For Local Guides who are new to Google Crowdsource or heard about Google Crowdsource, but don’t know what it is, Connect Moderator @ermest and I hosted last Saturday, June 6th, 2020 a VIRTUAL: Google Crowdsource Newbie Talk. What was supposed to be a 1-hour meet-up became a lively 90-minute meet-up because of the audience energy level and the great questions they asked during and after our presentation.
As active Crowdsourcers, we wanted to share here with the Local Guides Connect Community our recent Google Crowdsource experiences and discuss the significant synergies between being a Local Guide and a Crowdsourcer.
For our Google Meet meet-up, we had a great turnout of 50+ Local Guides, which included countries from North America, South America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, who have different levels of Crowdsource knowledge and expertise:
- Newbies – not joined Crowdsource yet
- Recent Joiners – Crowdsourcers who joined within the last two years
- Old-Timers & Higher Ups — Long-timers or Higher-Level Crowdsourcers (Level 18!!)
Ermes and I broke down our Crowdsource conversation into easy-to-understand segments:
- What is Google Crowdsource?
- What are our Google Crowdsource stories?
- Why should you, as Local Guides, join Google Crowdsource?
- What did we learn as active Google Crowdsourcers that can be applied to make us better Local Guides?
- 20 minutes Q&A
As recent Crowdsourcers, to be transparent, we shared we are relatively new to Crowdsource. Our Crowdsource opinions and observations as they relate to being Local Guides come from private discussions we were having during the past six months as we were moving up the Crowdsource levels.
During our now 90-minute meet-up, we did not cover Intro to Crowdsource program information such as points, levels, badges, and benefits. I did add this information at the end of this recap.
What is Google Crowdsource?
To help explain what Google Crowdsource is, I shared an edited Crowdsource presentation I received from Google. It included a Google video that explains beautifully what Crowdsource is and how our contributions are helping to train machine learning to better our communities (aka countries) as a whole.
What are our Google Crowdsource Stories?
For the longest time, I shared I thought Crowdsource was only for Asia and Africa because I only saw Crowdsource activities for years from my Local Guides friends’ (@PavelSarwar @StephenAbraham @U-royFelixA @Sagir) Facebook feeds. Then within the last year, I noticed Local Guides friends (@Jesi @CeciliaRatto) from South America starting to participate. I thought if you are from the U.S., North America, you could not join Crowdsource. I was wrong!
I became an active Crowdsourcer because of what I saw in my Facebook feed and out curiosity. After receiving a Pixel as one of the gifts from Connect Live 2019 last December, I downloaded the app to try it out (Don’t hate me – I am an iOS user) and went to the Crowdsource website. I am now at Level 13.
Ermes’ Crowdsource story is similar to mine. He shared he started because he, too, received a Pixel during Connect Live 2019. He was curious to experience what all the Local Guides excitement was on his Facebook feed and me, talking about Crowdsource. At first, he was reluctant. Then he discovered the possibility to upload his photos and to add as many labels as he can. Ermes is now, officially, as of this week, at Level 11!
Why should you, as Local Guides, join Google Crowdsource?
The synergies of what we do as Local Guides, taking photos for Google Maps, can easily be used for uploading to the Crowdsource app to gain Crowdsource points.
I shared how I can easily upload the same photos I would upload to Google Maps to Crowdsource, in real-time, doing the Smart Camera task or when it is convenient for me, doing Image Capture tasks.
And I can also easily upload additional photos from my phone that I would not necessarily upload to Google Maps, such as objects found around my house or when I am out. For example, a stapler, a cup, a flower, book(s), bicycle, etc. to help provide Google with new photos to help with their machine learning technology.
Ermes said this is what motivates him to be a Crowdsourcer, more than the popular Image Labeling “Yes / No” tasks, because while it takes more time, he enjoys contributing and labeling his photos to the Crowdsource app. It goes back to the concept of why he is a Local Guide. Ermes wants to help his community through his Local Guides reviews and uploading photos to Google Maps. He sees that uploading and labeling his photos to Crowdsource is helping teach machine learning.
What did we learn as active Google Crowdsourcers that can be applied to make us better Local Guides?
Ermes and I shared what we think are the four synergies between being a successful Crowdsourcer and Local Guide:
- Smart Camera and Image Capture Tasks. Ermes shared his phone and showed how he is using his same Google Maps photos and uploading them to his Crowdsource app.
- Taking photos for Smart Camera Tasks. Ermes shared that he has learned to train his eye to take better pictures because he has to pay more attention to the number of things in them, increasing his awareness of what is around the subject. Many times we only focus on the main subject, not paying too much attention to what is in the background. This can also help his Google Maps photos be clearer or cleaner, have fewer distractions. For example, no people in his photos, a restaurant menu, an accessibility ramp (no one using the ramp), etc.
- Labeling for Smart Camera and Image Capture and Start Doing These Crowdsource Tasks. Ermes shared this helps for labeling both his Google Maps and Crowdsource photos. Currently, every Crowdsource task you do earns you one point, whether its Image Label Verification, Sentiment Evaluation, Handwriting Recognition, Smart Camera, or Image Capture. While Image Label Verification is the most popular and easiest-to-do task, Ermes and I believe that Google will eventually give more weight, or more contribution points, to Smart Camera and Image Capture tasks. It takes more work to do; you are providing Google original content, your photos, and adding labels. We believe this is the “secret sauce” that will make you a more valuable Crowdsourcer, a real asset to Google, than just answering “Yes/No” to Image Label Verification tasks. We do this also on Google Maps, when we add the name of a dish, or the name of a product (for example, high heels), feeding in this way the AI. Have you noticed that when you add a label (for example, bottle), Crowdsource has a pop-up to ask you more details (brand, type of product, etc.)?
- Have Two Meet-ups in One. I shared for those Local Guides who host in-person meet-ups, such as Food or Coffee Crawls, Accessibility, and Clean the World. Why not also make it a Crowdsource meet-up too? You can suggest everyone take photos of single objects, such as coffee, menus, street signs, vehicles (cars, trucks, motorcycles, scooters, SUVs), etc. while also you can upload the same photos you would upload to Google Maps.
Q&A and Questions Asked During Our Presentation
Our initial 1-hour meet-up, quickly extended an additional 30 minutes, thanks to our attendees. Great questions were asked during the Q&A and also asked in the Meet Message Chat throughout the meet-up.
In my opinion, a successful Local Guides virtual meet-up is when the audience is engaged with the presentation and with each other. Knowledge sharing is happening within, while the speakers are presenting at the same time.
Our Message Chat was on fire, filled with Crowdsource-related questions, throughout the 90 minutes. You could feel and see the audience’s Crowdsource excitement of wanting to learn more!
Here are our responses to the group’s questions:
- What is the Crowdsource “Invite Code”? How do you use it?
According to Google, the Invite Code was created a month or two ago. Each of us Crowdsourcers has a unique Invite Code.
When you use the “invite code” on the Crowdsource app, you help Google better understand the impact and activities of each community.
If you heard about Crowdsource from a friend or a local event organizer (which is me), and have received an invite code from them, you can enter it under Settings > Invite code > Invite code tab. You can apply multiple invite codes if you receive more than one code.
Applying the invite code allows Google and event organizers to assess the effectiveness of local events. Google will be able to determine which event organizers’ events you attended.
New to Crowdsource? Don’t have the app installed on your device? If you receive an app download link from the event organizer (which is me), installing the app using that link will automatically associate the referrer code with your app.
For the 50+ Local Guides who attend Ermes and my June 6th VIRTUAL: Google Crowdsource Loving Local Guides Meet-up, please input my Invite Code is 283955 under Settings > Invite code > Invite code tab so Crowdsource can track your attendance.
Need to download the Crowdsource app? Please use my Invite Link, which includes my Invite Code: https://crowdsource.app.goo.gl/CV1V.
Please also enter Ermes’s Invite Code: ECD64D in your Crowdsource app.
- How can we improve our Upvote points? Will Google tell us how to do this?
Improving your Upvote points, be sure you correctly answer the question. For example, in an Image Label Verifications task, if the question is asking you, “Do you see a car? Yes or No,” the image is labeled based on whether the image contains the object rather than on how prominent that object is. For example, an image that includes a car will be labeled “car,” even if the car is small or incidental to the main image. The image is either “Yes” or “No.” On the other hand, if the car is not recognizable, it’s better not to label that image, click SKIP.
Increasing your Upvote points, your task response has to match what the majority of Crowdsourcers’ responses are to that task. If your response is incorrect, you will still receive a contribution point, but you will not gain an Upvote point. It is always better to click SKIP if you are not 100% sure.
Google will not show us how to improve our Upvote points because we are their “crowdsource” for the data they provide us to respond to. Us, Crowdsourcers, are tasks here to help improve their machine learning technology. They give us some tips, like to skip a photo if we are not sure about the label. In this way, Google is telling us that quality is more important than quantity.
- Blurring and Unblurring Faces
To protect the privacy of people in photos, Crowdsource Image Capture blurs faces in images before uploading. The exception to this is an image that Crowdsource identifies as a potential selfie: this includes all single-person faces taken from an approximate arm’s length distance. NOTE: Blurring and unblurring have no effect on the original copy of the image stored on your device.
Read more here.
- What is the Streetsmart badge?
The Streetsmart badge was associated with Landmarks task, which has been retired. So if you have not already received a Streetsmart badge, the badge will be grayed out as you will not be able to earn one.
- What are the Crowdsource Levels and Benefits?
There are 18 Crowdsource Levels. You can see what each of the 18 Levels and the minimum number of points associated with each Level in Achievements > Stats > More. 1 Contribution = 1 point.
*Benefits Highlights:
- Level 3 (100 Contributions) = Level Badge
- Level 5 (300 Contributions) = Community Newsletter
- Level 6 (600 Contributions) = Upvotes and Accuracy Unlocked
- Level 10 (10,000 Contributions) = Invites to Crowdsource community events in Hangouts
- Level 13 (60,000 Contributions) = Featured Contributor on the Crowdsource Facebook page (Be sure to “Like” the official Crowdsource page)
- Level 15 (250,000 Contributions) = Receive your E-certificate of Distinction
*Crowdsource benefits are subject to contributions passing a quality control review.
How to tag or contact Google Crowdsource?
- Facebook: @googlecrowdsource
- Instagram & Twitter: #googlecrowdsource
- Website: crowdsource.google.com
- Ask Questions, How to Set Up a Community: crowdsource-community@google.com
If you made it here and have read our entire VIRTUAL: Meet Google Crowdsource Loving Local Guides recap post, THANK YOU!! We covered a lot of Crowdsource and answered many related questions. We wanted to be sure we capture the meet-up highlights in one spot!
Cheers,
Karen & Ermes
Next Google Crowdsource Loving Local Guides Meet-up Will be in July
I will be hosting more VIRTUAL: Google Crowdsource Loving Local Guides meet-ups. I have more interesting Crowdsource topics and exciting guests.
Please be sure to comment below if you want to be notified for my next VIRTUAL: Google Crowdsource Loving Local Guides meet-up.
If you have a particular Crowdsource topic you want to cover, please PM me here on Connect.
My Next Virtual Meetup Will Be Saturday, June 20th
1-on-1 Local Guides Spotlight Interview: Ermes’ 1st time talking publicly about his “Powered by Local Guides” Local Guides Clean the World initiative: VIRTUAL: Local Guides Clean the World Talk via Google Meet. This exclusive Local Guides virtual interview has a maximum capacity of 100 attendees.