange to me. And posted reviews of those places to make up my decision about visiting them. I found my dependence for directions moving significantly from humans like colleagues and passers-by, to a very reliable and trustworthy app from the mighty house of brand Google.
Then I actively harnessed this power to help others in similar need and introduced Google Maps to them. Sometimes, I simply looked up Google Maps myself to choose a good path to their destination. Some other times, I helped them plan a visit to some place. I had never even imagined I could actually earn the great satisfaction of having helped out so many people in need, leveraged with the power of Google Maps.
Couple of years ago, I worked with Taxiforsure/Olacabs, a cab aggregator, competing with Uber India. There my technical involvement with Google Maps went up significantly. That was when I realized that Google Maps is such a Magnificent Magic Mirror between the physical and digital world.
However, over time, realization dawned that everyone even the illiterate urchin on the street now uses Google Maps! India and China have the highest number of cellphone users in the world!
Anyone could see the impact on common man’s life with apps like Google Maps supported by this pervasive availability of the mobile phone.
Then I wondered how Google gets real and updated data on its maps… and I learnt about the fantastic Google Maps LocalGuides program.
How it leveraged the might of millions to provide continuously updated and reviewed data for use by the billions of Google Maps viewers, across the world! I realized that the program enables me build and grow the Magnificent Magic Mirror. Not all things in physical may be in digital, but quite some stuff in the digital too is beyond what’s there in the physical. We got to strive to build the mirror to reflect EVERYTHING physical! So ,now I could contribute data to this great program! I became an active Google Maps local guide.
I started enjoying tweaking data into Google Maps from my local area and also my visits elsewhere: locations, photos, reviews, answers to queries. Reviewed institutions would revert with gratitude and promises to improve. Users would query about places I had visited and knew, for simple things so important to them, and I felt so happy helping them out with just a few seconds of my time. Foodie joints seemed to be the staple feed from many local-guides, so I focussed instead on public utilities. Public toilets, educational institutions, transport facilities. The local bus system PMPML had officially tied up with and was well represented on Google but I plan to work with them to provide regular updates. A private startup called Shuttl started operations in Pune, and its special bus service for office-goers is also tracked on Googlemaps!
I found many small shops and commercial outlets not very well represented, so focused on inputting and reviewing those. The shopkeepers were very happy and grateful, seeing their little shops on the famous Google Maps.
I plan my own campaign in a few months, to map some of the numerous startups of the city and their incubators. When I put up a couple of them last month, they messaged their thanks to me for putting their presence on Google Maps. It was so gratifying.
I arranged local meetups at Pune, where I could interact with other LocalGuides with varied personal profiles, and enjoyed some time with them.
We also mapped out some locations around.
My first Google Maps Local Guides Meetup, Sinhagad Road, Pune
Special Icecream Foody Local Guides Meetup Pune
The theme for all my meetups would be “cultural: neo-specialties in the traditional setting” like old-city outlets of food specialties, start-ups hubs, etc. These meetups, with enthusiastic local guides are such pleasurable hours, I am now looking forward to more meetups over upcoming months… maybe also at other cities I visit too!
Last year, I got an email from Google Maps, offering a discount coupon on Redbus.com. Nice!
And then I saw myself risen to Level 5 on the local guide program! When did this happen? Felt so good at being appreciated for doing things that anyway gave me great happiness. Now at 7, looking forward to be a tenner in another year.
Yet another email from Google Maps, saying I am eligible to apply for a Google-sponsored annual Local Guides jamboree, at California this October.
Wow, things getting better by the day! How I would love to meet fellow Local Guides from across the world to share my joy and theirs! Would also love to meet the biggies who built the show so well : Google Maps and the Local Guides program. Yearning to learn much from them and offer some suggestions to improve the Grand Mirror even better! Would love visiting the legendary Google headquarters and meet the geniuses who put the great Google on the world map. And continue building this Magnificent Magic Mirror with even greater enthusiasm.
Hopefully gets me a good chance of getting selected for the Local Guides Connect 2020 jamboree and seeing the good folks running the program worldwide! See you there J
Wouldn’t I love Google maps and its Local Guides program? And work happily on it? Yes, of course, I do.