This is a bad trick by google map. After one year, we will have to purchase more storage from Google (we would develop bad habit of storing more pics, videos etc.). But our contribution to map will be for ever. Rather than giving 100 MB for one year, better they would have given 20 MB storage but for ever.
This was a sly, manipulative move by Google. There should be an annual "maintenance fee" for keeping the free drive storage (ie: contributing an additional 100 points in reviews/photos each year), but it shouldn't just expire. This flawed system completely removes the incentive for continuing to contribute and even makes regular contributors like myself want to remove all of our content (reviews, photos, new places, etc) from Google Maps. We WANT to continue to contribute to making the Google Community a better place! Please help us maintain that desire!
The amount of storage is not the issue. It's that it expires after one year with no way to renew except to pay. It feels like a "bait and switch" type of scam to many like myself.
I think it would be much better for Google to either be able to renew storage storage for free by maintaining a certain contribution level or a reasonable alternative would be to charge a very much below market rate for the storage (50% discount?). This way it feels like people are getting something for their contributions and not just a way to hold people's content hostage so they will have to pay for storage for the rest of their lives.
I understand making something unlimited and free will have the issue of it growing out of control, but charging a discounted fee will be profitable to Google and keep a happy and active LG community. I think it could be a general benefit of offering 50% discounts for all Google products might make more people buy your products and make them even more ubiquitous. The critical mass will allow Google more opportunities to monetize.
With storage costs going down every year. Google's profit margin on storage would increase every year even with a good discount.
I guess I'll delete my reviews and photos then when my hard earned (NOT free) storage expires. Shame. Google guides seemed like such a good idea for rewarding people for contributing substantial content to google maps.
Hi @henrikdegyor. On July 7, we announced both via email in our monthly newsletter and here in Local Guides Connect that as our community of Local Guides continues to grow, we’ve made the decision to adjust our Level 4 benefit to 100GB of free Google Drive storage for one year. Local Guides who were signed up for the program prior to July 7 and reached Level 4 by July 21 still received the 1 TB offer. Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback on the benefit.
When i reached the points and google said, 100gb for 1 year, i said noo! What is this white cheat? Why wasn't it promoted with big letters on every page: ONLY FOR ONE YEAR!?
Since my reviews is for google maps only, not any other maps, it should be fair if my reviews would disappear after one year also!
So people who contributing also pay, just like who dont....
It would be better even if we got less storage space just not paying forever like all the others who did not made google map any better! One year is flying fast, and after that google has our reviews, but we just have to pay again and again
When i reached the points and google said, 100gb for 1 year, i said noo! What is this white cheat? Why wasn't it promoted with big letters on every page: ONLY FOR ONE YEAR!?
Since my reviews is for google maps only, not any other maps, it should be fair if my reviews would disappear after one year also!
So people who contributing also pay, just like who dont....
2022
