[FR] Spam report board on Connect

[LucioV]

Hi dear team, i would like to ask you to evaluate the idea of creating a board, open only to LG from a certain level, where we can report spam in terms of:

• POIs in maps that are to be considered spam, for removal
• Places being victim of photo/review spam
• Places being vandalized
• Places with spam injection (url/name)
• other form of spam

This board could be monitored by some Googlers that are mainly focused on this ( @BruceDM, @GusMoreira); abuse of request will not be tolerated, and when the issue is solved the thread should be closed and archived with solution.

What do you think about this proposal my friends?

@Briggs, @ErmesT, @LuisRG

[Briggs]

Hello @LucioV,

I support your idea. But from what I'm reading this is essentially the basis of the Connect moderator functions. Unless the functions you are meaning are based on the Maps themselves, it seems to act as an agent of the 'regional lead program'.

Somehow I think Connect moderators do have their own board where they discuss trends, behaviours, particular nuances and actions taken for such, kind of like a log for accountability purposes.

But if you're thinking of an actual "board", like a category to post in, I think that's more of a "troubleshooting" board, very similar to the format of certain other forums but now as more people come into the Local Guides Program, they will see this platform come to be the premier platform for assistance, one way or another.

I hope I didn't misunderstand, please correct if I have.

[LucioV]

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@Briggs wrote:

Hello @LucioV,

I support your idea. But from what I'm reading this is essentially the basis of the Connect moderator functions. Unless the functions you are meaning are based on the Maps themselves, it seems to act as an agent of the 'regional lead program'.

Somehow I think Connect moderators do have their own board where they discuss trends, behaviours, particular nuances and actions taken for such, kind of like a log for accountability purposes.

But if you're thinking of an actual "board", like a category to post in, I think that's more of a "troubleshooting" board, very similar to the format of certain other forums but now as more people come into the Local Guides Program, they will see this platform come to be the premier platform for assistance, one way or another.

I hope I didn't misunderstand, please correct if I have.

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In the other product support boards, we RS/TC have the opportunity to escalate a user post in other boards for evaluation.

Connect has got private boards for Googlers and Connect Moderators; my idea is that we need a public box, an open board, where to post also full details of the spam entries, and that the open threads, as they are worked by Googlers, should be moved to another reserved board for correct handling.

This will help the user that is submitting spam, trying to help others, to understand that the claim has been received and is actually under evaluation.

[BruceDM]

Hello @LucioV,

Thanks for your suggestion. In my opinion, I am not so sure something like this is necessary though as it is a bit duplicitous in nature.  As you know, we already have the option to "Report Inappropriate Content" on any post and from there you can share items that are spammy in Connect with us.

As it is, there are already channels for reporting on all spam in Google Maps and we ask the community to feel free to work with us when you discover spam from somebody who is a Local Guide.  Something like this board would/could be seen as a forum to report on any and all spam in Google Maps and working to take down every instance of spam an LG wants to report is beyond the scope of what the Local Guides team is able to do. Rest assured that there are teams in place for this and while things don't always happen right away, spammy things are eventually caught and bad agents removed.

[LucioV]

Thanks @BruceDM 🙂

[VlLo]

Hy @BruceDM

I was an RL in my country, and with insights I have I notice things average LG consider as normal - some mentioned in the first post.

I concur with idea that trusted LG's should have a simpler way of reporting most common types of spam (even false or wrong GMB claims) or misleading info (good photos of wrong places attached to POI, bulk uploads of private photos...) and/or some verifying powers...

I hope to see such features alive...