What is the most interesting thing you’ve done as a Local Guide
The most interesting thing I’ve done as a local guide was when I added photos and information of places that are personally meaningful to me.
When I was visiting Korea last summer, I had recently became a local guide in NYC and was very actively contributing. Unlike here in the U.S. where most of us use Google Map in daily lives, there were so much information to be updated on Google map in Korea simply because there are other more widely used Korean map services.
More and more Koreans were now turning to Google Map for accurate information and honest reviews by local guides. They seemed to recognize that reviews and information on Google map to be more genuine and credible than maps provided by Korean search engines where many reviews are paid promotions.
I stayed in Daejeon, the city where I grew up and attended all schools from Elementary to College. And the most special moment was when I added information and photos of schools I attended. I added correct English names and the website information of the schools that I and my siblings attended, and the schools my father worked as a teacher, from the very first one to the last one where he retired from. I added photos of the temple my mom used to take me when I was a kid, and corrected wrong information, misspells of English and also updated facts on some of my favorite restaurants from my childhood and teenage years.
It was such a meaningful moment for me because I felt like I brought those places from my childhood and presented them to the infinite world of Google Map, for people from all over the world to see. It was a truly defining experience as a local guide.
Recently I visited Fort Lauderdale, FL and got to visit the hotel I used to work. It was my first workplace in the U.S. and the place was filled with memories of my early 20s when Google map wasn’t around as much. I took pictures of the hotel and posted it on Google map and now it’s viewed by thousands of people.
I feel proud of these contributions I made while I was physically there to check the current, actual facts. These experiences took my motivation to another level after I came back to NYC, and I’ve been even more determined to add real and unique value to the Google map and local guide community.