Noticed in the last couple of weeks that it has become impossible to add a photo using the name of a town, city, village or local area… All you get now is a message telling you to select a local business to add the photo to, which in a lot of cases is not appropriate.
As someone who travels a lot, I, as I’m sure many other people do, like to check out somewhere new to see what is there.
Is this just a further dumbing down of Google maps as it progresses towards being “around the world in 10,000 burger joints”?
It has never been ok to add photos directly to cities, town, districts, and countries. Google has an automated algorithm to select some of the best photos added to businesses and places of interest inside the cities, towns, districts, and countries.
I think this is more helpful than when local guides deciding what photos they think are relevant.
I do agree that Google has a strong focus on commercial businesses. And more categories for cultural points of interest would be an improvement.
Never had a problem doing this before, & have added many photos to towns, villages etc, just they seem to have stopped you being able to in the last couple of weeks
What you have been doing in the past was against the guidelines. Finally Google closed the workaround/loophole that made it possible about 2 weeks ago.
Let me know if you would like links to Google’s guidelines on this. Not knowing the rules is no excuse. Sorry.
What you are telling us is an improvement, @NickRGent , asked by the local Guides to Google in at least 3 consecutive summit, to block the workaround that many used to post, bypassing the rules, directly on geographic locations, like cities, or even countries. As @MortenCopenhagen already explained this is against the rules, and Maps have not been designed for this kind of contributions.
The photos added on a POI will be in any case showed also in the relevant city.
I am curious too, like @Stranger9 , about the meaning of “inappropriate for a business” especially considering that on Maps not all the categories are “business related” and there are “scenic spots”, “natural features”, “parks” and more where you can add the photos.
As far as I understand @NickRGent you can only add photos when you can rate a Place or Point of Interest and add a review which is indicated by the presence of the Write a review button. Therefore, at least n this point, with the change you are mentioning, you cannot infringe the Maps User Contributed Content Policy.
@ErmesT the point that I was trying to make is that if the photo is say for example a panoramic shot of a scenic village it would not be appropriate to add it to a business like a restaurant or shop, but would seem appropriate to be able to add it to a gallery of the village itself.
Wherever I have added photos of a POI or business I have always added it to that specific location.
One of the big problems I experience with Google maps is that if you look at photos of a particular POI, generally around 30% of the photos are not of that place.
I agree with you about Local Guides adding wrong photos on Places, @NickRGent , and we already highlighted the issue with several proposal about that.
BTW, as I said on my previous reply, there are categories available in maps also for places that are not businesses, like parks. What is important is not to start to create POIs in every corner of the world where we want to attach a photo, because this will make the map a total mess.
But you are welcome to share that places, or your panorama here in Connect, or to create a My Maps for that photos
ohhh i feel you so much @NickRGent . Well,for your case you could add the photo to the most applicable place,like the central square of the village.Anyway a solucion here is to reconsider if you should add any place first and then add the photo there. In the end you did the best job.What about the field roads as we call them? or forests? have you ever took a picture of those in your village?