Several years ago I accidentally run into Local Guides program and it turned out in very exiting adventure. Since than I have added thousands of photos, videos of restaurants, yummy food, gorgeous touristic places and shopping malls, found and visited many interesting places suggested by other local guides too.
Also I get acquainted with several local guides from my city, met them and we shared our experience and ideas to each other. Now we are very good friends and travel a lot together and adding and adding photos and videos and new places to Google Maps. It is so funny and stunning! Not to mention, they helped me to film video for Connect Live 2020.
But I want to share with you my latest feelings. I always thought that Google map mostly is for travelers. But now in situation with COVID-19 when almost whole population is confinement , isolation or quarantine Google map
become es important to locals as for tourists. You can find the nearest pharmacy, bakery or grocery shop, check working status, traffic on roads and etc. So, checking facts and editing errors become most important duty for me. And every day I am trying to help people to my neighborhood to ease their life with adding important places on Google Maps, answering questions and so on.
Now I know: Local Guides program is not only help people in travelling . May be you can save lives to give right information in right moment. Who knows?