What about POI Guidelines?

[SergeySud]

Hi team, fellows,

At the time of the Map Maker project, we had more or less clear Guidelines and rules regarding various POIs (points of interest). And separately there were the "Guidelines for representing your business on Google" for bosiness POIs.

Now there is a vacuum, and users do whatever they want, simply because there are no Guidelines. 

For example, there were clear prohibitions that places of events/incidents/disasters/battles are not published on Maps. Noname objects (pavilions, benches, flower beds, trees, lampposts, yard football fields and playgrounds, etc) are not published on Maps too.

Today user ask me a question why it's not permitted to place on the Maps such objects as memorial plates "Pushkin lived here for 2 days" or "The place of the murder of Nemtsov" (Russian politician who was killed recently in Moscow).

And I can only appeal to common sense, but I can't base on Guidelines. Because there are no Guidelines.

[GeorgesHR · Accepted solution]

Hey @SergeySud,

Thanks for reaching out!

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Today user ask me a question why it's not permitted to place on the Maps such objects as memorial plates "Pushkin lived here for 2 days" or "The place of the murder of Nemtsov" (Russian politician who was killed recently in Moscow).

This is because this is a information rather than a place itself. Our policy for adding places on Google Maps is that this places need to be "relevant, real, and public business, establishment, or government institution with a physical presence or fixed location".

Best regards,

Georges

[SergeySud]

Thank you for answer @GeorgesHR 

But my question is not about "business, establishment, or government institution". For that we have "Guidelines for representing your business on Google". My question are about all other POIs (NOT "business, establishment, or government institution"). My question are about statues, memorials, public beaches, squares, parks, attractions, bridges, public recreational areas and rest stops, pavilions, benches, yard football fields and playgrounds, etc.

[BruceDM]

Hi @SergeySud,

I believe that @GeorgesHR initial answer encompasses most of the items you are noting in your reply.  All the places you noted are either real physical locations, government fixtures or permanent/geographic institutions that are valid Places of Interest on Google Maps.

Regarding the other two spots you noted. Google Maps does not explicitly recognize an exact murder place for any person, regardless of the fame.  You may have related establishments appear in the results but an explicit result marker for "Place where Nemtsov" was killed, for example, is not permitted.

Pushkin living somewhere for two days is a temporary event and these types of items are not recognized as valid locations or places of interest for Google Maps.

[SergeySud]

Thanks @BruceDM,

I'm talking about such places https://goo.gl/maps/2WGSyvCKk3y

Mentioned name "Square". This is noname yard. It was not allowed to add such a place in "Map Maker times", but now there's no guidelines about it.

[JacekNK]

@BruceDM @GeorgesHR

It's obvious that place like "Pushkin lived here for 2 days" is not allowed on Maps but a problem is if phisical existed, real, permanent, memorial plate funded by goverment or local authorities eg. 50-100 years ago, named "memorial plate >Pushkin lived here for 2 days<" should be marked on GMaps? Eg. in Warsaw, the city which "war saw", and was demolished by German nazis to the ground, there are a lot of such memorial plates/historical landmarks/wall monuments which commemorate two Warsaw Uprisings (Warsaw Ghetto Up. and Warsaw Up.) and Second WW times victims and heroes. They are important part of that city - they are real and physical existed.

This "problem of memorial plates" is just an example that Google Maps needs a specifis Guidelines what can be or can't to be on Google Maps. It's little strange that there is so large and expanded GMB Help Center article about representing businesses on Google Maps and - after last cuttings - only one phrase about everything else in Maps HC.

Regards,

Jacek

[BruceDM]

Hi @SergeySud and @JacekNK

Sergey, the location you shared appears to be just a random yard with no specific name so to speak. These POIs that are not named and so generic are not appropriate for Google Maps. Something like this could be added with Google My Maps which allows people to publish any nuance they like.

I am not 100% clear on a the validity of a specific memorial plate on Google Maps but as they are not monuments and also political in nature, as the examples raised here appear to be, those are typically examples of things not allowed on Google Maps.

To give another example of plates not recognized on Google Maps, the Hollywood Walk of Fame has hundreds of celebrity plates embedded into the sidewalk. The "Hollywood Walk of Fame" is otherwise recognized as it is a tourist attraction with a fixed presence.