Being a person who likes to experience places and culture first hand, I always made sure that the job I take aligns with the passion I carry for exploring towns, cities and even countries. Google Maps have always come to my rescue, from exploring quaint little towns in the southern part of India or going on walking tours in buzzing cities of the eastern part of India to finding my way through Europe. Going out of your comfort zone alone can be scary at times, but with Google Maps, I’ve always felt secure in my solo trips. Maps gave me a certain kind of confidence that I would be able to find my way back home. Soon, Google maps became intertwined even with my daily routine that even some slightly inaccurate information would turn my trip upside down. Like, there have been times when I have ended up at cafes that were closed or places which were miles away from my destination. This made me conscious of the importance of the little pieces of information and I started fixing them. Soon enough, it got incorporated into my lifestyle and I felt a sense of responsibility for the accuracy of Google Maps. Like me, I am assuming many people must be relying heavily on maps and I am sure Google Maps give them the same sense of security that it gives me. Also, the fact that other apps like Uber, Swiggy (local food delivery app in India), Zomato also rely on the accuracy of Google Maps, I feel the correctness of the data is extremely important. I can help people make decisions, be it for choosing the right café for a first date or exploring little lanes in a new place. So, I feel my role in increasing the reliability of Maps goes a long way in making people feel safe, secure and a lot more confident in exploring new things.
The Internet has obviously contributed to the way people make decisions today. I feel the images I contribute to Google Maps makes the process of decision making easier. This revelation dawned on me when one of my colleagues told me about the time when he saw the images of our office taken by me that gave him a solid impression of our work environment which further helped him decide to join and become a part of the company. Also, back when I was in college, the owner of a newly opened fast food joint told me that my review of his stall made his food joint popular among the college crowd and so many students left equally good reviews about the place. Not just good reviews, but the ones and also, the feedback have helped so many people improve their services. The democratic nature of local guides is what makes it so neutral and trustworthy, and I strongly believe that we are an integral part of it, who has to work in a diligent manner to keep it running that way,