In this age, there is no need of wasting time asking about a place from someone; just google it. We have been googling for places from 2005 in Google maps. Every time I was able to find a place in Google maps, I was feeling guilty about taking the service without giving anything back. And then I found the Google Guides program and instantly got registered. Ever since, I have added places, done reviews, edits and have added pictures which has helped lot of people. Now I am happy that I can contribute back to Google and the society and I am very proud being a Google Guide.
Having a knack for photography and being a person who points and shoot anything that I want to treasure in my photo collection, the best way I can contribute to Google Maps is posting pictures. By this time, I had posted 294 photos, which were mostly aimed at helping people to make decision whether to visit or not, have been viewed 500,000+ times.
Here are few examples of best pictures I had taken which seems to have helped lot of people in their travel decisions:
Laiya, San Juan, Philippines: Laiya is a popular beach in San Juan, about 148KM South of Manila. I had the luck of visiting this place with one of my best friends in a back-packing journey.
The place was looking dull and lazy when we arrived in the mid-day but became live in the evening. There were lot of locals and we had lot of fun with them until mid-night. This picture was taken next day morning to help people to understand what a beautiful place Laiya is. This picture has been viewed 44,000 times which gives me the feeling that I am a very important person for people. I have added one more picture taken with locals below.
Rathna Café, Panadura, Sri Lanka: I had the luck of adding this place to the Google Map. It had been few days when they had opened the new joint by the time I visited the place and I enquired with them if they have added the place in the maps. Having very little knowledge about Google and Internet he was curious about it and had no objections in me taking the responsibility to do the task. I then took few pictures and added the place which was approved in few days. I pass this place couple of times every day and I see the place always full of people.
I thoroughly believe that I have a moral responsibility to what I am doing now as a Google Guide. I will continue to help Google and the entire humankind by adding more and more pictures, places and reviews to make their lives easier and help them making right decisions like Google has helped me so far.