On July 18th, I hosted my 12th Local Guides virtual meet-up. The topic was a continuation of my first Local Guides Google Crowdsource Talk: Meet Google Crowdsource Loving Local Guides.
I wanted to moderate a roundtable of Local Guides who are both influencers in the Local Guides program and Google Crowdsource app:
- @KarenVChin. San Francisco Bay Area Local Guide since March 2015. Close to being a Level 9. First female Connect Moderator. One of 6 Local Guides in the world can proudly say I have attended all 4 Local Guides Summits/Connect Lives. Crowdsourcer Level 13.
- @Sagir, Nigeria, Local Guide Level 10. Local Guide active since 2016, Accessibility Champion and founder of worldwide Hospital Edit walk. Crowdsourcer Level 16. Owner of a Lagos Crowdsource community.
- @CeciliaRatto, from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Local Guide Level 8. One of the four founders of the Argentina Local Guides community. Crowdsourcer Level 14.
- @ermest, Local Guide Level 9 from Italy. Moderator of Local Guides Connect since April 2017. Active on environmental and accessibility topics. Creator of Local Guides Clean The World. Crowdsourcer Level 11, very close to Level 12.
After last month’s Local Guides Google Crowdsource talk with Ermes, it was great to continue discussing what Crowdsource means to Cecilia and Sagir and to discuss further what synergies we each see between being both a Local Guide & a Crowdsourcer.
30+ Local Guides from North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia attended this meet-up via Google Meet to be our audience.
During our virtual Influencers Roundtable, as moderator, I asked Ermes, Sagir, and Cecilia to share their Local Guides Crowdsource journeys by answering the following questions:
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When and how you started Crowdsource?
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What motivates you to be a Local Guide? As a Crowdsourcer?
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Does contributing to Google Maps as Local Guides help Crowdsource?
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How do you contribute to Crowdsource?
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What do you like about Crowdsource (project) & the app?
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What Crowdsource activities do you enjoy the most? Similar to being in a Local Guide?
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Do you have any Crowdsource tips you want to share?
Local Guides Google Crowdsource Influencer Roundtable Highlights
1. When and how you started Crowdsource?
Karen: Started Crowdsource at the end of 2019 because I received my Pixel 3XL gift from Google during Connect Live 2019 in November (Sorry, I am an iOS user). Knew about Crowdsource from Local Guides friends’ social media for the past few years, such as Sagir, @PavelSarwar, @StephenAbraham, @U-royFelixA and thought Crowdsource was for Southeast Asia and Africa only. Once I saw Cecilia’s and @FaridTDF’s Instagram posts towards the end of 2019, I became curious to know if I could participate since I have the Pixel now.
Sagir: I started Crowdsource in 2016. I came across it on Facebook and decided to give it a try. But stop contributing after a few weeks. I then later pick it up again in 2018, and from this moment I hardly spend a day without adding to Crowdsource.
Ermes: I started Crowdsource at the end of 2019. I was introduced to the program by Karen, but at first, I didn’t find it interesting. When Google Photos started to ask me questions about my photos, I understood the potential of the program, and I began to contribute more actively from February 2020.
Cecilia: I started at the beginning of 2019. I participated in a Local Guides meet-up in Buenos Aires, and there was a talk between some of the Local Guides there about Crowdsource. They told me that Crowdsource was about helping Google to improve its Artificial Intelligence, and as I love technology, I became very interested in that application. I downloaded it and started to contribute since then.
2. What motivates you to be a Local Guide? As a Crowdsourcer?
Karen: I want to give back to Google Maps as much as I use as a Maps user. I use Google Maps for directions, as a source for search when I need to look up things to eat, shop, see, and do. I enjoy helping provide reviews and photos for parents like me who have young children to Google Maps.
As a Crowdsourcer, I like to upload my photos–flowers and plants, places that I visit, objects around and in my house, etc. to help provide data to AI and ML for Google products.
Sagir: My motivation as a local Guide is that happiness you get when you help someone without expecting thanks in return.
As a Crowdsourcer? I see AI and ML as the feature of technology. To make this a reality, we all need to provide data for ML. Contributing to Crowdsource is my chance to be part of the bigger picture.
Ermes: What motivates me to be a Local Guide is that I am the first to benefit from the improved information in Google Maps. Adding contributions to helping others is just the other side of the coin to have a Map be more helpful.
Adding Contributions also in Crowdsource help to improve Maps thanks to better recognition of the images I add (e.g., a dish is immediately identified as a dish)
Cecilia: The motivation I have to be a Local Guide is that it is an excellent way to help others in many different ways. It is also an excellent way to improve my community, through participation in various activities like meet-ups, Accessibility activities, or Clean the World activities.
Being a Local Guide, personally, gave me a lot of satisfaction and allowed me to make many friends around the world.
As a Crowdsourcer, I feel I contribute to improving the applications I use every day (Google Photos, Google Search, Google Lens, and Google Maps between others). And indirectly, through the improvement in the apps, I feel I am also improving other people’s lives and mine too, for sure. It makes me feel great to know that I can make others at least a bit happier doing what I do.
3. Does contributing to Google Maps as Local Guides help Crowdsource?
Sagir: The reverse is the case. By contributing to Crowdsource landmarks option, you are improving Google maps. Especially for visually impaired people.
Ermes: This is the other side of the same coin. When I add a label to a product, I help the AI to identify the product better.
Cecilia: I think both programs are relatable at the end. Both of them have the same objective, which is to improve the apps we all use all the time.
But as Sagir said, I think Crowsource helps Google Maps to improve some of the functionalities we use there, perhaps without noticing it.
For example, when we use lists that have been created in other languages, automatically, Google Maps translates them to our language. Behind this translation, there are a lot of people that contribute to Crowdsource regularly through the translation task, helping to improve this translation we are using.
Another example that I found recently is the use of Google Lens on Google Maps. Do you know that you can use Google Lens inside Google Maps? I found out that some months ago.
If you want to go to a restaurant and you need to know what to order there, we know that we can find the menu on Google Maps. But if that menu is in another language that you don’t understand, for sure, you will be in trouble.
You can use Google Lens inside Google Maps, to read that menu (that is a photo) and automatically you can translate the dish to your language, and also, you can know how that dish was prepared or how you can prepare it if you want to eat that at home.
Without noticing it, you are using the information that Crowsourcers uploaded to the application. You are using the improvement of translations; you are using the knowledge Google got from the contributions though Intelligent Camera or Image Label Verification.
I gave you only two examples, but there are a lot more.
That is why I think Google Crowdsource helps to improve Google Maps.
4. How do you contribute to Crowdsource?
Karen: Both. App and Web. You have more flexibility (portability) with the app. I contribute at night in bed or when I have access to wifi in public while waiting.
Sagir: Both. App and Web.
Ermes: Both. App and Web, but I prefer to use the app because I have more options available, included the possibility to share contents directly from Google Photo
Cecilia: I usually contribute at night, before going to sleep, so I often use my phone, but sometimes, I also use my computer. I found that contributing using a computer is a little bit faster than if I use the phone, but using the phone is more comfortable for me.
There are also some tasks you cannot do on the computer, so when I use them, I use the phone.
5. What do you like about Crowdsource (project) & the app?
Karen: For a non-technical person, I like that my Crowdsource contributions for doing the tasks help make an impact (providing data/feedback) to make Google products better. The app makes participating in Crowdsource portable, the ability to always be doing a Crowdsource task. I was taking and uploading photos while on vacation in March before the coronavirus.
Sagir: I like Crowdsource because it helps many Google apps. By contributing to Crowdsource, you are making life easier for Google apps users. The Upvote on the App is fantastic because it tells you what you are contributing is right with others.
Ermes: It is amazing. If you have seen the recent improvement in Google Photos App, you will understand me immediately. Labels now categorize all my photos. Labels that I never added on my photos
Cecilia: I like the app because it is simple to use, and you can contribute for very short periods of time. It does not take you a lot of time to contribute. I also like the community that started to grow during the last months around Crowdsource. In Latin America, we have a very active community right now contributing almost every day. It is always much more fun to do this kind of thing with friends than do it alone.
Because of coronavirus, there has been an increase in virtual meet-ups in the community during the last several months. It provided us the opportunity to meet others and contribute all together playing internal games or challenges, which has been a lot of fun.
I also had the opportunity to participate in different events that Google organized in Google Offices or virtually. This provided me the opportunity to learn more about the program.
I like all these things in the app and around it.
6. What Crowdsource activities do you enjoy the most? Similar to being in a Local Guide?
Karen: Photos! Uploading photos to Image Capture. Taking pictures for Smart Camera tasks. I find relaxing, a de-stressor, both Image Labeling and Handwriting Recognition tasks. As I mentioned during my first Local Guides Google Crowdsource Talk with Ermes, you can take the photos you upload for Google Maps to also upload to Image Capture.
Sagir: As a Local Guide I love adding places and pictures to the map. For Crowdsource, I love Image Caption on the web and Image Capture on Apps. All this improves Google image Search.
Ermes: I do not have an aspect of Google Maps that I love more than others. I love to correct (edit) places, for always having the correct information. I love to add new places, including photos and reviews. I find it exciting to fix (adding and or removing) roads.
For Crowdsource, I love Image Caption, Image Capture, and Smart Camera. When I am in “Image Caption,” I skip a lot of images, because I do not want to submit incorrect information.
Cecilia: I like photography a lot, so all the tasks related to photography in both applications are the ones I enjoy more. In Google Maps, I enjoy uploading photos of every place I go to and in Crowdsource, I like all the tasks related to photos. The one I like more is the “Intelligent Camera” (in English, it is called “Smart Camera”). It is hilarious to think that I am teaching the apps as I teach my son about the world.
I made more than 2.500 contributions there now. As Karen said, during quarantine, I made photos of almost every single thing I have at home using the “Intelligent Camera” task.
When I contribute before going to sleep, I like to contribute to the Handwriting Recognition task. It is hilarious to read what people write there. Some people get the words written there and make funny sentences with those words and post them in their social networks. I like it!
7. Do you have any Crowdsource tips you want to share?
Karen: Like being a Local Guide, be mindful of what you are doing for Crowdsource. Think first about how you respond to Crowdsource activity. Take your time. You don’t need to rush to answer.
Sagir: Nothing but “Quality over Quantity.” Always have that in mind when contributing.
Ermes: Skip if you are not sure about a label in Image Label Verification. Add as many labels as you can when you submit a photo.
Cecilia: My best tip is to always have in mind that you are helping to improve the apps you use every day. It is not important to make a large number of contributions, but it is imperative to make GOOD contributions. In the end, you are improving your apps.
I can also tell you that if you have the opportunity to participate in a Crowdsource Community, you will have more fun than contributing alone. Try joining a community in your country or start a new one if there is no one there. You will not regret it!
And the last thing I want to share with you is something that the Argentinians invented last month in an event hosted by Google called “30DaysOfCrowdsource.” That event was a team competition between different countries in Latin America and in Africa. It was very intense and fun too.
We invented something that we called “15 Minutes of Images.” It consists of contributing only for 15 minutes in Image Label tasks (if you do not like that task, you can choose another one). You can do it alone or with others in your community. If you are alone, you must contribute without any distractions for 15 minutes only. Or if you are with others, you can set up the 15 minutes challenge by chatting or using the typical way you use to communicate, and all the people that want to join contribute at the same time. All together.
After the 15 minutes, you can all share the points you achieved and the findings you made during that time. I can tell you that we had a lot of fun sharing and commenting on funny photos we found.
Knowing that other people contribute at the same time you are is a good motivation. It makes it more fun and allows you to get answers to your questions. It also helps you to contribute better in a consistent way and making friends along the way.
How to Contact
Next Steps
If you enjoyed this Local Guides Google Crowdsource meet-up, I have more topics on this subject.
Please be sure to add your Connect ID in the recap so that I can tag you for future Local Guides Google Crowdsource meet-ups.
Again, be sure to add our Crowdsource Codes in your Crowdsource app. This will help Crowdsource keep track of who attended this meet-up.
Again, I want to thank Ermes, Cecilia, and Sagir for being a part of my 1st Local Guides Google Crowdsource Influencers Roundtable. I know to share your Local Guides Crowdsource journeys, and how each of you as Local Guides is participating in both Local Guides and Crowdsource programs successfully will help motivate and inspire Local Guides to be Local Guides Crowdsourcers.
Cheers,
Karen
My Next Virtual Meetup Will Be Saturday, August 1st
I am teaming up with @Kwiksatik again. We will be discussing what are & why to create “lists” for Google Maps. Whether you applied for Connect Live or you might have heard of “lists” for Google Maps here on Connect, but still not sure what are “lists” and why they are so important to create, please join us. This exclusive Local Guides virtual meet-up has a maximum capacity of 100 attendees. RSVP NOW.
