Google Local Chat Feature

[#1]

1. JNot many Local Guides in my area know about Connect - would love for Google to establish a way to ask other Local Guides if they’d like to connect on Connect. The next step would be to create “Local Connections” - a virtual gathering place where Local Guides in the same community can regularly communicate with each other.

[TenehaB]

I think it would be a great idea to allow Google Locals to Chat when online.  I think a chatroom would be beneficial.  No private chats as that might be kind of creepy; but an open chatroom/forum to vocalize ideas and communicate on topics related to Google Local Guides.  

I understand we have Google Moderators, but sometimes it seems if you don't read the whole thread, the moderators are answering the same questions all the time.  A chatroom would allow a topic to be posted and the time could be listed when the chatroom would be open for discussion and all questions could be answered then.  And for those that miss it, they can read the chat message.

What do ya think???

[JanVanHaver]

Hello @TenehaB as interaction between local guides here is indeed not always easy, a lot of the things you write about are happening on social media. On Facebook, e.g. there are several groups that bring LGs together (one of them has over 5000 members).

[sonnyNg]

Hi @ThereseHowe,

Thank you kindly for sharing your thoughts.

However, if you may provide a bit more information on the first idea, as it would help us understand better. A screenshot of the step you think it could be implemented would be really useful.

On the other hand, it is advisable to create another post on Idea Exchange for the second idea, as in that way it can develop better.

[sonnyNg]

Hi @TenehaB,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us.

Just as a note, you may check the Tools to help Local Guides connect within Google Maps, as it may have some similarities with your idea.

I have moved your post there as follow up for more convenience.

Really interesting statistics, @JanVanHaver.

[TravellerG]

Dear friends @sonnyNg & @BorrisS : I reached here from this thread.

& from this thread, you are directing us to many more threads - can I humbly request all to focus on "RESULTS"  (to the point) & save our valuable time? I find this 'Style' at many places, which makes us sad - sorry being frank.

To our valuable LG @JanVanHaver : To me, we are talking about LG Connect; FB or Twitter iare different entities. We are here to improve Google Maps & LG Connect - pardon me if I am wrong. (Of course, I am not a  FB FAN - mainly due to time constraints.).

To me LG @TenehaB is talking about a 'Chat room' which is a well established option.

Regards to others in this thread.

[JanVanHaver]

@TravellerG social media like Facebook and Twitter are indeed different entities, but what I meant was: as long as there is no real option for local guides to easily find other local guides from the same area within Google Maps or within Connect, you can use social media as a proxy.

I am also not a big fan of Facebook, but at the moment it is the easiest way to interact with other local guides in a way that is organized e.g. per country. If similar options were available in Maps or Connect, I would gladly use those. But unfortunately Google makes it very hard to get in touch with other local guides (their claim is that this is due to privacy concerns, but I bet that quite a few LGs would be willing to share their location/country and explicitly give Google consent to publish this on Connect).

On top of that: Connect users are also being advised by Google moderators to use social media for certain things: a post I had written a while ago that contained (in a broader context) a reference to reaching a next level was marked as off-topic (and is therefore no longer visible) and I received a mail telling me to share that kind of info not on Connect but on social media.

[sonnyNg]

Hi @TravellerG, @JanVanHaver,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

It may seems that for the moment concerning for Local Guides who take their time to provide suggestions, we really appreciate that.

As for the moment, our endeavor is to collect and organize the posts, as they contain such a diversity of direction of thoughts. From there, they can grow in a more natural way. : ]

[TravellerG]

Hi dear @JanVanHaver, Thank you for your detailed answers - I share my sympathy with you in almost all points & also agree on your views.

By the by, you were a very active LG & off late, we meet rarely!!! Any specific reason (if publishable)?...

[TravellerG]

Hope, that the new re-arranged "LG Team" will put in their efforts to make the Connect more LG friendly and useful, dear @sonnyNg 

[JanVanHaver]

@TravellerG the main reason why I spend much less time on Connect these days, is that I am working on 2 LG related projects that take up a lot of time (because of course: if I do something I want to do it in a decent way 🙂😞

* The 2nd European Meet-up in June

* The LetsGuide Podcast

But an additional reason is also, I have to admit, that the platform is currently far from user-friendly, especially for users who are mobile-first (like me). There are just too many scrolls & clicks needed to get from one thing to another and the overall navigation is very hard.