Do you know that Editing Maps could save lives? If you don’t, let me tell you my story.
My name is Rasyid. I live in Jombang, a very small town in East Java, Indonesia and work in neighboring town namely Tulungagung. I have a very interesting story why I joined Local Guide. One day a friend of mine told me that he was so sad because he’d just lost his money because of the wrong map! He worked as food delivery carrier. In 2018, online food delivery service is something new for most towns in Indonesia. Google maps is also still developing in small and remote areas here. There used to be many mistakes in addresses, business names, and other details. Since those online food carriers used Google Maps as the main medium, they sometimes got lost and went to the wrong way. It leaded to confusion and in many cases the costumers cancelled the order and complained to the managers and it makes their income decreasing. They really need money to survive.
Therefore I’m inspired to join Local Guides to be able to edit the maps to help people finding their right paths.
The picture above shows typical Indonesian street which has no official names. It’s kinda challenging for Local Guides because a single street could have different names among the locals.
Editing maps is the most interesting challenge I’ve done as a Local Guide. As a local resident, solo traveller, and geography-lover (I can draw the map of almost all countries in the world) I am confident that I am qualified enough to edit place details which I consider wrong, such as: grabbing the map marker into the right point, editing wrong business/street names, and deleting duplicates.
Nothing makes me happier than the notifications which says: “Your edit is APPROVED”. One of my first approved edits is on Raudhatul Athfa (kind of kindergarten) Mansyaul Maarif. Before I edited, the map marker of this school was wrong. As you clicked the map it would lead you to a rice field! After my edit was approved, I met one of teachers of this school. She said that now students, teachers, and guests who want to visit the school will not get lost anymore.
I was very glad to hear this.
I am so happy to give positive impacts to my surrounding communities by being a Local Guide.
Love,
Mufti Rasyid Maskub
a villager and a worker in
INDONESIA