My first vacation far away from the Indian mainland was Andamans. This was in 2009 when smartphone and Google Maps penetration in Indian was in its nascent stage. The bitter experience we had there due to the lack of local knowledge and language (my native language is Tamil and Hindi was widely used there) made me look for solutions.
When I got hold of my first smartphone this thirst of mine was fulfilled. There was Google maps (definitely not accurate at that time) which had the vision that I was looking for. A tool that can do away with the fear associated with visiting unknown cities and changes the whole experience of exploring places. But this tool needed improvements and it can’t be done by Google alone. That’s when I realised how important it is for me as a Google Maps user to contribute in whatever possible way to make it more productive to society.
I focus primarily on contributing photos that will give a wider perspective for the user about any place that they are looking for. Also, I try to write reviews for the places that needed special mention. I primarily contribute things about my city that I would expect to know when I visit a new one.