We need more categories for adding missing places

[John_P_GG]

Hi,

Could someone add some more categories for adding missing places?  I do a lot of bike riding, and very few of the parking places a long where I like to ride are labeled.  I would like to label them so more people can use them.  At the moment, I'm using the Gym category, but that's really not appropriate.  I also do a lot of hiking and kayaking, and I'm running into the same problem, so I propose adding the following categories:

Bike access parking

Kayak access parking 

Hiking trail head parking

[Wazomba]

Absolutely true! Facing the same issue with missing categories

[John_P_GG]

What categories would you like to see added?

[John_P_GG]

There are more categories, but it's not obvious how to find them.  You go to the category line and start typing and you will see more choices.  For example, I wanted to use "Parking Lot", so I just start with Par... and it brings up Parking Lot.

[enriquebris]

De acuerdo! También siento la falta de más categorías para clasificar las nuevas adiciones a los mapas, por ejemplo Monumento, Tunel, Puente, Edificio de Apartamentos, Policlínico, Industria...

Lo más asombroso es que en el listado actual de Categorías hay algunas que me han resultado curiosas por lo inusual!

Saludos

[Wazomba]

Hi @John_P_GG,

Thanks for your answer. I'll give it a try and will revert ASAP.

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@John_P_GG wrote:

 You go to the category line and start typing and you will see more choices.

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[JeroenM]

Hi @John_P_GG, @enriquebris, @Wazomba,

Categories seem a simple subject at first sight, but soon you will learn that it is more complicated than you would have thought when it comes to Google Maps.

First of all (@enriquebris), Maps is built from different layers with different subsets of categories. Some of the missing categories that you mention are not missing, but they are part of category subsets that are(some only currently) not available to Local Guides. At this moment we use the categories related to so-called subset: "Establishments". These are mostly businesses and all the things on Maps that can be reviewed. Those other categories that belong to different subsets, can be edited or added as a new place to maps via the report feedback function. In other words, inform Google about it and they will review your edit.

However, and this requires more study/ experience, many things you might wish to add are not mappable. Most of them have to do with various mapping rules. For example, if a place is not public it should not be on maps.  Another rule is that places need to have a name. Yet another rule is that things that are part of other things (like a parking place can be), should not be mapped. The main thing, for example, a Gym, get mapped, but the parking lot that belongs to the gym does not. A useful question to ask yourself: who owns and manages the place. To be allowed as an individual listing on maps, a place/ business needs to be an entity by itself. So a hotel with a pool, should not have the pool separately listed as a public swimming pool since the pool is a feature of the hotel. 

I have been studying the subject categories for some time now and am keeping my answer really short here. If you fancy reading and learning more, here is a link to a selection of bookmarks to Connect Posts that are very informative:

http://www.pearltrees.com/t/research/posts-related-categories/id17681574

Hope this all makes sense, if there is something you do not understand (perhaps because I kept my answer too short), please get back to me.

Happy mapping.

Jeroen

Check out the beginnings of our Local Guides Library with online resources.

[enriquebris]

Gracias @JeroenM por su excelente respuesta!

Entiendo la complejidad de un modelo informatico como el de Gooogle Maps, y las limitaciones q -necesariamente- han de imponerse a su uso, sobre todo tomando en cuenta el libre acceso que tiene como herramienta web. Tal vez una propuesta a analizar sería ampliar las categorias a disposicion de un usuario en funcion de su nivel como LG, pero este seria otro asunto.

Ademas...realmente solo tengo una vision "urbana" de estos temas (soy Arquitecto) y obviamente mis abordajes suelen tener un matiz desde este enfoque profesional, y no desde el punto de vista organizativo y funcional, que imagino debe ser enormemente complicado: solo viendo las cifras de LG conectados en un instante a Connect puedo tener una cierta nocion de la dimension del "equipo" de colaboradores.

De todas formas, mantengo la estrategia de comentar/consultar cuanto tema me parece pueda ser debatido y resultar en beneficio de esta poderosa herramienta q es Maps, y una respuesta como la suya me reafirma en lo conveniente de este "estilo": si no expreso publicamente mis opiniones y propuestas, probablemente no llegue al conocimiento necesario para optimizar mis participaciones. Me gusta la frase "solo vamos mas rapido, pero en Equipo vamos mas lejos".

Gracias otra vez! Volvere sobre el tema...cuando estudie.

Saludos desde La Habana.

[JeroenM]

@enriquebris

Thank you in return for your contributions here. I love the fact that the mix of people involved in the Local Guides Program give us all kinds of perspectives and yours, as an architect, is another example of a very interesting one.

Until March this year, there was an application, called MapMaker. This editing tool of Google Maps gave its users far more "power" in relation to making edits. Since Google Maps is being rebuilt from the bottom up, we are currently in a transition/ development phase. This results in temporarily limited capabilities and an opportunity for Google to redesign the workflow for contributors like us.

As Google Maps has many different stakeholders with some of them their own platform and application to edit Map related content, the Category "ecology" of Maps evolved differently at different platforms. We are therefore now in a situation that certain categories might be available to business owners of My Google Business, but not to Local Guides. Google has recognized this issue and announced that they are in the process of cleaning up and streamlining the available category subsets. All we can do as Local Guides is patiently wait and see what happens 😉

Your approach to write down your thoughts and interact here on the LG Connect forums is a very good way of learning the ins- and outs of Mapping and the LG Program. There is a treasure chest of information to be found, but like with real treasure, it can be difficult to find the diamond postings amongst the more average or less useful ones. The Library of useful bookmarks that a group of committed Local Guides is currently building should make it easier to study subject by topics in the near future, as we are cataloging Connect. 

Jeroen

Check out the beginnings of our Local Guides Library with online resources.

[enriquebris]

Hola @JeroenM, lei con detenimiento su respuesta, y aprendi unas cuantas cosas, entre ellas el uso del termino "stakeholder" (no lo conocia, mi ingles es limitado) y me parece muy conveniente para usarlo relacionado con los LG. Le estoy agradecido.

No logre conocer MapMaker, realmente hubiera sido bien interesante! Esperemos que se integre felizmente con Google Maps y pueda llegar a convertirse en un buen recurso en funcion de hacer mapas fiables y podamos contar con documentacion para su uso: aunque supuestamente hay suficiente informacion, en la realidad aparecen muchos archivos de dudosa validez y para los q -un dia- comenzamos a colaborar, la dinamica y "costumbres" de Maps no resulta tan evidente como para los expertos.

Gracias por su atencion, y saludos desde La Habana.